Historical monuments in Gjakova
Gjakova was initially named “Jakova” - a term deriving from the name of a rich merchant, Jak Vula. In 1574, the Hadumi Mosque was built in his property, casting the foundation of the city. The core part of the town was created between the Krena river in the east and Cabrati hill in the west. Around the cornerstone of the town, the Grand Bazaar - the center of trade and craftsmanship - was created. By 1900 this Bazaar held around 1000 enterprises. Numerous bridges were built to enable the journey of trade caravans through the rivers near the town. Due to the fast development of trade in the city, plenty inns were built in order to host visitors. Because of its old origin and fast economic development, Gjakova generated great cultural and historical value.[1]
Hadumi Mosque
Hadumi Mosque is one of the most influential religious buildings in Gjakova. Built in the last decade of the sixteenth century, or 1001 according to lunar calendar, it remains one of the many monumental mosques built in the period between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries in Kosovo.[2] As many other architectural forms left as a mark from the centuries-old regime of the Ottoman Empire, this has also inherited the classical Islamic style of their culture. The mosque was named after Hadum Sylejman Efendia, who financed the whole building process. According to a legend, the plain where the mosque was built belonged to Jak Vula, who willingly gave his land for the purpose of building it. Hadum Mosque has played a significant role during the XVII – XX centuries in the urban character of the town.Its construction in Gjakova was followed by the appearance of the craftsmanship around it, thus bringing a new spirit in the town. Hadum Mosque together with the craftsmanship increased the importance of Grand Bazaar in Gjakova, thereby creating a big attractive and important complex. It has served as a sacred monument and has been used for instructing religious lessons. The historic value this object inherits is of crucial importance for Gjakova.[3]
In the war of 1999 it faced damages again, should read : it was damaged again.. -13:14, 1 March 2014 (UTC)DavidEustice (talk)
Sheikh Emin's Tekke
This Tekke was built in 1730 by Sheikh Emin, a famous architect who had created many important architectural complexes in Gjakove. It belongs to the Sufi Muslim order (Sufism), respectively Sad Tariqa. It is a part of many religious monuments that represent the citizen folk architecture in Gjakova. The whole complex with its “tyrbes” (small mausoleums), the ritual prayer halls called “samahanes”, houses and fountains make this Tekke a monumental religious building. Its sacral architecture and wood carved elements are what make this object of cultural importance. As such it is protected by law since 1956. This object is often referred to as a model to analyze the other architectural objects of this form.[4]
The Big Tekke
The Big Tekke (Autocephalous in Balkans), is located close to the Big Bazaar, next to the Clock Tower (Albanian: Sahat Kulla). It was built in the seventeenth century and remains the oldest tekke of the Saad Tarikat (a local tribe of the Muslim sect) in the entire Rumelia (the old Ballkan). It was established by Sheikh Sulejman Axhiza Baba, with the origin from the Bushati family in Shkodër, Albania (Bushatlinjet). Sheikh Sulejman lived in Gjakova together with his three sons for a few years. One of his sons, Danjoll Efendiu, followed his footsteps by becoming the first imam in the Hadumi Mosque in Gjakova. After a while, Danjoll took his son and moved to Prizren, the closest city to Gjakova and built the Saad Tekke in Marash, the center of the town. The main object of the entirety of the Big Tekke is the shrine “tyrbe” where the saints are buried. Then there are the so called “samahanes” where people perform their religious practices, and the residential part where the family and its members who take care of the Tekke live.[2]
The Saint Ndou (Anton) Church
The Sanctuary of Saint Anton of Padova (St.Ndou), was built in 1931, located in the catholic neighborhood, next to the “Saint Pal Church” and “Saint Pjeter Church” in Gjakove. It was previously called the Patter Mila church (Emilio a Cless), built in 1882, but later this church was totally destroyed. In 1931, Patter Lorenc Mazreku built the new church at the same place where the old church was, which was renovated several times and were added also dormitories, offices, toilettes, but it carefully saved the concept and architectural importance of catholic churches. The Saint Ndou Church, being one of the oldest sacral objects in Gjakove, with a detailed catholic architecture, remains one the biggest influential churches in town, thus representing the catholic values of this religion.[4]
The Bektashi Tekke
