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144-539: Gjakova or Đakovica is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the Gjakova District . According to the last census of 2024, the municipality of Gjakova has 78,824 inhabitants. Geographically, it is located in the south-western part of Kosovo , about halfway between the cities of Peja and Prizren . It is approximately 100 km (62 mi) inland from

288-665: A Serbian-led coalition consisting of various ethnicities fought against the Ottoman Empire. Various dynasties, mainly the Branković , would govern Kosovo for a significant portion of the period following the battle. The Ottoman Empire fully conquered Kosovo after the Second Battle of Kosovo , ruling for nearly five centuries until 1912. Kosovo was the center of the Albanian Renaissance and experienced

432-564: A broader struggle of Christian Serbs against Muslim Albanians. The ethnic Albanian nationalism movement was centred in Kosovo. In 1878 the League of Prizren ( Lidhja e Prizrenit ) was formed, a political organisation that sought to unify all the Albanians of the Ottoman Empire in a common struggle for autonomy and greater cultural rights, although they generally desired the continuation of

576-550: A delightful bath-house (hamam), and about 300 shops like nightingale-nests. Between 3–6 September 1878, heavy fighting took place in Gjakovë between the nationalist Albanian League of Prizren and the Ottoman Empire . In the ensuing fight, 280 Ottoman soldiers were killed, including 2 Pashas, and a further 300 were wounded. In May 1845, following Mustafa Reşid Pasha 's outlawing of the right to bear arms, 2,000 rebels from

720-503: A formal distinction is made between the eastern and western areas of the country; the term Kosovo ( Косово ) is used for the eastern part of Kosovo centred on the historical Kosovo Field , while the western part of the territory of Kosovo is called Metohija (Albanian: Dukagjin ). Thus, in Serbian the entire area of Kosovo is referred to as Kosovo and Metohija . Dukagjini or Dukagjini plateau (Albanian: 'Rrafshi i Dukagjinit')

864-544: A further increase in emigration of Kosovo Serbs and other ethnic groups. The Yugoslav leadership tried to suppress protests of Kosovo Serbs seeking protection from ethnic discrimination and violence. Inter-ethnic tensions continued to worsen in Kosovo throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević , employing a mix of intimidation and political maneuvering, drastically reduced Kosovo's special autonomous status within Serbia and started cultural oppression of

1008-417: A general revolt too high they were recalled and an official statement, which attributed the attack to "unconsciable elements that would be dealt with in time" was issued. The Sultan also called a meeting Mustafa Tetova , then president of the central committee of Prizren, who after his return to Prizren organized a countermeeting with the league's delegates. Within the organization, the attack's success, which

1152-592: A language of instruction in the territory of Gjakova were opened before 1840. The Albanian intellectuals from the city, that were educated in the most important educational centers of the Ottoman Empire , had a special role in opening of schools in Albanian during the Albanian National Movement. A particular role in enriching the educational tradition in the region of Gjakova and beyond was the opening of religious schools, initially schools, later

1296-412: A little known nobleman in the service of lord Vuk Branković who founded and ruled the city, and whose coins have been found, signed "Jakov". According to local Albanians, the name was derived from the name Jak (Jakov), with the village name meaning "Jakov's field". Gjakova was mentioned as a village with a market in the 1485 Ottoman defter, and had 54 households. The local Albanians developed it into

1440-656: A long time, going back all the way to the time of the Roman Empire . Islam in Gjakova began to be spread very early, during the Ottoman Rule . Most Catholics live in the Rruga e Katolikëve street, where the two main churches are, and others in villages. The Muslims, living in other parts of the city and in most villages, have been encouraging the building of mosques, which could have counted about 10–15 buildings during

1584-551: A membership in the collective presidency and the Yugoslav parliament, in which it held veto power. In the aftermath of the 1974 constitution, concerns over the rise of Albanian nationalism in Kosovo rose with the widespread celebrations in 1978 of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the League of Prizren . Albanians felt that their status as a "minority" in Yugoslavia had made them second-class citizens in comparison with

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1728-528: A more deliberate approach to converting the Roman Catholic population who were mostly Albanians in comparison with the mostly Serbian adherents of Eastern Orthodoxy, as they viewed the former less favorably due to its allegiance to Rome, a competing regional power. In the 19th century, there was an awakening of ethnic nationalism throughout the Balkans. The underlying ethnic tensions became part of

1872-570: A part of the Moesia province. During the reign of Diocletian , Dardania became a full Roman province and the entirety of Kosovo's modern territory became a part of the Diocese of Moesia , and then during the second half of the 4th century, it became part of the Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum . During Roman rule, a series of settlements developed in the area, mainly close to mines and to

2016-564: A republic, or declaring support for Albania. After the ouster of Ranković in 1966, the agenda of pro-decentralisation reformers in Yugoslavia succeeded in the late 1960s in attaining substantial decentralisation of powers, creating substantial autonomy in Kosovo and Vojvodina, and recognising a Muslim Yugoslav nationality. As a result of these reforms, there was a massive overhaul of Kosovo's nomenklatura and police, that shifted from being Serb-dominated to ethnic Albanian-dominated through firing Serbs in large scale. Further concessions were made to

2160-477: A settlement itself were recorded with Albanian anthroponomy; Albanian onomastics prevailed over Slavic onomastics. In the year 1638, the Archbishop of Bar , Gjergj Bardhi , reported that Gjakova had 320 Muslim homes, 20 Catholic homes and 20 Orthodox homes, and wrote that the region is inhabited by Albanians and that the Albanian language is spoken there. The city had developed into an Ottoman trade center on

2304-515: A town in the 16th century. It has been a settlement with an ethnic Albanian majority since its foundation, having grown around the founding structures built by Hadim Suleyman Efendi, a politically important local Albanian. Edith Durham noted that Gjakova was founded by members of the Albanian Mërturi tribe in the 15th-16th centuries, specifically by the families of two men descended from Bitush Mërturi - Vula and Mërtur. The descendants of

2448-513: A trading centre on the route between Shkodra and Constantinople . It was also one of the most developed trade centres at that time in the Balkans . The Albanian name for the city is Gjakova . There are several theories on the origin of the village name, such as from the personal name Jakov , a variant of Jacob; the Serbian word đak (pupil); or from the Albanian word for "blood" ( gjak ). The "Jakov theory" derives its name from Jakov ,

2592-520: A trusted man of Abdullah Pasha and father of the kachak leader Bajram Curri . The inability of the Ottomans to complete the cession to Montenegro, highlighted at an international level the high level of instability of the country even after the 1878 congress. Initially, large contingents of troops were sent from Thessaloniki to Skopje and Ferizaj , but as the Ottoman government deemed the risk of

2736-522: Is Pristina ; other major cities and urban areas include Prizren , Ferizaj , Gjilan and Peja . The Dardani tribe emerged in Kosovo and established the Kingdom of Dardania in the 4th century BC. It was later annexed by the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC. The territory remained in the Byzantine Empire , facing Slavic migrations from the 6th-7th century AD. Control shifted between

