Peć

"İpek" redirects here. For places in Azerbaijan, see İpək (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Peč or Peja.

Peć
—  Municipality and city  —
Peć (Пећ) Peja (Pejë)
Town of Peć
Peć Location in Kosovo
Coordinates: 42°39′N 20°18′E
Territory	Kosovo
District	District of Peć/Peć District
Area
• Municipality and city	602 km2 (232.4 sq mi)
Population
• Municipality and city	95,723 (municipality)
• Density	158.8/km2 (411.3/sq mi)
• Metro	60,000
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	30000
Area code(s)	+381
Car plates	03
Website	Municipality of Peć

Patriarchate of Peć.

Peć (pronounced [pɛ̂ːt͡ɕ]) or Pejë (pronounced [ˈpɛjə]) is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha.

The Serbian and Bosnian 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 Ottoman Turkish ايپك (İpek), the Slavonic Petcha, and the formerly used form Pentza. In Serbian language Peć means furnace or cave and its name is probably connected with nearby caves in Rugova Canyon which served as hermit cells for orthodox monks. In mediaeval Ragusan documents, the Serbian name of the city (Peć, lit. "furnace") is sometimes translated as Forno, meaning furnace in Italian (also furuna in Serbian).

The municipality covers an area of 602 km² (232 sq mi), including the city of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial communities. As of 2011, the whole municipality has a population of approximately 95,723, of which ca. 60,000 live in the city 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.

Between 1180 and 1190. Serbian Great Zupan Stefan Nemanja conquered Peć with its surrounding župa ( district ) of Hvosno from Byzantine empire, thus establishing Serbian rule over the city of Peć for next 300 years. In 1220. Serbian king Stefan Nemanjić donated Peć and several surrounding villages to his newly founded monastery of Žiča. As Žiča was seat of Serbian archbishop Peć came under direct rule of Serbian archbishops and latter patriarchs who built their residences and numerous churches in the city starting with the church of Holy Apostles built by archbishop Saint Arsenije I Sremac. After the Žiča monastery was burned by the Cumans (between 1276 and 1292) the seat of Serbian archbishop was transferred to more secure location in Peć where it remained until abolition of Serbian patriarchate in 1766.

The city 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 city and its surrounding area are still revered by adherents of Serbian Orthodoxy; the city is the site of the patriarchal monastery, which stands above the city 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 1455, and underwent major changes under their rule, including a change of name to Ipek. The city 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 remain. One of these is the Bajrakli Mosque, built by the Ottomans in the 15th century and located in the center of the city.

The city increased its political importance through the League of Peja, established in 1899 by Albanian patriots led by Haxhi Zeka. The League inherited the traditions and character of the League of Prizren to defend the rights of the Albanians and give them autonomous status within the Ottoman Empire. After an armed conflict with the ottoman forces in 1900 the League ended its operations.

The 500 years of Ottoman rule came to an end in the First Balkan War of 1912-1913, when Montenegro took control of the city. 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 Yugoslavia (at first officially called 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 the war, Peć again became part of Yugoslavia as part of Kosovo and Metohija, an autonomous province within 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. More than 80 percent of the total 5280 houses in the city were heavily damaged (1590) or destroyed (2774). 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.

Touristic Places

Peć has undeveloped tourist areas such as the Rugova Canyon. Skiing is possible in the mountains nearby.

Climate

Climate data for Pec
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	3 (37)	6 (42)	11 (51)	15 (59)	20 (68)	23 (74)	26 (79)	26 (78)	22 (72)	16 (61)	8 (47)	4 (39)	15.0 (58.9)
Average low °C (°F)	−3 (27)	−1 (30)	3 (37)	7 (44)	11 (52)	14 (58)	16 (61)	17 (62)	13 (55)	8 (46)	2 (36)	−2 (29)	7.1 (44.8)
Precipitation mm (inches)	170 (6.7)	173 (6.8)	150 (5.9)	140 (5.5)	97 (3.8)	61 (2.4)	43 (1.7)	69 (2.7)	122 (4.8)	180 (7.1)	239 (9.4)	216 (8.5)	1,659 (65.3)
Source: Weatherbase

Demographics

Ethnic Composition in the municipality
Year/Population	Albanians	%	Serbs	%	Montenegrins	%	Roma	%	Bosniaks	%	Others	%	Total
1961 Census	41,532	62.35	8,852	13.28	12,701	19.05	728	1.09	1,397	2.1			66,656
1971 Census	63,193	70.12	9,298	10.31	11,306	12.54	433	0.48	5,203	5.77			90,124
1981 Census	79,965	71.99	7,995	7.2	9,796	8.82	3,844	3.46	8,739	7.86			111,071
1991 Census	96,441	75.5	7,815	6.11	6,960	5.44	4,442	3.5	9,875	7.72			127,796
January 1999	~104,600	~92	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	~3,500-4,000	~3.3	n/a	n/a	~4,000-4,200	~3.6	~113,000
May 2006 (est.)	125,712	89.3	~1,100	~1.2	~1,800	~1.9	~4,500	~4.9	~5000	~5.4			91,112
2008	Vast majority												~125,000
Source: Yugoslav Population Censuses for data through 1991, OSCE estimates for data from 1999, 2006 and 2008

According to the 1981 census, the city had a population of 54,497; according to the 1991 census it had grown to 68,163. In 2003 the city had a population of 81,800.^{[citation needed]}

In 2009, OSCE estimated ca. 82,300 people in the city of Peć.

The vast majority of the inhabitants are Kosovo Albanians, but there is also a large minority community. Most Kosovo Serbs live in the village enclaves of Goraždevac, Belo Polje and Ljevoša. There is also a large Bosniak community in the city 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 is KB Peja. 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 KV BESA, a judo team Ippon, a athletic team Besa 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).

Notable people

• Ali Berisha, Military doctor of the KLA during the 1999 Kosovo War, actual Mayor of Peja
• Ali Lajqi, ex-Mayor of Peja
• Agim Çeku, Military commander of the KLA during the 1999 Kosovo War, actual minister of Security Force of Kosovo
• Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish Anthem creator
• Majlinda Kelmendi, European judo Champion for juniors
• Nora Gjakova, Judo Champion for juniors
• Fatos Beciraj, football player, who plays for Dinamo Zagreb and for Montenegro national football team
• Qerim Begolli, One of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence
• Faruk Begolli, Actor
• Salih Gjuka, One of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence
• Bogoljub Karić, politician and businessman
• Rahman Morina, Politician
• Xhevdet Muriqi, Former football player, part of the "Golden Generation" of KF Prishtina
• Fadil Muriqi, Former football player, part of the "Golden Generation" of KF Prishtina
• Bedri bej Ipeku, politician
• Riza Sapunxhiu, Politician
• Milutin Šoškić, Former football player
• Xhevdet Xhafa, Contemporary Artist who works primarily in painting
• Sislej Xhafa, Contemporary Artist

Sister cities

• Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast, Russia

Views of Peć

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See also

• The Sanjak of Dukagjin
• District of Peć

Notes and references

Notes:

a.	^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, while Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. Its independence is recognised by 86 UN member states.

References:

External links

• Municipality of Peć
• Albanian Information – Peć
• Serbian Information – Peć
• Municipal map of Peć Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 2001