Peć

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Peja / Pejë Peć / Пећ
District	District of Pejë
Municipality	Municipality of Pejë
Government
- Mayor	Ali Berisha
Area
- Total	602 km2 (232.4 sq mi)
Elevation	550 m (1,804 ft)
Population (2009)[1]
- Total	ca. 170,000 (municipality) ca. 82,300 (town)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
Website	Municipality of Pejë

Peja (Albanian: Peja or Pejë; Serbian: Пећ or Peć) is a town and municipality in north-western Kosovo^[a], 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, the Slavonic Petcha,^[2] and the formerly used form Pentza. In Serbian language Peć means furnace or cave and its name is probably conected with nearby caves in Rugova Canyon which served as hermit cells for orthodox monks. ^[3] In mediaeval Italian Ragusan documents Serbian name of the city Peć (furnace) is sometimes translated as Forno, meaning furnace in Italian.

The municipality covers an area of 602 km² (232 sq mi), including the town of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial communities.^[4] As of 2009, the whole municipality has a population of approximately 170,000,^[4] of which ca. 82,300 live in the town of Peć.^[5]

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 3 Touristic Places 4 Demographics 5 Sport 6 See also 7 Notes and references 8 External links

[edit] 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 town of Peć for next 3 centuries.^[6] In 1220. Serbian king Stefan Nemanjić donated Peć and several surrounding villages to his newly founded monastery of Žiča^[7]. 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 town starting with the church of Holy Apostols 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 transfered to more secure location in Peć where it remained until abolition of Serbian patriarchate in 1766.

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 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, 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.^[8]. It suffered further damage in violent inter-ethnic unrest in 2004.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Touristic Places

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

[edit] 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.^[5] In 2003 the town had a population of 81,800.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2008 the whole municipality has a population of approximately 170,000,^[4] of which as of 2009 ca. 82,300 live in the town of Peć.^[5]

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 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.^[9]

[edit] 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).^[10]

[edit] See also

• District of Peć

[edit] 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 Assembly of Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence on 17 February 2008, a move that is recognised by 63 of the 192 UN member states and the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by other UN member states. Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory.

References:

[edit] External links

• - Official Municipality Website (Albanian/Serbian/English)
• - Albanian Information - Peć
• - Serbian Information - Peć

• Municipal map of Pejë/Pec Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 2001

v • d • e Municipalities of Kosovo1 Dečani • Đakovica • Dragaš • Glogovac • Gnjilane • Istok • Kačanik • Klina • Kosovo Polje • Kosovska Kamenica • Kosovska Mitrovica • Leposavić • Lipljan • Mališevo • Novo Brdo • Obilić • Orahovac • Peć • Podujevo • Pristina • Prizren • Srbica • Štimlje • Štrpce • Suva Reka • Uroševac • Vitina • Vučitrn • Zubin Potok • Zvečan New Municipalities: Đeneral Janković • Gračanica • Junik • Klokot-Vrbovac • Mamuša • Parteš • Ranilug 1 Kosovo declared independence on 17 February 2008, and has been recognized by 63 UN member states as well as the Republic of China (Taiwan), but not by the rest of the world and not by Serbia, which claims it as part of its sovereign territory.

Coordinates: 42°40′N 20°18′E / 42.667°N 20.3°E / 42.667; 20.3