2880-477: Is Machedonius, who was a member of the council of Serdika . Other known bishops were Paulus ( synod of Constantinople in 553 AD), and Gregentius, who was sent by Justin I to Ethiopia and Yemen to ease problems among different Christian groups there. In the next centuries, Kosovo was a frontier province of the Roman , and later of the Byzantine Empire , and as a result it changed hands frequently. The region

3024-464: Is an alternative name for Western Kosovo, having been in use since the 15th-16th century as part of the Sanjak of Dukakin with its capital Peja , and is named after the medieval Albanian Dukagjini family . Some Albanians also prefer to refer to Kosovo as Dardania , the name of an ancient kingdom and later Roman province , which covered the territory of modern-day Kosovo. The name is derived from

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3168-659: Is characterized with detailed sacral architecture, with wood-carved elements. Gjakova is also characterized with two main Catholic Churches, which are part of the cultural heritage. The Saint Paul and Saint Peter Church (Albanian: Kisha e Shën Palit dhe Shën Pjetrit) is one of the tallest monuments in Gjakova, which can be seen from different points of the city. The arrival of the Albanian Catholics form Malesia resulted in rejuvenation of Saint Peter's Church in Gjakova in 1703, while in 1851 Gjakova's parish

3312-553: Is considered the biggest company in Gjakova's municipality. Gjakova has a long tradition of education since the beginning of civil life. According to the Gjakova tradition the Hadim Aga library was so rich in books so it was said "Who wants to see the Kaaba , let them visit the library of Hadim Aga". The library had a reading room on the ground floor and the shelf with books upstairs. According to some data, schools with Albanian as

3456-540: Is expected to become public in the following years, to be used by low-cost commercial airlines and cargo flights . Gjakova is twinned with: Kosovo Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo , is a country in Southeast Europe with partial diplomatic recognition . It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the north and east and North Macedonia to

3600-440: Is not Muslim practices Christianity in the form of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. According to the census of 2011, the prominent religion is Islam, including 81.75% of the population, while 17.23% is Roman Catholic Christian, 0.02% Orthodox Christian and 1% other. Religious communities have educational institutions for their needs organized in accordance with applicable law. Christianity has been around in Gjakova for

3744-597: Is one intriguing line of argument to suggest that the Slav presence in Kosovo and southernmost part of the Morava valley may have been quite weak in the first one or two centuries of Slav settlement. Only in the ninth century can the expansion of a strong Slav (or quasi-Slav) power into this region be observed. Under a series of ambitious rulers, the Bulgarians pushed westwards across modern Macedonia and eastern Serbia, until by

3888-482: Is rejuvenated. In 1999, after the War it was totally destroyed. In the same site the new cathedral has been built. The Saint Ndou Church , was once called also the church of Padre Mila, who had built it in 1882, but it was later destroyed. In 1931, Padre Lorenc Mazrreku built in the same place the church that exists today, which was renovated few times, adding to it the guestrooms, offices and restrooms, but complying with

4032-577: Is the city's sports hall, which has a capacity of 3500 seats, while the Gjakova City Stadium has a capacity of 6000 seats. There are lots of infrastructure facilities of railways and platforms which currently are out of function. Pristina International Airport is some 70 kilometres east of Gjakova. It is the only port of entry for air travelers to Kosovo. In northern of the city, there is the Gjakova Airport situated. The airport

4176-543: The Adriatic Sea . The city is situated some 208 kilometres (129 mi) north-east of Tirana , 145 kilometres (90 mi) north-west of Skopje , 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the capital Pristina , 435 kilometres (270 mi) south of Belgrade and 263 kilometres (163 mi) east of Podgorica . The city of Gjakova has been populated since the prehistoric era. During the Ottoman period , Gjakova served as

4320-639: The Albanian revolts of 1910 and 1912 . After the Balkan Wars (1912–1913), it was ceded to the Kingdom of Serbia and following World War II, it became an Autonomous Province within Yugoslavia . Tensions between Kosovo's Albanian and Serb communities simmered through the 20th century and occasionally erupted into major violence, culminating in the Kosovo War of 1998 and 1999, which resulted in

4464-532: The Banate of Zeta , the Banate of Morava and the Banate of Vardar . In order to change the ethnic composition of Kosovo , between 1912 and 1941 a large-scale Serbian colonisation of Kosovo was undertaken by the Belgrade government. Kosovar Albanians' right to receive education in their own language was denied alongside other non-Slavic or unrecognised Slavic nations of Yugoslavia, as the kingdom only recognised

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4608-751: The Bronze Age coincides with the presence of tumuli burial grounds in western Kosovo, like the site of Romajë . The Dardani were the most important Paleo-Balkan tribe in the region of Kosovo. A wide area which consists of Kosovo, parts of Northern Macedonia and eastern Serbia was named Dardania after them in classical antiquity, reaching to the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone in the east. In archaeological research, Illyrian names are predominant in western Dardania, while Thracian names are mostly found in eastern Dardania. Thracian names are absent in western Dardania, while some Illyrian names appear in

4752-495: The First Balkan War , the 1913 Treaty of London was signed with Metohija ceded to the Kingdom of Montenegro and eastern Kosovo ceded to the Kingdom of Serbia . During the Balkan Wars , over 100,000 Albanians left Kosovo and about 50,000 were killed in the massacres that accompanied the war. Soon, there were concerted Serbian colonisation efforts in Kosovo during various periods between Serbia's 1912 takeover of

4896-574: The Great Turkish War , a number of Serbs that lived in Kosovo, Macedonia and south Serbia migrated northwards near the Danube and Sava rivers, and is one of the events known as the great migrations of the Serbs which also included some Christian Albanians. The Albanians and Serbs who stayed in Kosovo after the war faced waves of Ottoman and Tatar forces, who unleashed a savage retaliation on

5040-777: The International Olympic Committee , and has applied for membership in the Council of Europe , UNESCO , Interpol , and for observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . In December 2022, Kosovo filed a formal application to become a member of the European Union . The name Kosovo is of South Slavic origin. Kosovo (Serbian Cyrillic: Косово ) is the Serbian neuter possessive adjective of kos ( кос ), ' blackbird ', an ellipsis for Kosovo Polje , 'Blackbird Field',

5184-527: The Nahiya of Altun-ili . Most of the villages in the Nahiya of Altun-ili were dominated by inhabitants with Albanian anthroponomy. This is seen by Selami Pulaha as an indication that during the 15th century (as supported by Ottoman defters), the lands between Junik and Gjakova were inhabited by a dominant ethnic Albanian majority. In the 1571 and 1591 Ottoman defters, the majority of the inhabitants of Gjakova as

