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86-542: The castle dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. It is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation , as well as a captured United States Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime 's struggle against the Western powers . The citadel existed in various forms since before

172-472: A German Summer Offensive (May–June 1944) and defeated the last Balli Kombëtar forces in southern Albania by mid-summer 1944 encountering only scattered resistance from the Balli Kombëtar and Legality forces when they entered central and northern Albania by the end of July. On 29 November 1944 partisan forces liberated Shkodra and this is the official date of liberation of the country. A provisional government

258-721: A brief resistance to the invasion force in Durrës on the day of invasion. Durrës was captured on April 7, Tirana the following day, Shkodër and Gjirokastër on April 9, and almost the entire country by April 10. At the time of the Italian invasion, the Shkodër communist group included Qemal Stafa , a student, Vasil Shanto , an artisan, Liri Gega , an intellectual, Imer Dishnica , a doctor, Zef Mala and others. The leaders were Mala, Shanto, Stafa and Kristo Themelko . The Shkodër group's activities also spanned over Kosovo and western Macedonia, and

344-540: 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

430-593: A dispute arose concerning the status of Kosovo. For the Communist party, the question should have been resolved after the war, without the presence of foreign powers on the national soil. The Yugoslavian Communist Party would have had to return Kosovo to Albania as established by the Comintern. Whereas the Balli Kombëtar proposed to fight for the integration of Kosovo into Albania. After the German Winter Offensive

516-477: A joint National Liberation Movement with a provisional eight-member council, with Enver Hoxha and Abaz Kupi among them, though it was dominated by the communists. Partisan fighters were organized into 20 to 70-men units, equivalent to a platoon, including a communist commissar, who acted as the political officer. The commander, the political commissar and their deputies constituted the unit command, and all military decisions were made and agreed upon by all members of

602-519: 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

688-415: 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

774-637: 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

860-474: 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

946-725: A special destination for tourists. The castle was visited by over 10,000 Albanian and foreign tourists during January – May 2018. This was over double the visitors from the same period the year before, which saw 4,700 visitors. 40°04′26″N 20°08′28″E  /  40.074°N 20.141°E  / 40.074; 20.141 This article about a castle in Albania is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . National Liberation Movement (Albania) The National Liberation Movement ( Albanian : Lëvizja Nacional-Çlirimtare ; or Lëvizja Antifashiste Nacional-Çlirimtare ( LANÇ )), also translated as National Liberation Front ,

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1032-510: 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

1118-559: 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 ,

1204-643: 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

1290-546: 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

1376-441: 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

1462-480: 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

1548-450: 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

1634-462: 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

1720-519: 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

1806-555: 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,

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1892-601: 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

1978-480: The 12th century. Princess Argjiro inspired Albanian author Ismail Kadare in a poem he wrote in the 1960s. According to local Albanian folkloric traditions she lived in the 15th century and jumped off Gjirokastër Castle along with her child so as to avoid being captured by the Ottomans . Extensive renovations and a westward addition was added by Ali Pasha of Tepelene after 1812. The government of King Zog expanded

2064-564: 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

2150-570: 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 ,

2236-577: The Albanian Communist Party was officially formed on November 8, 1941, by a unanimous vote of all members and in place of a leadership a Central Committee was elected instead. Members of the Central Committee were Enver Hoxha, Qemal Stafa, Ramadan Çitaku, Koçi Xoxe, Tuk Jakova, Kristo Themelko and Gjin Marku. The creation of the Central Committee was followed by the creation of regional committees,

2322-753: The Albanian National Liberation Front was transformed into the government of Albania and its leaders became government members, and in August 1945, it was replaced by the Democratic Front . The National Liberation Army ( Ushtria Nacional-Çlirimtare ) was the army created by the National Liberation Movement. Albania did not put an organized resistance to the Italian invasion (April 7–12, 1939). However different Albanian groups of patriots such as Mujo Ulqinaku and Abaz Kupi made

2408-537: 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

2494-466: The Albanian resistance leaders to create a national resistance front. The Communist Party saw the creation of this front as a necessity for Albania. Its intention was to dominate this front, although some figures within the Albanian Communist Party opposed the idea of an organised front with other nationalists, fearing their possible betrayal. The conference decided to create the General Council which

2580-644: The Communist Party. Miladin Popović , a Yugoslav communist , attended the Peza Conference as an adviser and hoped to further strengthen party controls by creating a general staff that would tie the various units together, but his suggestion was not adopted. The partisan units were supplemented by territorial units - irregular self-defense detachments made up of volunteers. They were planned for every larger village or one for two-to-three villages together. Their function

2666-489: The German attack on Russia, Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito under Comintern directives sent two Yugoslav delegates Miladin Popović and Dušan Mugoša to Albania. These two helped unite the Albanian communist groups in 1941. In August 1941, the Albanian Communist Party was established through the agreement between the Shkodër (led by Shanto and Stafa), Korçë and Tirana (led by Enver Hoxha ) communist groups. After intensive work,

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2752-692: 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

2838-527: 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

2924-490: The Italian invasion, there was no general resistance to the Italian army, although some local leaders like Myslim Peza , Baba Faja Martaneshi , Abaz Kupi etc. created small çetas (small detachments) which from time to time undertake small attacks on Italian forces. Meanwhile, the communist activity in Albania increased and culminated with the creation on 8 November 1941 of the Albanian Communist Party . Following

