Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially recognised state in Southeast Europe. It lies at the centre of the Balkans. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 100 member states of the United Nations. It is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Dukagjini and Kosovo field. The Accursed Mountains and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively. Its capital and largest city is Pristina.
Prizren is the second most populous city and municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and district. It is located on the banks of the Prizren River between the foothills of the Sharr Mountains in southern Kosovo. Prizren experiences an oceanic climate under the influence of the surrounding mountains.
The Vilayet of Kosovo was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula which included the current territory of Kosovo and the north-western part of the Republic of North Macedonia. The areas today comprising Sandžak (Raška) region of Serbia and Montenegro, although de jure under Ottoman control, were in fact under Austro-Hungarian occupation from 1878 until 1909, as provided under Article 25 of the Treaty of Berlin. Üsküb (Skopje) functioned as the capital of the province and the midway point between Istanbul and its European provinces. Üsküb's population of 32,000 made it the largest city in the province, followed by Prizren, also numbering at 30,000.
The University of Pristina is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the Kosovo War. The inauguration of the university was a historical occurrence not only for the people of Kosovo, but for the whole Albanian nation. On 15 February, the solemn Parliament session took place, which is also proclaimed as The University of Pristina's Day. In the composition of the newly established University of Pristina were faculties with their headquarters in Pristina: the Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Law and Economics, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Medicine. Now the University of Pristina has 17 faculties, of which 14 are academic faculties, and 3 are faculties of applied sciences. Contained within the emblem is a translation of the name into Latin, Universitas Studiorum Prishtiniensis.
Jeton Neziraj is a playwright from Kosovo. He was the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Kosovo and now he is the Director of Qendra Multimedia, a cultural production company based in Prishtina.
Pristina is the capital of Kosovo and seat of Pristina Municipality and Pristina District. The largest city by area and population of Kosovo, Pristina is predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians and constitutes the second-largest ethnic Albanian-inhabited capital after Tirana, Albania.
Skopska Crna Gora, often called simply Crna Gora, or Karadak, is a mountain range and ethnographic region in North Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. It lies between the cities of Kaçanik in the West, Skopje in the South, Kumanovo and Preševo in the East and Gjilan in the North. It is essentially a continuation of the Šar Mountains and is separated by the gorge of Kaçanik. The highest peak is Ramno in Macedonia. The largest town on the mountain is Kučevište in North Macedonia.
Lorenc Antoni was an Albanian composer, conductor, and ethnomusicologist.
Kosovo is situated in south-eastern Europe. With its central position in the Balkans, it serves as a link in the connection between central and south Europe, the Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. Tourism in Kosovo is characterized by archaeological heritage from Illyrian, Dardanian, Roman, Byzantine, Serbian and Ottoman times, traditional Albanian and Serbian cuisine, architecture, religious heritage, traditions, and natural landscapes.
Classical music in Kosovo refers to the art music cultivated in Kosovo. The roots of classical music in Kosovo are found in the 1940s and include the time period from the times when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia to this day. It can be said that there is a tradition of classical music in Kosovo, however, compared to other Balkan countries and especially European countries this tradition is younger. Classical music in Kosovo reaches back about 70 years. Even though in a short period of time, this music has evolved, passing through generations of composers and artists. In his book Albanian: Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë të Kosovës, Engjëll Berisha comments:
"The diversity of styles in Albanian music [of Kosovo], its national patterns with sound idea-aesthetic foundations are a characteristic of the European musical reality, so many many works are of interest abroad, too, because during this relatively short period Albanian classical music in Kosovo has compensated for the delay in its development."
The literature of Kosovo is composed of literary texts written in Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Turkish, specifically by authors of Kosovo. Kosovo produced several prominent writers in the Ottoman era. However, Ottoman authorities banned the written use of the Albanian language until 1912. This policy continued during Serb rule until the outbreak of World War II.
Nijazi Ramadani is a Kosovar Albanian poet, novelist and literary critic.
The National Theatre of Kosovo was founded in 1946 in the city of Prizren, Kosovo. It is the highest ranked theatre institution in the country, with the largest number of productions. The National Theatre is the only public theatre in Kosovo and therefore it is financed by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. This theatre has produced more than 400 premieres which have been watched by more than 3 million spectators.
The culture of Prizren consists of a rare blend of the various identities which make up Kosovo. Prizren is a community where different cultures and civilizations have come together, contributing to the city's cultural development over the centuries.
Music composition and composers in Pristina refers to music composition and composers who have left their mark in Pristina. The importance of Kosovan Folklore on the different genres, their development and their popularity. As referring to genres as a categorization would not cover all compositions and composers in a fair way, a highlight of every composers work and different genres is provided because of the different genres a composers work has included throughout the years.
Gjuha Shqipe (Gjuha Shqipe is a scientific magazine published in by the Albanological Institute. It focuses on topics related to the Albanian language, its purification, spread, and development, and possible changes on its standard form.
Musë Prelvukaj is a Kosovar artist born in Martinaj, near Gusinje and Plav in what is now Montenegro, on December 25, 1950.
The Sopa or Sopi tribe is a historical Albanian tribe (fis) originating from the Sharr Mountains of today's Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. Members of the tribe can be found in many Albanian-inhabited regions of Kosovo and North Macedonia, specifically in and around Prizren.
The Karadak-Gollak Uprising, variously also known as the armed resistance of Karadak in the southeast of Kosovo 1941–1951, was series of Albanian riots in the Karadak and Gollak regions directed firstly against the Bulgarian, German and Italian occupation which started in 1941 after the Invasion of Yugoslavia and later against the Yugoslav Partisans, who were trying to take over the region.