5328-534: The Nemanjić dynasty , a prominent dynasty of mediaeval Serbia . In 1389, as the Ottoman Empire expanded northwards through the Balkans, Ottoman forces under Sultan Murad I met with a Christian coalition led by Moravian Serbia under Prince Lazar in the Battle of Kosovo . Both sides suffered heavy losses and the battle was a stalemate and it was even reported as a Christian victory at first, but Serbian manpower

5472-674: The Principality of Serbia . During and after the Serbian–Ottoman War of 1876–78 , between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims, mostly Albanians, were expelled by the Serb army from the Sanjak of Niš and fled to the Kosovo Vilayet . According to Austrian data, by the 1890s Kosovo was 70% Muslim (nearly entirely of Albanian descent) and less than 30% non-Muslim (primarily Serbs). In May 1901, Albanians pillaged and partially burned

5616-525: The Račak massacre , which attracted further international attention to the conflict. Within weeks, a multilateral international conference was convened and by March had prepared a draft agreement known as the Rambouillet Accords , calling for the restoration of Kosovo's autonomy and the deployment of NATO peacekeeping forces. The Yugoslav delegation found the terms unacceptable and refused to sign

5760-566: The Shkodra – Istanbul route, with the marketplace being by the Hadum Mosque, built in 1594 by Mimar Sinan , financed by Hadum Aga. Evliya Çelebi mentioned it as a city in 1662, and described it as a flourishing and attractive town with 2,000 houses built of stone with roofs and gardens. The public buildings were situated on a broad plain and included two richly adorned congregational mosques, several prayer-houses, some inns with leaden roofs,

5904-540: The Stalinist regime of Enver Hoxha of Albania. In 1956, a show trial in Pristina was held in which multiple Albanian Communists of Kosovo were convicted of being infiltrators from Albania and given long prison sentences. High-ranking Serbian communist official Aleksandar Ranković sought to secure the position of the Serbs in Kosovo and gave them dominance in Kosovo's nomenklatura . Islam in Kosovo at this time

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6048-456: The Treaty of Berlin , the region of Plav and Gusinje was to be ceded by the Ottoman Empire to the Principality of Montenegro . As every other protocol of the treaty that dealt with the annexation of Albanian-inhabited areas of the empire, it was vehemently opposed by the League of Prizren , an Albanian organization, whose goal was the promotion of Albanian self-rule. While other decisions of

6192-623: The gallows hanged on both sides of the road, and that the way to Gjakova became a "gallows alley." In the region of Gjakova, the Montenegrin military police formed the Royal Gendarmerie Corps ( Kraljevski žandarmerijski kor ), known as krilaši , which committed much abuse and violence against the non- Orthodox Christian population. The mass hanging of Albanian civilians in 1914 by the Serbo-Montenegrin army and

6336-413: The "nations" of Yugoslavia and demanded that Kosovo be a constituent republic , alongside the other republics of Yugoslavia. Protests by Albanians in 1981 over the status of Kosovo resulted in Yugoslav territorial defence units being brought into Kosovo and a state of emergency being declared resulting in violence and the protests being crushed. In the aftermath of the 1981 protests, purges took place in

6480-518: The 16th century, lies by the bazaar, and includes a highly decorated graveyard, where the city notables were buried. Within the mosque complex were the hamam which was destroyed in 2008, the "Old library" from 1671, damaged in the Kosovo War , and also a meytepi from 1777. The Bazaar is linked to the city centre, just five minutes away via the Islam-Beg Bridge. The bazaar covers an area of about 35,000 m (380,000 sq ft) and

6624-586: The 2011 census. Gjakova is located in the south-western part of Kosovo . To the north-east of the city, the west Kosovan plain of Metohija opens, while in the south-west the peak of Accursed Mountains rises. The city is also situated at the entrance to the Erenik Valley , where the river Krena flows from the north to the Erenik mountain stream. After a few kilometers, it flows into the White Drin ,

6768-654: The 850's they had taken over Kosovo and were pressing on the border of Serbian Principality . The First Bulgarian Empire acquired Kosovo by the mid-9th century, but Byzantine control was restored by the late 10th century. In 1072, the leaders of the Bulgarian Uprising of Georgi Voiteh traveled from their center in Skopje to Prizren and held a meeting in which they invited Mihailo Vojislavljević of Duklja to send them assistance. Mihailo sent his son, Constantine Bodin with 300 of his soldiers. After they met,

6912-540: The Albanian population returned following the end of the war. After that much of the town was rebuilt. Many Albanians viewed the Roma population as participants in war crimes and collaborators in acts of state repression. The Romani neighbourhood of Gjakova (Brekoc) was targeted and parts of it burnt down in mid-1999, about 600 Roma were moved to a refugee camp outside the town and as a result of political violence 15 were reportedly killed or missing by August 1999. The majority of

7056-588: The Bulgarian magnates proclaimed him "Emperor of the Bulgarians". Demetrios Chomatenos is the last Byzantine archbishop of Ohrid to include Prizren in his jurisdiction until 1219. Stefan Nemanja had seized the area along the White Drin in 1185 to 1195 and the ecclesiastical split of Prizren from the Patriarchate in 1219 was the final act of establishing Nemanjić rule. Konstantin Jireček concluded, from

7200-725: The Byzantines and the First Bulgarian Empire . In the 13th century, Kosovo became integral to the Serbian medieval state and the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church was moved to Kosovo. Ottoman expansion in the Balkans in the late 14th and 15th century led to the decline and fall of the Serbian Empire ; the Battle of Kosovo of 1389 is considered to be one of the defining moments, where

7344-615: The Communist Party, and rights that had been recently granted to Albanians were rescinded – including ending the provision of Albanian professors and Albanian language textbooks in the education system. While Albanians in the region had the highest birth rates in Europe, other areas of Yugoslavia including Serbia had low birth rates. Increased urbanisation and economic development led to higher settlements of Albanian workers into Serb-majority areas, as Serbs departed in response to

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7488-632: The Emperor rebuilt the city after it had been destroyed by an earthquake and renamed it to Iustinianna Secunda . Other important towns that developed in the area during Roman rule were Vendenis , located in modern-day Podujevë ; Viciano , possibly near Vushtrri ; and Municipium Dardanorum , an important mining town in Leposavić . Other archeological sites include Çifllak in Western Kosovo, Dresnik in Klina , Pestova in Vushtrri, Vërban in Klokot , Poslishte between Vërmica and Prizren , Paldenica near Hani i Elezit , as well as Nerodimë e Poshtme and Nikadin near Ferizaj . The one thing all

7632-420: The Gjakova region, and the Gjakova Highlander tribes of Krasniqi , Gashi and Bytyçi rose in revolt. The rebels, about 8,000 men, drove the Ottoman garrison out of Gjakova. The Ottomans suppressed the rebellion, but did not succeed in establishing effective control of the region. In 1862 the Ottomans sent Maxharr Pasha with 12 divisions to implement the Tanzimat Reforms in the Highlands of Gjakova . Under

