| Revision as of 21:47, 19 May 2009 editInterestedinfairness (talk | contribs)960 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 15:28, 20 May 2009 edit undoEv (talk | contribs)13,000 edits Reverted removal of content by Interestedinfairness (talk). — See also Talk:Peć#Neutrality tag.Next edit → | ||
| Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
| ].]] | ].]] | ||
| ''' |
'''Peć''' or '''Peja''' is a town and ] in north-western ], and the administrative centre of the ]. | ||
| The ] name of the city is ''Peć'' (Пећ); the ] name's definite form is ''Peja'' and the indefinite one ''Pejë''. Other names of the city include the ] ''Pescium'' and ''Siparantum'', the ] ''Episkion'' (Επισκιον), the ] ''Ipek'' or ''İpek'', and the formerly used form ''Pentza''. | |||
| For Centuries the city has been famous to the development of the region, situated as it is in the fertile plains of Western Kosovo, it has attracted traders from ] and later the ]. | |||
| The municipality covers an area of {{convert|602|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, including the town of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial | The municipality covers an area of {{convert|602|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, including the town of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial | ||
Revision as of 15:28, 20 May 2009
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Peja" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Peć / Пећ Peja / Pejë | |
|---|---|
 | |
| District | District of Peć |
| Municipality | Municipality of Peć |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mr Ali Berisha |
| Area | |
| • Total | 602 km (232 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 550 m (1,800 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | ca. 170,000 (municipality) ca. 82,300 (town) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Website | Municipality of Peć |
Peć or Peja is a town and municipality in north-western Kosovo, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district.
The Serbian name of the city is Peć (Пећ); the Albanian name's definite form is Peja and the indefinite one Pejë. Other names of the city include the Latin Pescium and Siparantum, the Greek Episkion (Επισκιον), the Turkish Ipek or İpek, and the formerly used form Pentza.
The municipality covers an area of 602 km (232 sq mi), including the town of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial communities. As of 2009, the whole municipality has a population of approximately 170,000, of which ca. 82,300 live in the town of Peć.
History
The city is located in a strategic position on the Pećka Bistrica river, a tributary of the White Drin to the east of the Prokletije. The city was known as Pescium during the Roman era; or as reported by Ptolemy in his Geography, Siparantum.
The town became a major religious center of medieval Serbia under the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan, who made it the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1346. It retained this status until 1766, when the Patriarchate of Peć was abolished. Today, Peć holds the Patriarchate of Serbia. The town and its surrounding area are still revered by adherents of Serbian Orthodoxy; the town is the site of the patriarchal monastery, which stands above the town and consists of four fresco-decorated churches, a library, and a treasury. The 14th century Visoki Dečani monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies about 19 km (12 mi) south, in nearby Dečani.
Peć was captured by the Ottomans in the late 14th century, and underwent major changes under their rule, including a change of name to Ipek. The town was settled by a large number of Turks, many of whose descendants still live in the area, and took on a distinctly oriental character with narrow streets and old-style Turkish houses. It also gained an Islamic character with the construction of a number of mosques, many of which still survive. One of these is the Bajrakli Mosque, built by the Ottomans in the 15th century and located in the center of the city.
The five centuries of Ottoman rule came to an end in the First Balkan War of 1912-1913, when Montenegro took control of the town. In the late 1915, during World War I, Austria-Hungary took the city. Peć was retaken in October 1918. After World War I, the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Between 1931 and 1941 the city was part of Zeta Banovina. During the World War II Peć was occupied by Albania. After World War II, Peć became part of Yugoslavia as part of the People's Republic of Serbia.
Relations between Serbs and Albanians, who were the majority population, were often tense during the 20th century. They came to a head in the Kosovo War of 1999, during which the city suffered heavy damage and mass killings.. It suffered further damage in violent inter-ethnic unrest in 2004.
Economy
The economy was inevitably badly affected by the war, but historically it has centered on agricultural activities and craftworks produced by the city's traditional craftsmen – coppersmiths, goldsmiths, slipper makers, leather tanners, saddle makers, etc. The most influential business family is "DEVOLLI" family which are one of the richest in Peć.
Touristic Places
Peć has beautiful, if undeveloped touristic places, including Rugova Canyon and skiing is possible in the mountains nearby.
Demographics
| Ethnic Composition | |||||||||||||
| Year/Population | Albanians | % | Serbs | % | Montenegrins | % | Roma | % | Bosniaks | % | Others | % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Census | 41,532 | 62.35 | 8,852 | 12,701 | 728 | 1,397 | 2.1 | 66,656 | |||||
| 1971 Census | 63,193 | 70.12 | 9,298 | 11,306 | 433 | 5,203 | 90,124 | ||||||
| 1981 Census | 79,965 | 71.99 | 7,995 | 9,796 | 3,844 | 3.46 | 8,739 | 111,071 | |||||
| 1991 Census | 96,441 | 75.5 | 7,815 | 6,960 | 4,442 | 3.5 | 9,875 | 127,796 | |||||
| January 1999 | 104,600 | 950 | 3,500-4,000 | 4,000-4,200 | 113,000 | ||||||||
| Estimate figures May 2006 | 78,712 | 86.3 | 1000 | 1.2 | 1,800 | 1.9 | 4,500 | 4.9 | 5000 | 5.4 | 91,112 | ||
| Source: Yugoslav Population Censuses for data through 1991, OSCE estimates for data from 1999 and 2006 | |||||||||||||
According to the 1981 census, the town had a population of 54,497; according to the 1991 census it had grown to 68,163. In 2003 the town had a population of 81,800.
As of 2008 the whole municipality has a population of approximately 170,000, of which as of 2009 ca. 82,300 live in the town of Peć.
The vast majority of the inhabitants are Kosovo Albanians, but there is also a large minority community. Most Kosovo Serb live in the village enclave of Goraždevac, with a population of approximately 850. There is also a large Bosniak community in the town of Peć and in Vitomirica, while significant Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities reside in urban and rural areas.
Sport
Peć is one of the more successful cities in Kosovan sport leagues. Its premier football team is KF Besa, its basketball teams are KB Peja and KF Shqiponja. Both of them are active in the Kosovar Superliga. KB Peja is the older and more established basketball team. Additionally the city is host to a handball team, KH Besa Famiglia, a volleyball team Ejona Peja, a judo team Ippon, as well as a women's basketball team KB Penza. Since June 2008 Peć has also a Taekwondo Team: Tae Kwon Do Club Peja (Klubi i Tae Kwon Do-së Peja).
See also
References
- ^ OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Municipal profile of Peć, March 2009. – Retrieved on 14 May 2009.
- ^ World Gazetteer: Kosovo: largest cities and town and statistics of their population. – Retrieved on 12 May 2009.
- Crimes Of War, Time Magazine, June 28, 1999
- OSCE Mission in Kosovo: Municipal profile of Peć, April 2008. – Source: Municipal Communities Officer. – Retrieved on 12 November 2008.
- http://www.tkd-peja.tk
External links
| Municipalities of Kosovo | ||
|---|---|---|
| District of Ferizaj |  | |
| District of Gjakova | ||
| District of Gjilan | ||
| District of Mitrovica | ||
| District of Peja | ||
| District of Pristina | ||
| District of Prizren | ||
42°40′N 20°18′E / 42.667°N 20.300°E / 42.667; 20.300
Category: