Prizren

Prizren is the second most populous city and municipality in Kosovo, serving as the seat of both the eponymous municipality and district. Positioned in the southern part of the country, the settlement lies along the banks of the Prizren River nestled between the foothills of the Sharr Mountains, and experiences a continental climate that features some Mediterranean influences.

Geographically and historically, the area has long functioned as a vital crossroad. Archaeological excavations at the Prizren Fortress indicate that the site has been inhabited and utilized since the Bronze Age. In late antiquity, the fortification formed part of a defensive system across western Dardania and was reconstructed under the eastern Roman Emperor Justinian. Over the centuries, control of the strategically situated city shifted through various regional rulers and empires, including Byzantine rule until 1219-20, the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty, regional feudal families such as the Mrnjavčević, Balšić, and Branković dynasties, and the Ottoman Empire after 1455. Constitutionally designated as the historical capital of Kosovo, Prizren remains a prominent center encompassing a population of 171,464.