7776-412: The Gjakova region, resulting in the deaths of more than 900 Ottoman soldiers as well as 2 bimbashis and a dozen officers, whereas the Albanians suffered only 170 dead or wounded. Shakir Pasha was thereby ordered to stand down. Gjakova suffered greatly from the Serbian and Montenegrin armies during the First Balkan War . The New York Times reported in 1912, citing Austro-Hungarian sources, that people on

7920-440: The KLA. The actions of the government forces in Gjakova formed a major part of the United Nations war crimes indictment of the then-President Slobodan Milošević . Yugoslav units were stationed in and near the city in two barracks due to the risk of an attack by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) from across the border in Albania. In one incident, NATO aircraft misidentified a convoy of Albanian refugees and attacked it . Most of

8064-631: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Turkey were signed on the expatriation of 240,000 Albanians to Turkey, but the expatriation did not occur due to the outbreak of World War II . After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, most of Kosovo was assigned to Italian-controlled Albania, and the rest was controlled by Germany and Bulgaria. A three-dimensional conflict ensued, involving inter-ethnic, ideological, and international affiliations. Albanian collaborators persecuted Serb and Montenegrin settlers. Estimates differ, but most authors estimate that between 3,000 and 10,000 Serbs and Montenegrins died in Kosovo during

8208-420: The Ottoman Empire. The League was dis-established in 1881 but enabled the awakening of a national identity among Albanians, whose ambitions competed with those of the Serbs, the Kingdom of Serbia wishing to incorporate this land that had formerly been within its empire. The modern Albanian-Serbian conflict has its roots in the expulsion of the Albanians in 1877–1878 from areas that became incorporated into

8352-434: The Ottomans as sovereigns. The resulting alliance facilitated the mass conversion of Albanians to Islam. Given that the Ottoman Empire's subjects were divided along religious (rather than ethnic) lines, the spread of Islam greatly elevated the status of Albanian chiefs. Centuries earlier, Albanians of Kosovo were predominantly Christian and Albanians and Serbs for the most part co-existed peacefully. The Ottomans appeared to have

8496-489: The Ottomans lost more than 80 soldiers. Another 300 Albanian fighters arrived and surrounded the Ottoman force but could not yet finish them as the Ottomans were numerically-superior and were positioned well with cannons. 2,000 Albanian tribesmen would eventually gather to fight the Turks, and the Ottoman government sent 18 more battalions accompanied by artillery to quell this new uprising; Shkup's Vali, Shakir Pasha, also went to Gjakova. A series of ensuing battles followed in

8640-445: The Ottomans throughout the 19th-20th centuries; in one such uprising, 5,000-6,000 Albanian fighters led by Sulejman Aga Batusha, gathered outside of Gjakova and attacked the garrison in an attempt to enter the city. In 1904, 10 Ottoman battalions accompanied by artillery were sent to Gjakova in order to quell the uprising. Shemsi Pasha and the Ottomans were then ordered to estimate the livestock possessions and to enforce heavy taxes upon

8784-550: The Second World War . Another 30,000 to 40,000, or as high as 100,000, Serbs and Montenegrins, mainly settlers, were deported to Serbia in order to Albanianise Kosovo. A decree from Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito , followed by a new law in August 1945 disallowed the return of colonists who had taken land from Albanian peasants. During the war years, some Serbs and Montenegrins were sent to concentration camps in Pristina and Mitrovica. Nonetheless, these conflicts were relatively low-level compared with other areas of Yugoslavia during

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8928-409: The Serbian population, numbering 3,000, fled Gjakova in June 1999 with only five Serbs remaining, living under guard by KFOR troops at a local Serbian Orthodox Church. In 2004, the last five remaining Serbs were expelled from Gjakova with the local Serbian Orthodox Church being destroyed by ethnic Albanians during rioting as part of the March unrest in Kosovo. About 15 Serbs had returned to Gjakova by

9072-508: The Serbian press and that led to further ethnic problems and eventual removal of Kosovo's status. Beginning in March 1981, Kosovar Albanian students of the University of Pristina organised protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia and demanding their human rights. The protests were brutally suppressed by the police and army, with many protesters arrested. During the 1980s, ethnic tensions continued with frequent violent outbreaks against Yugoslav state authorities, resulting in

9216-406: The Slavic Croat, Serb, and Slovene nations as constituent nations of Yugoslavia. Other Slavs had to identify as one of the three official Slavic nations and non-Slav nations deemed as minorities. Albanians and other Muslims were forced to emigrate, mainly with the land reform which struck Albanian landowners in 1919, but also with direct violent measures. In 1935 and 1938, two agreements between

9360-448: The Vilayet of Kosovo, a political unit created by the Ottoman Empire in 1877. However, those borders were different. Tensions between ethnic Albanians and the Yugoslav government were significant, not only due to ethnic tensions but also due to political ideological concerns, especially regarding relations with neighbouring Albania. Harsh repressive measures were imposed on Kosovo Albanians due to suspicions that there were sympathisers of

9504-423: The Vula family were still present during the time of her visit to Albania in the first decade of the 20th century. In the Ottoman defter (tax registry) of 1485, Gjakova was a village with 67 households. In the 17th century, Katip Çelebi and Evliya Çelebi mention this place as Jakovičse , with 2000 houses and 300 shops. During the early period of Ottoman rule, Gjakova and the Gjakova Municipality were part of

9648-459: The ancient tribe of the Dardani , which is considered be related to the Proto-Albanian term dardā , which means "pear" (Modern Albanian: dardhë ). The former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova had been an enthusiastic backer of a "Dardanian" identity, and the Kosovar presidential flag and seal refer to this national identity. However, the name "Kosova" remains more widely used among the Albanian population. The flag of Dardania remains in use as

9792-411: The centuries. Gjakova built an economy based on farming and agriculture, lower trade and some types of manufacturing workshops which mainly produce for the needs of city-based products as imported cases. After World War II , Gjakova has built an economy based on industry and agriculture but also in the service sector. Nowadays, these subsequent shifts in transitional societies are escorted with shifts in

9936-404: The cities of Novi Pazar , Sjenica and Pristina, and killed many Serbs near Pristina and in Kolašin (now North Kosovo). In the spring of 1912, Albanians under the lead of Hasan Prishtina revolted against the Ottoman Empire. The rebels were joined by a wave of Albanians in the Ottoman army ranks, who deserted the army, refusing to fight their own kin. The rebels defeated the Ottomans and

10080-427: The city was created between the Krena River to the east and Cabrati hill to the west. Around the cornerstone of the town, the Old Bazaar – the center of trade and craftsmanship – was created. By 1900, the bazaar housed around 1000 enterprises. Numerous bridges were built to enable the journey of trade caravans across the neighboring rivers. With the fast development of trade in the city, several inns were built to host

