Prizren is often regarded as the historical capital of Kosovo. Archaeological excavations at Prizren Fortress indicate that the site has been inhabited since the Bronze Age.

Traditionally, Prizren has been identified with the settlement of Theranda in Roman Dardania.

Located on the banks of the Prizren River, between the foothills of the Sharr Mountains in southern Kosovo, Prizren experiences a continental climate with some Mediterranean influences.

In late antiquity, it was part of a defensive fortification system in western Dardania, with the fort being reconstructed during the reign of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian.

The city’s name is believed to be linked with that of Petrizen, a Dardani fort mentioned by the 6th-century historian Procopius.

Byzantine rule in the region ended in 1219-20 when the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty took control of the fort and the town.

From 1371, Prizren was governed by various regional feudal rulers, including the Mrnjavčević family, the Balsha noble family, and the Branković dynasty.

The Ottoman Turks captured Prizren from the Serbian Despotate in 1455, and it quickly became the capital of the Sanjak of Prizren in the Ottoman Empire.

In the late 19th century, Prizren became an important political center for the Albanian National Awakening, particularly because the Albanian League of Prizren was established there.