On Friday, July 1, Pristina, the capital of the Kosovo Republic, saw some 1,000 Albanian Muslims praying in the main, downtown open-air square, while demanding space for a new and large mosque. The demonstration was the second such event in two weeks.

For those who know Kosovo, the phenomenon was surprising and bizarre. Pristina has notable mosques built in the classical Ottoman style. They include two in the very center of town, only yards from the place where the demonstration was held. The Stone Mosque, so-called because of the stone cap on its minaret (the cap would more typically be metallic), is also known as the Kosovo mosque because it is believed to have been erected to commemorate the 1389 Turkish victory in the battle of the same name.