10224-427: The city's centre, Gjakova's private sector is characterized by ex-social ventures. Only one of the 15 privatized social ventures and one of the two ventures with common shares are completely functional. Both ventures have to do with construction. One of them is "Dukagjini" with 109 employees, which is one of the biggest private employers in Gjakova today. The other venture is "NIKI-S" which at present has 279 employees and

10368-639: The coldest month is January with an average temperature of 0.7 °C (33.3 °F). According to the 2024 census, the total population of the municipality is 78,824, of which 39,288 (49.84%) are males and 39,536 (50.16%) are females. According to the 2011 census, the resident population was 94,556, of which urban inhabitants numbered 40,827 and rural 53,729; there were 47,226 males and 47,330 females. The ethnic groups include Albanians (87,672), Balkan Egyptians (5,117), Roma (738), Ashkali (613), and smaller numbers of Bosniaks (73), Serbs (17), Turks (16), Gorani (13) and others. Based on those that answered,

10512-590: The correspondence of archbishop Demetrios of Ohrid from 1216 to 1236, that Dardania was increasingly populated by Albanians and the expansion started from Gjakova and Prizren area, prior to the Slavic expansion. During the 13th and 14th centuries, Kosovo was a political, cultural and religious centre of the Serbian Kingdom . In the late 13th century, the seat of the Serbian Archbishopric

10656-465: The development of human settlements in Kosovo, as is highlighted by the hundreds of archaeological sites identified throughout its territory. Since 2000, the increase in archaeological expeditions has revealed many, previously unknown sites. The earliest documented traces in Kosovo are associated to the Stone Age ; namely, indications that cave dwellings might have existed, such as Radivojce Cave near

10800-637: The draft. Between 24 March and 10 June 1999, NATO intervened by bombing Yugoslavia, aiming to force Milošević to withdraw his forces from Kosovo, though NATO could not appeal to any particular motion of the Security Council of the United Nations to help legitimise its intervention. Combined with continued skirmishes between Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslav forces the conflict resulted in a further massive displacement of population in Kosovo. Attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha The attack

10944-592: The eastern parts. Thus, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe has been a subject of debate, the ethnolinguistic relationship between the two groups being largely uncertain and debated itself as well. The correspondence of Illyrian names, including those of the ruling elite, in Dardania with those of the southern Illyrians suggests a thracianization of parts of Dardania. The Dardani retained an individuality and continued to maintain social independence after Roman conquest, playing an important role in

11088-529: The economic climate for more favorable real estate conditions in Serbia. While there was tension, charges of "genocide" and planned harassment have been discredited as a pretext to revoke Kosovo's autonomy. For example, in 1986 the Serbian Orthodox Church published an official claim that Kosovo Serbs were being subjected to an Albanian program of 'genocide'. Even though they were disproved by police statistics, they received wide attention in

11232-599: The economic enterprise facilities. This meant that during their withdrawal, these Serbian forces robbed, looted and destroyed most of the assets, inventories, transportation machines, etc. The losses that were done in the social economy as a result of the war were approximately 190 million DEM, whereas in the private economy around 100 million DEM. According to official data, in 2006, there were 581 registered small and medium enterprises, in 2008 there were 3,120 such registered businesses, while in 2012 their number had reached 4,120. Gjakova currently has 12,000 people employed, in both

11376-465: The economic structure of the city. Therefore, Gjakova has an economic structure that is based on two pillars: in the private business sector and social business sector which is currently being privatized. Private business sector is in expansion and the main indicators qualify it as the main component of Gjakova's economy. According to official sources identified in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, by

11520-484: The end of 2005 there were about 3,200 registered businesses that exercise activity in different areas of Gjakova, such as enterprise manufacturing, construction, service, trade, catering, craft, transportation, information technology, etc. Social economy in 1989 has counted 45 companies that have employed 18,640 workers. In non-economic activities (education, health, culture, government institutions, banks, etc.) there were employed 4000 workers. Furthermore, they also developed

11664-605: The ethnic Albanian population. Kosovar Albanians responded with a non-violent separatist movement, employing widespread civil disobedience and creation of parallel structures in education, medical care, and taxation, with the ultimate goal of achieving the independence of Kosovo . In July 1990, the Kosovo Albanians proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Kosova , and declared it a sovereign and independent state in September 1992. In May 1992, Ibrahim Rugova

11808-484: The ethnic Albanians of Kosovo in response to unrest, including the creation of the University of Pristina as an Albanian language institution. These changes created widespread fear among Serbs that they were being made second-class citizens in Yugoslavia. By the 1974 Constitution of Yugoslavia, Kosovo was granted major autonomy, allowing it to have its own administration, assembly, and judiciary; as well as having

11952-617: The first Serb returnee since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999 returned to her former apartment in Gjakova. Despite being legally allowed to return to her property by the Kosovo Property Agency, her return was marred by threats of violence and harassment from her ethnic-Albanian neighbors. Kosovo does not have an official religion. As the rest of the country, the majority of Gjakova's population consider themselves Muslim . The minority of Gjakova's religious population that

12096-653: The first find of prehistoric art in Kosovo. Amongst the finds of excavations in Neolithic Runik is a baked-clay ocarina , which is the first musical instrument recorded in Kosovo. The first archaeological expedition in Kosovo was organised by the Austro-Hungarian army during the World War I in the Illyrian tumuli burial grounds of Nepërbishti within the district of Prizren . The beginning of

12240-655: The formation of new groupings in the Roman era. During Roman rule, Kosovo was part of two provinces, with its western part being part of Praevalitana , and the vast majority of its modern territory belonging to Dardania . Praevalitana and the rest of Illyria was conquered by the Roman Republic in 168 BC. On the other hand, Dardania maintained its independence until the year 28 BC, when the Romans, under Augustus , annexed it into their Republic. Dardania eventually became

12384-628: The foundations of the previous one. Constructed mainly of stone with the wooden observation area and the roof covered in lead, the clock tower is unique of its kind. Events and festivals in Gjakova are not as much in numbers, as they are highly valued. The historic city of Gjakova, Kosovo, especially the Old Town, is the hub of many outdoor and indoor festivals, cultural events and street parades. Many of them are seasonal and take place only one time, while others are organised annually for many years by various festival societies. All of them draw interest from

12528-520: The governing authority of the Kosovo institutions as a part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement . Kosovo is a developing country, with an upper-middle-income economy . It has experienced solid economic growth over the last decade as measured by international financial institutions since the onset of the financial crisis of 2007–2008 . Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund , World Bank , EBRD , Venice Commission ,

12672-499: The ground had a devastating effect on the city. According to the ICTY , OSCE, and international human rights organisations, about 75% of the population was expelled by Serbian police and paramilitaries as well as Yugoslav forces, while many civilians were killed in the process. Large areas of the city were destroyed, chiefly through arson and looting but also in the course of localised fighting between government security forces and members of

