Art preserves culture
The art we find at museums is the bridge linking the past and the present. Dardanian statues, artefacts, kitchenware, and odas are a symbol of Kosovo's past and what I believe make Kosovo’s museums unique.
On May 18th, I went to two museums in Prishtina: The Ethnological Museum and Kosovo’s Museum. The trip was eye-opening, and I felt a fresh, new window into Kosovo's past open that I had not seen before. Of course, I had learned about some of the museums' pieces in history class, but I do not think any history lesson could ever compare to seeing these pieces myself.
Kosovo's Museum's architecture was the first thing that caught my attention. On the exterior, it was yellow, and the stairwell looked like something out of a Shakespeare play. Funny enough, two of my friends took advantage of the situation to reenact a "Romeo and Juliette" scene.
Fortunately, there was no entrance fee. Several artifacts greeted me as I entered the museum's first floor, which contained the archaeological section. The famous Terracotta figure of the goddess on the throne was on display there. Interestingly, this figure became a symbol for Prishtina as it was discovered near Prishtina around 1956.
Aside from the artifacts of the museum, I was also taken aback by the appearance of some pots. I was thinking about the hands that crafted those pots and the amount of time that must have gone into them because they were visually stunning. Those pots were once used to transport goods, and I was amazed by how well they had stood the test of time, despite being broken in some parts.
The exhibits in this museum provided enough information for foreign visitors and those unfamiliar with Kosovo's history and culture, which I felt was a nice touch. This was the case with a relief depicting a man's funeral from Dardanian Antiquity.
After seeing all of the statues I came across a wall of paintings depicting Dardanian artifacts, including two Illyrian warriors. The paintings felt too real, almost as if they were not paintings but real-life objects plastered to this wall. Kudos to the artists of this piece!
My next stop was the Ethnological Museum. This museum, according to the guide, was a house owned by Emin Gjikolli’s family over 300 years ago. While the exterior of the house had lost some of its authenticity due to renovation, the interior still had a number of kitchen utensils and other objects tied to the Ottoman-era life in Kosovo.
After climbing the stairs to the second floor, I entered what looked to be the guest room or "oda e burrave" which still plays an important part in Albanian culture and tradition. This room is used for hospitality in Albanian houses. Usually, the host and the guests in odas are elderly men and married men, women are not allowed in the room. What is unique about odas is that men play epic songs until late using instruments such as “çiftelia”. Although there was no çifteli in the museum I visited, there was an instrument on the wall that appeared to be a mandolin.
Almost everything in that room was made of wood, and I was impressed by how detailed the woodwork was.
The guest room or oda e burrave
In the guest room, I came across a traditional outfit from Hasi. It was woman’s attire and it looked absolutely beautiful on display. I began to imagine the woman wearing it and dancing gracefully outside the house. Albanian dances sure are beautiful.
It was truly fascinating to see how the pieces inside these two museums stood the test of time. I learned a lot about Kosovo’s history. I am aware that my country has a story that needs to be told and remembered and a culture that needs to be preserved for future generations.
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