Hoçisht

{{Infobox settlement AL

|type = mu

|official_name = Hoçisht

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|county = Korçë

|municipality = Devoll

|coordinates = {{coord|40|36|N|20|55|E|type:adm1st_region:AL_dim:100000|display=inline,title}}

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|population_as_of = 2011

|population_unit = 4461

|postal_code = 7009

|area_code = (0)874

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Hoçisht is a village and a former municipality in the Korçë County, southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Devoll.{{cite web |url=https://www.vendime.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/137-2014.pdf |title=Law nr. 115/2014 |language=sq |pages=6372–6373|access-date=25 February 2022 }} The population at the 2011 census was 4,461.[http://www.instat.gov.al/media/195826/7__korce.pdf 2011 census results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924035505/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/195826/7__korce.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }} The municipal unit consists of the villages Hoçisht, Grace, Baban, Stropan, Eçmenik, Përparimaj, Grapsh, Çipan, Borsh, Bradvicë.[http://www.interreg.gr/inst/interreg/gallery/File/Programmes/Greece%20-%20Albania/Simpliroma%20Programmatismou/EN/18-12-07_Programme_Complement_GREECE%20ALBANIA.doc Greece – Albania Neighbourhood Programme] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327014915/http://www.interreg.gr/inst/interreg/gallery/File/Programmes/Greece%20-%20Albania/Simpliroma%20Programmatismou/EN/18-12-07_Programme_Complement_GREECE%20ALBANIA.doc |date=2012-03-27 }}

A Greek school was operating in the village of Hoçisht from the middle of the 19th century, until incorporation to the Albanian state, while the local Orthodox community had established a trust fund (called Lasso) for the well being of the locals. In the early 20th century the town of Hoçisht hosted additional Greek educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools for boys and girls, as well as a kindergarten.{{cite web|last=Athina|first=Koltsida|title=Η Εκπαίδευση στη Βόρεια Ήπειρο κατά την Ύστερη Περίοδο της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας [Education in Northern Epirus during the late Ottoman Empire]|url=http://invenio.lib.auth.gr/record/104814?ln=el|work=Phd dissertation|publisher=University of Thessaloniki|access-date=9 October 2013|page=143}}

During the Macedonian struggle, Nikolaos Dailakis, a Greek revolutionary was active in several Albanian speaking villages (Hoçisht, Grapsh and Bradvicë).{{cite book|last=Vakalopoulos|first=Apostolos E.|title=Modern History of Macedonia, (1830–1912)|year=1988|publisher=Barbounakis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pli5AAAAIAAJ&q=Chotsista|page=219}} In 1905, Dailakis had his hideout near Hoçisht.{{cite book|last=Douglas|first=Dakin|author-link=Douglas Dakin|title=The Greek struggle in Macedonia, 1897-1913|year=1993|publisher=Balkan Studies Research Center|pages=133, 254, 255|isbn=978-960-7387-00-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZItpAAAAMAAJ&q=dailakis}}

During the Socialist People's Republic of Albania the local church property was confiscated by the state. Today, from the 10 Christian churches in 1967 only 5 survive: Saint Nicholas, Saints Kosmas and Damian, Saint Constantine, Saint John and Saint Kyriake.{{cite journal|last=Καρακίτσιος|first=Ελευθέριος|title=Παλαίτυπα εκ Χοτσίτσης (Hocisht) Κορυτσάς της Βιβλιοθήκης Σωτηρίου Θ. Μπόρτση ή Κράλη|journal=Makedonika|year=2003–2004|volume=34|url=http://media.ems.gr/ekdoseis/makedonika/makedonika_34/ekd_pemk_34_Karakitsios.pdf}}

At present, a Greek language institution is functioning in the town, as part of a joint Greek-Albanian initiative.{{cite book|first=Hermine |last=De Soto|title=Poverty in Albania : a qualitative assessment|year=2002|publisher=World Bank|location=Washington, DC|isbn=9780821351093|pages=32|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbrPFI_tHUsC&q=greek+investment}}

Hoçisht is described as a historically mostly Orthodox Christian town with a historic Church of Cosmas and Damien in Satrivaç that functioned as a "Christian sanctuary" which, like others, was visited by Albanian Christians and Albanian Muslims alike, as well as Roma.{{cite journal|last=De Rapper|first=Gilles|title=Religion on the border: sanctuaries and festivals in post-communist Albania|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00400432/document|year=2010|pages=2–3, 6, 8, 12–3}}