12816-423: The incorporation of those areas to Montenegro was finalized, hastened Ottoman efforts to complete the cession. On August 20, the Ottoman ministry of foreign affairs informed Nicholas of Montenegro that Mehmed Ali Pasha had been designated to carry out the process. The first task of the marshal was to pacify the league in order to avoid any border conflicts during the territory transfer. However, Mehmed Ali Pasha

12960-465: The killing of Catholic priest Luigj Palaj were some of the most reported wartime events which took place in Gjakova. Serbian priests forcibly converted Albanian Catholics to Serbian Orthodoxy . According to a 20 March 1913 Neue Freie Presse article, Orthodox priests and the military converted 300 Gjakova Catholics to the Orthodox faith; Franciscan Pater Angelus, who refused to renounce his faith,

13104-547: The late 14th and early 15th centuries, parts of Kosovo, the easternmost area located near Pristina, were part of the Principality of Dukagjini , which was later incorporated into an anti-Ottoman federation of all Albanian principalities, the League of Lezhë . Medieval Monuments in Kosovo is a combined UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries in Deçan , Peja , Prizren and Gračanica . The constructions were founded by members of

13248-471: The latter were forced to accept all fourteen demands of the rebels, which foresaw an effective autonomy for the Albanians living in the Empire. However, this autonomy never materialised, and the revolt created serious weaknesses in the Ottoman ranks, luring Montenegro , Serbia , Bulgaria , and Greece into declaring war on the Ottoman Empire and starting the First Balkan War . After the Ottomans' defeat in

13392-438: The leadership of Mic Sokoli and Binak Alia , the tribes of Krasniqi , Gashi , Bytyçi and Nikaj-Mertur organized a resistance near Bujan . The rebels were reinforced by the forces of Shala , led by Mark Lula. After heavy fighting, they managed to defeat the Ottoman force and expel them from the highlands. Local Albanian leaders, such as Sulejman Aga of Botushë , organised resistance and movements for independence against

13536-477: The length of its main road is 1 km, with about 500 shops situated along it. It is, however, still home to an active mosque, several türbes , and a clocktower. The Hadum Mosque , located in the Old Bazaar, built in 1594 by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan and financed by Hadum Aga. The mosque has played a significant role in the urban character of the city from the 17th to 20th centuries. Its construction

13680-491: The local Albanians in response to the uprising, and the hostilities were accompanied by the forcible collection of taxes from the local population and the destruction of entire villages in the Gjakova region by Ottoman forces; Upon arriving to Botusha , Shemsi Pasha, with five battalions and numerous artillery pieces, began bombarding the houses. The Ottomans were met by 300 Albanian resistance fighters led by Sulejman Aga Batusha . The resistance fighters had 35 dead or wounded, but

13824-486: The local population. To compensate for the population loss, the Turks encouraged settlement of non-Slav Muslim Albanians in the wider region of Kosovo. By the end of the 18th century, Kosovo would reattain an Albanian majority - with Peja, Prizren, Prishtina becoming especially important towns for the local Muslim population. Although initially stout opponents of the advancing Turks, Albanian chiefs ultimately came to accept

13968-499: The locals and visitors alike. Some of the events are organised by the city, some by private companies as well. Apart from being a culture and educative center of the Kosovo , Gjakova is also known as a sport center. The best example of this is the fact of having 38 clubs, which compete in all leagues over Kosovo. Gjakova's most successful team is KF Vëllaznimi which has won 9 titles of Kosovar Superliga and 4 Kosovo Cups. "Shani Nushi"

14112-578: The longest river in Kosovo. To the west of Gjakova lie the Gjakova Highlands , and to the north-east of the city is the Dushkaja region. Gjakova has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) as of the Köppen climate classification with an average annual temperature of 11.5 °C (52.7 °F). The warmest month in Gjakova is August with an average temperature of 22.5 °C (72.5 °F), while

14256-400: The madrasas. The city has become an important university town. Today in the municipality of Gjakova , there is also a large number of primary and secondary schools, in the public sector, as well as in the private sector. The education system is organized in many schools and in the separate physical activity classes. During 2004, there was development respectively. There has been an increase in

14400-426: The major roads. The most important of the settlements was Ulpiana , which is located near modern-day Gračanica . It was established in the 1st century AD, possibly developing from a concentrated Dardanian oppidum , and then was upgraded to the status of a Roman municipium at the beginning of the 2nd century during the rule of Trajan . Ulpiana became especially important during the rule of Justinian I , after

14544-466: The many Ottoman soldiers surrendered, while the soldiers of the Mitrovica battalion, many of whom were Albanians deserted their ranks and joined the volunteer forces upon their arrival. In the final day of the attack the estate was burnt and Abdullah Pasha Dreni and Mehmed Ali Pasha were killed. In total, around 280 were killed and 300 were wounded during the battle. Between others, Shaqir Aga Curri,

14688-404: The many visitors. Because of its ancient origins and fast economic development, Gjakova has become of great historical importance. The Old or Grand Bazaar (Çarshia e Madhe) in Gjakova is the oldest bazaar in Kosovo , and it served as an Ottoman trading centre and heart of the city economy. It suffered damage during the Kosovo War but has since been renovated. The Hadum Mosque , built in

14832-512: The municipality of Gjakova are mainly focused on the regulation of roads including the rehabilitation, pavement and partially their lighting. However, investments for the expansion of the sewage system and the regulation of the canalization remain insufficient. The total amount of funds that are available to the municipality of Gjakova during a year for capital investments lies somewhere over 6 million euros. Dominated by small family businesses, retail stores, cafeterias and providers of basic services,

14976-624: The name of a karst field situated in the eastern half of today's Kosovo and the site of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo Field . The name of the karst field was for the first time applied to a wider area when the Ottoman Vilayet of Kosovo was created in 1877. The entire territory that corresponds to today's country is commonly referred to in English simply as Kosovo and in Albanian as Kosova ( definite form ) or Kosovë (indefinite form, pronounced [kɔˈsɔvə] ). In Serbia,

15120-564: The number of private institutions, especially at the preschool level, but also in primary and secondary education. The University of Gjakova Fehmi Agani , is one of the newest public universities in Kosovo. The university began operating on 1 October 2013. In 2014, the Gjakova Summer School for Entrepreneurship were opened in the city. Historical monuments in Gjakova are divided into three main categories based on their cultural , religious and social context. The core part of

15264-486: The official Presidential seal and standard and is heavily featured in the institution of the presidency of the country. The official conventional long name, as defined by the constitution , is Republic of Kosovo . Additionally, as a result of an arrangement agreed between Pristina and Belgrade in talks mediated by the European Union, Kosovo has participated in some international forums and organisations under

15408-451: The original architectural concept. The Clock Tower , built just after the Hadum Mosque at a place known as Field of the Clock , characterizes the rapid economic development of Gjakova at that time. It was destroyed during the Balkan Wars , while the belfry was removed and transported to Montenegro. With sides 4.10m long and a height of about 30 meters, a new clock tower was built later near

