Ottoman-Era historic bath in Kosovo put up for sale
Built in the 18th century by Sylejman Pasha Berisha and Zejnullah Bej Berisha, the bath served the people of Mitrovica for its original purpose until 1959, and functioned as a city museum until 2009.
The historic bath, returned to its heirs in 2009, is now in a neglected state, with part of it operating as a restaurant. The bath, along with an adjacent plot of land, has been put up for sale by its owners, with an asking price of at least 1.6 million euros.
One of the shareholders, Afrim Berisha, told Anadolu Agency that the state invested approximately 90,000 euros into the historic building in 2022, but lead elements from the roof have been stolen several times.
Berisha emphasized that after facing various challenges, they decided to put the bath up for sale and are hopeful that government institutions will purchase and preserve it.
According to Kosovo laws, protected cultural heritage properties can only be sold within the country and in accordance with applicable ownership regulations. The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports of Kosovo has priority in purchasing such historical artifacts at market value. However, no official statement has been made yet regarding the sale of the bath.
Source: AA
