Ilaz Bylykbashi, born on May 16, 1955, in Baicë, Lipjan, developed an early interest in photography during high school in Gjilan. He pursued studies in Literature and Albanian Language in Pristina but faced interruptions due to personal issues.
Needing employment as a student, Bylykbashi began working as a crime journalist for the student newspaper “Bota e Re.” His career shifted towards
photography when he filled in for absent photographers. In July 1982, Bylykbashi became a photojournalist for “Rilindja,” where he captured significant historical events in Kosovo from the 1970s to the 1990s. His work documented key moments, including the massacre of Jashari and 58 others in Prekaz.
He faced violent mistreatment by Serbian authorities during the 1990s and was known for photographing critical incidents, such as the removal of the “Rilindja” sign and its replacement with “Gracanica” in Serbian Cyrillic following the revocation of Kosovo’s autonomy by Slobodan Milosevic in 1989.