15552-469: The politics of extermination and expulsion, there was also a process of assimilation through religious conversion of Albanian Muslims and Albanian Catholics into the Serbian Orthodox religion which took place as early as 1912. These politics seem to have been inspired by the nationalist ideologies of Ilija Garašanin and Jovan Cvijić . In the winter of 1915–16, during World War I , Kosovo saw

15696-418: The private economy – where in 2010 approximately 920 employees were registered in the business entities. The economy of the municipality of Gjakova suffered mostly during the economic sanctions and the mass violence done by Serbian forces during the war. The situation further during NATO 's intervention as a result of the destructive actions of multiple military and police forces, which have stood and operated in

15840-487: The private sector of Gjakova remains weak. It makes up only 5.5 percent of all businesses registered in Kosovo. According to the Tax Administration Office in Gjakova, 88 to 93 percent of active businesses are businesses with a single owner, five to ten percent are businesses with limited liability and the remaining two percent are large businesses. As in any other place in Kosovo, more than 90 percent of

15984-455: The province and World War II , causing the population of Serbs in Kosovo to grow by about 58,000 in this period. Serbian authorities promoted creating new Serb settlements in Kosovo as well as the assimilation of Albanians into Serbian society, causing a mass exodus of Albanians from Kosovo. The figures of Albanians forcefully expelled from Kosovo range between 60,000 and 239,807, while Malcolm mentions 100,000–120,000. In combination with

16128-590: The public and private sector, mostly in the latter. Although unemployment is high, there is a gradual increase of employment over the years according to data from the Kosovo Ministry of Work and Social Wellbeing. According to government statistics, in 2010, 40,000 people were registered as unemployed, while in 2011 this number decreased to 30,000 and in 2012 to 15,000. 30,000 people in Gjakova receive social assistance. This category includes poor families, people with disabilities, families of war veterans/victims and

16272-544: The regime collapsed, this was never materialised with historians and contemporary references emphasising that a large-scale migration of Albanians from Albania to Kosovo is not recorded in Axis documents. The existing province took shape in 1945 as the Autonomous Region of Kosovo and Metohija , with a final demarcation in 1959. Until 1945, the only entity bearing the name of Kosovo in the late modern period had been

16416-507: The region and representatives of the Gjakova Committee announced to Abdullah Pasha Dreni that if he did not surrender he would be regarded as an Ottoman during the league's attack. On September 3, the battle commenced with heavy losses on both sides and a 24-hour ceasefire for negotiations was agreed. The evening of September 4 was marked by the continuation of the battle, which the next day subsided mostly to low-level conflicts as

16560-580: The religious make-up was 77,299 Muslims, 16,296 Roman Catholics, 22 Orthodox Christians, 142 others, and 129 irreligious. Based on the population estimates from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics in 2016, the municipality has 95,433 inhabitants. According to OSCE estimations, before the Kosovo War of 1999 the municipality had a population of about 145,000, of which 93% were Kosovo Albanians and 7% non-majority communities, including some 3,000 Serbs, who mostly lived in Gjakova itself. In 2021 Dragica Gasic,

16704-464: The renewed meeting and a local member killed the marshal's telegrafist in the Marash cafe club of the city. To avoid the escalation of attacks on August 31 Mehmed Ali Pasha left Prizren and reinforced with three battalions move to Gjakova , where he was stationed in the estate of Abdullah Pasha Dreni , a former leader of the local league committee who had joined the Ottoman faction. As on September 1

16848-481: The retired. Potential industry sectors in the municipality of Gjakova are: The municipal budget of Gjakova was subsidised by donations from USAID , CDF , Austrian Office in Kosovo, the European Commission and others, which over the past four years have done capital investments to the amount of €25 million: €5.4 million in 2010; €6.3m in 2011; €6.7m in 2012; €6.6m in 2013. The capital investments in

16992-612: The retreat of the Serbian army as Kosovo was occupied by Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary . In 1918, the Allied Powers pushed the Central Powers out of Kosovo. A new administration system since 26 April 1922 split Kosovo among three districts ( oblast ) of the Kingdom: Kosovo, Raška and Zeta. In 1929, the country was transformed into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the territories of Kosovo were reorganised among

17136-532: The routes from Gjakova to the Ottoman-Montenegrin border were blocked by volunteer forces under Ali Pasha of Gusinje , a leader of the Plav and Gusinje committees, Mehmed Ali Pasha extended his stay in Gjakova and waited for another battalion to arrive from Mitrovica as well as mercenaries from Fandi. The next day, 4,500 volunteer troops under Ahmet Koronica and Sulejman Vokshi blocked all routes in

17280-539: The rural locality of Meja, just 4 km outside Gjakova's city center, the mass killing of at least 377 Albanian males between the ages of 16 and 60 took place on April 27, 1999, by the Serbian police. It is the largest massacre of the Kosovo War. Many of the bodies of the victims were found in the Batajnica mass graves . The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has convicted several Serbian army and police officers for their involvement. Actions on

17424-723: The sector consists of small family businesses which cannot create growth with added value. Only 2 out of 53 studied businesses in the centre of Gjakova declared not having employed any relative. Gjakova's private sector, as in other places of Kosovo, is dominated by small businesses which hire 1–5 employees in activities with small added value, such as wholesale and retail, or other service activities such as restaurants and hotels. Wholesale and retail represent 50.5 percent of registered businesses. Other sectors include hotels and restaurants (10.2 percent), production (9.7 percent), transport and communication (7.8 percent), construction (4.2 percent) and agriculture (1.7 percent) among others. Outside of

17568-785: The separation of Kosovo and the eventual creation of a Greater Albania , had prevailed over the Rugova's non-violent resistance movement and launched attacks against the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police in Kosovo, resulting in the Kosovo War . By 1998, international pressure compelled Yugoslavia to sign a ceasefire and partially withdraw its security forces. Events were to be monitored by Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers according to an agreement negotiated by Richard Holbrooke . The ceasefire did not hold and fighting resumed in December 1998, culminating in

17712-407: The settlements have in common is that they are located either near roads, such as Via Lissus - Naissus , or near the mines of North Kosovo and eastern Kosovo. Most of the settlements are archaeological sites that have been discovered recently and are being excavated. It is also known that the region was Christianised during Roman rule, though little is known regarding Christianity in the Balkans in

17856-698: The source of the Drin River , Grnčar Cave in Viti municipality and the Dema and Karamakaz Caves in the municipality of Peja . The earliest archaeological evidence of organised settlement, which have been found in Kosovo, belong to the Neolithic Starčevo and Vinča cultures. Vlashnjë and Runik are important sites of the Neolithic era with the rock art paintings at Mrrizi i Kobajës near Vlashnjë being

