Prizren, city in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), in the Kosovo province of southern Serbia. Prizren is located on the Bistrica River in the foothills of the Sar Mountains. It is the economic center of the province, with industries in plastics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and processed food. Filigree (ornate metalwork) is a traditional specialty of local craftspeople. The old center of the city has many churches and mosques, most notable of which are the 14th-century church of Bogorodica Ljeviska and the 16th-century Sinan Pasa Mosque. Prizren was founded after the region became a part of the Byzantine Empire in the late 4th century. In the 14th century it was established as the capital of an independent Serbian kingdom under King Stefan Dusan. In the mid-15th century it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, which held it until Serbian forces took it in 1912. In 1992 Prizren became a part of FRY, formed after four of the republics of the former Yugoslavia declared their independence. Population (1981) 61,801.
