Skenderaj

Skenderaj
Municipality and city
Skenderaj
Center of Skenderaj town in a rainy day.
Skenderaj Location in Kosovo
Coordinates:
Country	Republic of Kosovo
District	District of Mitrovica
Government
• Mayor	Sami Lushtaku
Area
• Municipality and city	374 km2 (144 sq mi)
Elevation	620 m (2,030 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality and city	51,553
• Density	140/km2 (360/sq mi)
• Urban	10,000
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	41000
Area code(s)	+381 28
Car plates	02
Website	Municipality of Skenderaj

Skenderaj (Albanian: Skënderaj) or Srbica (Serbian: Srbica / Србица) is a city and municipality in the District of Mitrovica of northern Kosovo. It is the largest city in the Drenica region of Kosovo.

History

The municipality cadastral area includes several settlements that existed during the Middle Ages, among which some exist still today, such as Leočina, Poljance, Banja, and others. Despot Đurađ Branković (1427 —1456) founded the Devič monastery in the region. The town (varoš) itself was formed as Srbica in 1924 and had 30 houses inhabited by Serbs and Montenegrins.

Traditionally the area around Skenderaj showed a strong resistance to foreign invasions. In the 20th century Albanian resistance began with a kachak movement led by Azem Bejta and his wife, Shote Galica, who fought against Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslavian invaders. At the ending of WW2 in 1944 leader of Brigade of Drenica Shaban Polluzha refused to lead his 12,000 men towards north and join partisan groups in order to pursue the retreating Germans, because Serbian Chetnik groups were attacking the Albanian population in Kosovo.

Features

It is solely populated by Albanians (100%). It is claimed to be the poorest city in Kosovo. It is the place where the Kosovo War began in 1998, and to which the most damage was done.

Demographics

Ethnic Composition, Including IDPs
Year/Population	Albanians	%	Serbs	%	Ashkali	%	Bosniaks	%	Total
1991	54,437	98.6%	713	-	37	-	-	-	55,187
January 1999	App. 65,000	99%	690	1%	-	-	-	-	App. 65,690
Current figure	App. 78,900	98%	0	-	0	-		2%	App. 78,900
Ref: kosowar Population Censuses for data through 1991, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe estimates for onwards data

Geography

The municipality covers an area of 378 km2, including the town of Skenderaj and 51 villages.

Panoramic view of Skenderaj in autumn.

Economy

Skenderaj has historically been the poorest municipality in Kosovo, with little investment having been made since the time of the former Yugoslavia. It suffers from low economic activity and continuous high unemployment. Agriculture is the major local industry but the municipality has not fully developed existing arable land. Today, the local economy consists of small enterprises such as family-run shops and restaurants while two privatized factories, a brick and a flour mill, employ a few hundred people. The other major sector of employment is the municipality’s civil service.

Sport

Skënderaj is home of the Kosovar Superliga football club KF Drenica. which plays their home games in the Bajram Aliu Stadium. Skënderaj is also home of the Kosovar Superliga volleyball club KV Skenderaj women's and KV Drenica men's.

Cultural heritage

• Devič, Serbian Orthodox abbey

Notable People

• Adem Jashari, Founder of KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army)

Graffiti art of KLA leader Adem Jashari, some where in town streets, Nov 2015jpg

• Hashim Thaçi, Political Leader of KLA, Prime Minister of Kosovo (2006-2014)
• Hamëz Jashari, Cofounder of KLA and brother of Adem Jashari
• Hasan Prishtina, Political Leader of National Movement
• Sylejman Selimi, Comrade of Adem Jashari, Leader of Drenica Operative Zone and KLA's chief of staff
• Shote Galica, Leader of Kachak Movement in Kosovo and Wife of Azem Galica
• Përparim Hetemaj, footballer
• Mehmet Hetemaj, footballer

Notes and references

Notes:

External links

• Municipality of Skenderaj
• OSCE Profile of Skenderaj
• SOK Kosovo and its population