18000-420: The southeast. It covers an area of 10,887 km (4,203 sq mi) and it has a population of approximately 1.6 million. Kosovo has a varied terrain, with high plains along with rolling hills and mountains , some of which reach an altitude of over 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Its climate is mainly continental with some Mediterranean and alpine influences. Kosovo's capital and the most populous city

18144-559: The three first centuries AD. The first clear mention of Christians in literature is the case of Bishop Dacus of Macedonia, from Dardania, who was present at the First Council of Nicaea (325). It is also known that Dardania had a Diocese in the 4th century, and its seat was placed in Ulpiana, which remained the episcopal center of Dardania until the establishment of Justiniana Prima in 535 AD. The first known bishop of Ulpiana

18288-472: The title "Kosovo*" with a footnote stating, "This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence". This arrangement, which has been dubbed the "asterisk agreement", was agreed in an 11-point arrangement on 24 February 2012. The strategic position including the abundant natural resources were favorable for

18432-530: The treaty opposed by the league were eventually not carried out, thus reducing the territorial gains of the respective signatory states, Plav and Gusinje was included in the area to be ceded. Multiple protests of the league to the Ottoman state and the Great Powers were ignored, while the Russian ultimatum, which among other points stipulated that Russian troops wouldn't evacuate Eastern Rumelia unless

18576-550: The unfurling of the banned Albanian national flag was held in Gjakova on May Day , 1956. This protest was soon followed by other protests which involved high school and university students who unfurled the Albanian flag in Yugoslavia. A total of 19 Albanians were assassinated by the Yugoslav secret police in Gjakova in these events. In the events of the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosova (BSPK)

18720-440: The war years. Two Serb historians also estimate that 12,000 Albanians died. An official investigation conducted by the Yugoslav government in 1964 recorded nearly 8,000 war-related fatalities in Kosovo between 1941 and 1945, 5,489 of them Serb or Montenegrin and 2,177 Albanian. Some sources note that up to 72,000 individuals were encouraged to settle or resettle into Kosovo from Albania by the short-lived Italian administration. As

18864-670: The withdrawal of the Yugoslav army and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo . Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 104 member states of the United Nations . Although Serbia does not officially recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state and continues to claim it as its constituent Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija , it accepts

19008-407: Was created in 1990. BSPK's members took pride in their large grassroots participation which reached 14,900 workers. The BSPK founding congress was held in Gjakova and despite gaining a permission to be legally held, the police broke it up during its second day. The city was badly affected by the Kosovo War , suffering great physical destruction and large-scale human losses and human rights abuses. In

19152-422: Was defeated in 1395–96. A small part of Vuk's land with the villages of Pristina and Vushtrri was given to his sons to hold as Ottoman vassals for a brief period. By 1455–57, the Ottoman Empire assumed direct control of all of Kosovo and the region remained part of the empire until 1912. During this period, Islam was introduced to the region. After the failed siege of Vienna by the Ottoman forces in 1693 during

19296-469: Was depleted and de facto Serbian rulers could not raise another equal force to the Ottoman army. Different parts of Kosovo were ruled directly or indirectly by the Ottomans in this early period. The medieval town of Novo Brdo was under Lazar's son, Stefan who became a loyal Ottoman vassal and instigated the downfall of Vuk Branković who eventually joined the Hungarian anti-Ottoman coalition and

19440-738: Was elected its president. During its lifetime, the Republic of Kosova was only officially recognised by Albania. By the mid-1990s, the Kosovo Albanian population was growing restless, as the status of Kosovo was not resolved as part of the Dayton Agreement of November 1995, which ended the Bosnian War . By 1996, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), an ethnic Albanian guerrilla paramilitary group that sought

19584-536: Was exposed to an increasing number of raids from the 4th century CE onward, culminating with the Slavic migrations of the 6th and 7th centuries. Toponymic evidence suggests that Albanian was probably spoken in Kosovo prior to the Slavic settlement of the region. The overwhelming presence of towns and municipalities in Kosovo with Slavic in their toponymy suggests that the Slavic migrations either assimilated or drove out population groups already living in Kosovo. There

19728-519: Was followed by the appearance of the craftsmanship around it, which increased the importance of the city. The mosque holds historical value and is viewed of as a sacred monument. The great Tekke ("Teqja e Madhe"), built by the end of the 16th century by Shejh Suleyman Axhiza Baba, a Sufi mystic from Shkodra. It belongs to the Saadi order of Sufism . The complex includes turbe (small mausoleums ), samahanes (ritual prayer-halls), houses and fountains. It

19872-464: Was highly unpopular among Albanians as he had been the Ottoman representative in the congress of Berlin and in 1871 had led Ottoman troops during an Albanian revolt. Upon arriving in Prizren on August 25, he called a meeting with leading members of the league the following day and gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to cease their activities against the area transfer. On August 27, none of the leaders attended

20016-424: Was made a part of Greater Albania under Italian rule and later under German control, Serbs were persecuted by Albanian paramilitaries. A large number of killings of Serbs took place in 1941 in the district of Gjakova. In 1953–56, a systematic campaign of police repression was conducted throughout Kosovo with the goal to force Albanians to leave the region. The first protest against the Yugoslav police which involved

20160-481: Was moved to Peja , and rulers centred themselves between Prizren and Skopje , during which time thousands of Christian monasteries and feudal-style forts and castles were erected, with Stefan Dušan using Prizren Fortress as one of his temporary courts for a time. When the Serbian Empire fragmented into a conglomeration of principalities in 1371, Kosovo became the hereditary land of the House of Branković . During

20304-427: Was repressed and both Albanians and Muslim Slavs were encouraged to declare themselves to be Turkish and emigrate to Turkey. At the same time Serbs and Montenegrins dominated the government, security forces, and industrial employment in Kosovo. Albanians resented these conditions and protested against them in the late 1960s, calling the actions taken by authorities in Kosovo colonialist, and demanding that Kosovo be made

20448-478: Was the first military operation of the League of Prizren and marked the beginning of hostilities between the organization and the Ottoman Empire . On an international level, it was the first in a series of battles that changed the terms of the Congress of Berlin as regards the cessions to Montenegro and ended with the siege of Ulcinj, which determined the Montenegrin borders until the Balkan Wars . According to

20592-537: Was the league's first military operation, caused the rise of the autonomist and independentist subfactions mainly under Abdyl Frashëri , who presided over the assembly of the Stamboll Committee. On September 27, the decisions of the assembly, which among others included the unification of all Albanian-inhabited areas into a single vilayet with maximal autonomy, were published in Tercuman-i Sark ,

20736-486: Was tortured and killed with bayonets . The History Institute in Pristina reported that Montenegro converted over 1,700 Albanian Catholics to the Serbian Orthodox faith in the Gjakova region in March 1913. Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein told Edward Grey in a 10 March 1912 interview that Serbian soldiers behaved in a "barbarous way" toward Muslim and Catholic Albanians in Gjakova. During World War II , when Kosovo

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