Every day, the call to prayer echoes from a mosque on the southern side of the bridge that spans the Ibar River, which cuts through the city. Ethnic Serbs across the bridge can hear the muezzin’s song as they walk past a statue only recently erected. It is dedicated to Prince Lazar. He is looking across the bridge, which is guarded by international peacekeepers. The Italian Carabinieri currently have the job.

They are just one of the scores of outside organizations that are trying to make sure the peace here does not unravel. The most visible is the NATO-led security force, KFOR.

It is easy to tell when you are driving in the ethnic Serbian area even before you see any international troops. Many of the cars don’t have license plates or have plates issued by Serbia, which are considered illegal by the government in Pristina.

Children go to separate schools. Men work in separate industries. Families eat in different restaurants. Students who graduate from the university in Mitrovica do not have their diplomas recognized by the government in Kosovo, which is led by ethnic Albanians. Even the cellphone service is divided, with Serb areas inexplicably often linked to service based in Monaco.

Given all the division, it was interesting to note — and perhaps a hopeful sign — that the shooting of the local politician, Oliver Ivanovic, did not lead to immediate finger pointing across the river to the ethnic Albanian community.

Instead, many speculated that Mr. Ivanovic’s fight against the criminal networks within the ethnic Serbian community led to his killing.