3010-607: 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

3096-579: The National Liberation Front in dealings with national liberation councils and civilians, and as leader of the communist members of the partisan unit. The Communist Party oriented the activities of the National Liberation Army through its various organizations inside the army. Each partisan unit had a political organization called the communist cell and both the communist cell and the commissar were responsible to regional committees of

3182-537: 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

3268-446: 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

3354-554: 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

3440-536: 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

3526-487: The castle prison in 1932. Today it possesses five towers and houses, the new Gjirokastër Museum, a clock tower, two teke, a cistern, the stage of the National Folk Festival , and many other points of interest. The castle's prison was used extensively by Zog 's government and housed political prisoners during the Communist regime. The castle is under protection from UNESCO. The Gjirokastër Castle has also been

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3612-412: 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

3698-533: 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

3784-427: 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

3870-642: 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,

3956-407: The command. Every partisan unit, no matter how large or small, had a command of four individuals. The role of the commissar was, among others, to guarantee that the activities of the partisan unit would comply with the directives of the Communist Party. Other duties of the commissar included keeping the partisans up to date with the latest political developments, serve as the official representatives of

4042-605: The communist partisans regrouped, attacked the Germans and gained control of southern Albania in April 1944. In May a congress of the National Liberation Front was held in Përmet , during which an Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation to act as Albania's provisional government was elected. Enver Hoxha became the chairman of the council's executive committee and the National Liberation Army's supreme commander. The communist partisans resisted

4128-517: The communists which has been formed at Berat in October 1944, administered Albania with Enver Hoxha as prime minister up to the elections of December 1945, in which the Democratic Front (successor to the National Liberation Front) won 93% of the vote which was widely described as a sham election due to the lack of non-communist candidates. Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica is

4214-600: 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

4300-461: 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

4386-484: 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

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4472-603: 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

4558-623: 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

4644-497: 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

4730-462: 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,

4816-439: 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

4902-472: 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

4988-491: 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

5074-495: 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"

5160-562: 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

5246-405: 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

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5332-513: 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,

5418-400: The opening of religious schools, initially schools, later 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

5504-461: The organization included several emigrants from Gjakova and other places in Kosovo , who had moved to Albania between 1930 and 1937. In spring 1941, Shanto and Stafa met with fellow Communist Fadil Hoxha due to his earlier contact with Yugoslav communist Miladin Popović. Miladin Popović and Dušan Mugoša were the Yugoslav delegates that helped unite the Albanian communist groups in 1941. After

5590-501: 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

5676-418: 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

5762-476: 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

5848-583: 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

5934-575: 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,

6020-410: The responsibility of which was to implement the decisions made by the Central Committee. Starting from December 1941 the communist party began to create small groups of resistance made up of 5-10 people called guerilla units. These detachments began to engage in various acts of sabotage against the Italian forces. They also started to disseminate antifascist propaganda in order to gain the attention and

6106-475: 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

6192-517: The roads were to be accompanied by strong Italian military detachments. It was at this time (September 1942) that the Albanian Communist Party made their bold move of calling up a national conference, the Conference of Peza, which took place on 16 September 1942 in the house of Myslim Peza , a known resistance leader, (in Pezë village, near Tirana). In the conference the Communist Party of Albania invited all

6278-536: 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

6364-723: 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

6450-517: 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 the Adriatic Sea . The city

6536-670: The support of the civilians. As of 1942 the local press and the foreign consulates began to report an increasing number of attacks. The most spectacular act of sabotage was the interruption of all telegraphic and telephone communications in Albania in June and July 1942. Although the communist activity was increasing, the main concern for Italians were the northern bands. The Italians had given up on governing Northern Albania. The security posts composed of gendarmes in Northern Albania were mostly concerned for their own security and rarely ventured themselves outside their posts, and convoys along

6622-595: 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)

6708-452: The war, conduct espionage, organize the economic struggle against Italian companies, and sabotage the collection of agricultural products by the fascists. In already liberated areas, they were to function as new state. They were to maintain law and order developing local economy; overseeing food supply, trade, education, culture, and press. They would also settle blood feuds, and maintain readiness for war. The conference managed to set in place

6794-555: Was an Albanian communist resistance organization that fought in World War II . It was created on 16 September 1942, in a conference held in Pezë , a village near Tirana , and was led by Enver Hoxha . Apart from the figures which had the majority in the General Council it also included known nationalists like Myslim Peza although the Partisans under Yugoslav influence ended up executing numerous Albanian nationalist figures. In May 1944,

6880-468: Was composed of 10 people: seven communists including Mustafa Gjinishi , Enver Hoxha , and known nationalists like Abaz Kupi , Myslim Peza and Baba Faja Martaneshi . Mehdi Frashëri was the honorary president of the conference, a fact suppressed later by the communist history. The General Council would supervise local liberation councils. The councils in areas yet to be liberated would function as propaganda agencies, would collect material necessary for

6966-408: 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

7052-618: Was development respectively. There has been an increase in 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

7138-515: 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

7224-425: 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

7310-474: Was to protect the liberated zones and to serve as a source of replenishment for the regular partisan units. At the end of 1942 there were 2000 partisans plus a larger number of territorial units. The Mukje Agreement was a treaty signed on August 2, 1943, in the Albanian village of Mukje between the nationalist Balli Kombëtar and the communist National Liberation Movement. The two forces would work together in fighting off Italy's control over Albania. However,

7396-594: 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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