The Bektashi Tekke was built in 1790 at the heart of the Big Bazaar complex in Gjakove. Being the first of its kind, this Tekke represented the Tarikat Bektashi. According to the legend, the Tarikat Bekatshi was created by Haxhi Bektash Veliu in Anadolu during the thirteenth century. As the Ottoman Empire started to expand, the mission of this muslim sect arrived from Anadolu in Balkans, Crete and Greece. In Gjakova, the Bektashi Tekke was destroyed by the Serbian military forces during the Kosovo War in 1999. Thousands of books, including 58 manuscripts, were burned, as the whole object was destroyed. The Bektashi Tekke was reconstructed in 2004-2006 so that believers would be able to perform their spiritual rituals.[2] It is characterized by the ring bell in the courtyard door which announces that another crowd of visitors who share the same Muslim belief has arrived. The graves of seven out of nine Bektashi fathers who served here from the seventeenth century are located in the right temple of the Tekke, while two others were buried in Turkey. These seven graves are considered to be sacred, meaning that they give direction to people to find the path towards God and they help people challenge their difficulties in life. The Bektashi carry their own specific Islamic ideas, indicating the diversity of beliefs in Kosovo and the prevalence of the religious tolerance.[5]
Popular Social Buildings
The Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar (Çarshia e madhe) is one of the largest urban monumental ensembles in Kosovo and also abroad. It has an area of about 34,000 m2, with its north to south scope reaching 1,000 m. It was first established in 1594-1595 when the first craftsman and artisans appeared and Gjakova got the status of a small town. It was established because Selman Hadim Aga decided to donate some of his self-built facilities to the religious institutions. These facilities include: the Hadum Mosque, a muvaktihane (a building which measures time and defines the calendar based on astrolabic quadrates), a religious elementary school (meytep), a library, an inn, several shops and a public bath (hamam).In the shops of the Grand Bazaar many kinds of trades were operating to fulfill the needs of Gjakovar citizens. The most famous craftsman and artisans were gunsmiths, silversmiths, tinsmiths, copper dishes producers, tailors (terezis), tanners (tabaks), embroiderers, bookbinders, musical instruments producers, pipe-makers, carpenters.[6] The different types of craftsmanship were a huge influential source of cultural, social and economic development for the region of Gjakova. The Grand Bazaar was completely burned during the Kosovo War in 1999. It has been under construction since then. It is under protection since 1995. [1]
Terzive Bridge
Terzive Bridge is a famous stone bridge built on Erenik river around the year 1730. It served as a means for Gjakova’s esnafs/terezis (artisans) to link Gjakova and Prizren. It consists of 11 arches in half-arch shapes and 10 discharging windows between them. It is 192.8 meters long and 5.1m wide. The bridge is under protection since 1962, the reason being its historical, sociological, artistic, urban and cultural value. [1]
Tabaket Bridge
Tabaket Bridge is a bridge spanning the river Erenik. Built by the Esnaf of Gjakova in 1771, it served as a link between Gjakova and Shkodra, two famous trading cities at the time. It is a 127m long construction consisting of 14 lintel windows with discharges and carved reliefs. A scissors-like figure (the working tool of the craftsman who built the bridge), a hand palm with fingers and a rosette with a small sphere and radius within is carved in one of the archways of the bridge. It is under protection since 1962 because of its historical, sociological, artistic, urban and cultural values.[1]
Taliqi Bridge
Taliqi Bridge (XVIII)/62 is built on the River Krena and connects the older part of the city on the west, with the newest, on the east. The bridge is over 21.50m long, 4.05m wide and has a height of 5.0m. Earlier there were three backed vaults in its structure with two discharging windows, and later it had two large arches and two columns. It consisted of 7m of length of a wooden construction. The decision of 1962 on its protection reports that it has historical, sociological, artistic, urban, and cultural values. [1]
The “Fshejt” Bridge
Is a stone bridge with one arch over the Canyon of river Drini I Bardhe on the way from Gjakova to Prizren. The bridge is 18.50m high, 7m wide and 37m long. During the First World War it was destroyed completely, but in 1942 was rebuilt. In the war of 1999 it was damaged again, which were restored by the Italian Kosovo Force (KFOR). A competition of jumping from the bridge is held every year and the most amazing jumpers are awarded. Both, the bridge and the canyon are legally protected since 1986. [4]
