Prishtina is the capital of Kosovo and the seat of both the municipality and region of the same name. It is the second-largest city in Europe with an Albanian population, following Tirana.

Prishtina is Kosovo’s primary transportation hub, with extensive air, rail, and road connections. Several highways, such as the R6 and R7, radiate from the city, linking it to Albania and North Macedonia.

In classical antiquity, the region was home to the Illyrian Dardani tribe. King Bardhyli united various tribes in the Prishtina area during the 4th century BC, establishing the Dardanian Kingdom.

The legacy of this classical era is still evident in the ancient city of Ulpiana.

Prishtina is first mentioned as an unfortified village by Byzantine Emperor John Kantakouzenos in 1342.

During the Ottoman occupation, Prishtina became the seat of the sandjak, and by 1530, it was noted as a casaba and an important station along the Thessaloniki-Sarajevo Road.

In the 19th century, Prishtina grew into a key trade, political, and administrative center. In 1877, it became the center of the Kosovo vilayet.

Following World War I, Kosovo became part of the newly formed Yugoslavia.

During the interwar period, Prishtina retained its oriental character, remaining largely unaffected by modernizing movements in the country.

During World War II, the city was annexed by Albania, which was then occupied by Italy.

In 1946, Prishtina became the capital of the autonomous region of Kosovo.

In 1946, the Regional Branch of the National Theater also began operating in Prishtina.

In the 1960s, a branch of the University of Belgrade was established in Prishtina, which eventually became independent following the 1968 protests.

Television began broadcasting from Prishtina in 1975, and the Academy of Sciences was founded three years later.

Despite modest cultural development compared to the rest of Yugoslavia at the time, Prishtina saw both economic prosperity and cultural growth.

However, this was interrupted by the 1981 unrest and the economic crisis of the 1980s.

In the early 1990s, Kosovo’s autonomy was significantly limited.

During the escalation of the Kosovo War in 1997-1999, Prishtina, although largely spared from infrastructure destruction, witnessed large-scale inter-ethnic violence.

During the 1999 war, many Kosovo Albanians fled Prishtina, many of whom were directly expelled by Yugoslav police and taken to the Macedonian border.

Albanian refugees began returning after international troops arrived.

After 1999, Prishtina became the administrative center of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

Today, Prishtina remains Kosovo’s capital and plays a crucial role in shaping the country’s political and economic landscape. It is the seat of the Assembly of Kosovo, as well as the President and Prime Minister’s offices.

Prishtina is also home to Kosovo’s Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Basic Court of Prishtina.