Clock Tower
Clock Tower (Albanian: Saht Kulla) was built in the year 1597, or 1002 based on Hijri calendar, to comply with the need to determine the city’s working hours, due to the fast development of trade and craftsmanship. The Clock Tower is located in the Clock Valley which is near the Grand Bazaar. [2] In 1912, the tower was burned by the Montenegrin military forces. After its destruction, the place where the Clock Tower once stood was only known as the clock valley. After the war in Kosovo the clock was restored, even though in a style different from its initial one. However, some of the original stones are still in the structure of the western face of the tower.[4]
Inns
Since Gjakova was a developing city, there was a need for hotelier public buildings such as inns and caravanserais. Inns had the function of the nowadays hotels while the caravanserais were used to settle the animals or caravans that carried the goods. In the period during the 70s and 80s of the XIX century 16 inns were built in Gjakova. In 1835, Ami Beau wrote about the beauty of Inns of Haraqia and of Islam Aga. Miller in 1838 mentioned the big caravanserai which hosted around 100 guests and their transportation animals. The Caravanserai had big halls of Armenian seraphs. One of the most famous inns that still exist nowadays is the Haraqija Inn, located near the Hadumi mosque. The inn still serves as a restaurant and can host around a hundred people.[4] The Haraqija Inn is made of two parts: “the old inn” in the west and “the new inn” in the east. “The old inn” is believed to have been built just after the construction of Hadumi mosque, whereas “the new inn” was built in 1901. “The old inn” consists of two floors, the ground floor, which is constructed with stones, and the first floor that is constructed with bricks and attic. All the ceilings are decorated with carved wood. Likewise, “the new inn” consists of the ground floor and first floor constructed with bricks. Even today, “The new inn” still maintains its traditional style.[2]
Residential Buildings
Sylejman Vokshi House
Sylejman Vokshi tower is located in the entrance of Grand Bazaar in an area called “Mejtepie Ruzhdije”. The tower was built in the first half of the eighteenth century. It has high historical values because Sylejman Vokshi, a popular hero, was born there. Sylejman Vokshi was mostly distinguished for his involvement in the Albanian National Movement. [2] He was an initiator of the Prizren National League (September 1878), a political and military leader, member of central committee, head of financial commission of that league and head of Albanian League in Gjakova. This tower is protected by law since 1980 and has architectural value since it is built with bricks, natural stones and mortar limestone. The building has undergone some slight changes, especially in the inner part.[4]
Ethnographic Museum
Ethnographic Museum was built in 1830. Initially it was the house of Rexhep Haxhi Islami which represents a high achievement of the citizenship with corner dwelling. The house has two floors with interesting corners and unique heating system. The ceiling of the house is decorated with carved wood. It has been under protection since 1955. [4]
The house of Abdullah Pashë Dreni
The house of Abdullah Pashe Dreni, built in 1790, is a three floor building in the shape of a tower, which served as a private living house and a fortress. It was built out of stone and bricks and it has small windows.[2] Nowadays, the first floor cannot be seen from the outside due to the increase in level of the main road which connects two parts of the city through the Islam Beg Bridge. Apart from the architectural values, this building also has historical significance. When Marshall Mehmet Ali Pasha visited Gjakova in order to overview the cession of that region to the Principality of Montenegro, he was killed along with many Ottoman soldiers in this house. [4]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Integrated Conservation". Cultural Heritage without Borders.
- ^ a b c d e f g [www.mkrs-ks.org/?page=1,130 "Institute for Protection of Monuments of Kosova"]. Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Retrieved 23th February 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Drancolli, Fejaz (2007). Hadum Mosque & Bazaar in Gjakova. Prishtine: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. pp. 1–45.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Rrahmani, Kujtim (2009). Tourist Guide"Gjakova City & Valbona Valley". Gjakove: Arteza. pp. 1–62. ISBN 978-9951-8784-0-1.
- ^ Beqiraj, Ajete. "Teqja bektashiane hap sërish dyert për besimtarët nga mbarë bota". Deutsche Welle.
- ^ Rizvanolli, Masar (2009). Grand Bazaar of Gjakova. Gjakove: Association of Intellectuals "Jakova". ISBN 978-9951-8653-9-5.