Skenderaj#Etymology

Albanians use the name Skenderaj from the name Skanderbeg,{{cite news|url=https://www.drenicapress.info/kjo-eshte-historia-e-emrit-skenderaj-e-domethenia-e-tij-mesoje-historine-si-u-be-komune-skenderaj/|title=Kjo është historia e emrit Skenderaj e domëthënia e tij, mësoje historinë si u bë komunë Skenderaj|trans-title=This is the story of the name Skenderaj and its meaning, learn the story of how Skenderaj became a municipality|language=Albanian|website=Drenica Press|date=28 November 2016}} while the Serbian name was applied after the First Balkan War in an attempt to naturalize the region.[https://www.radiandradi.com/argumentet-dhe-metodat-e-politikes-ekspansioniste-serbe-per-ta-sunduar-kosoven-nga-akademik-mark-krasniqi/ Argumentet dhe metodat e politikes ekspansioniste Serbe per ta sunduar Kosoven nga akademik Mark Krasniqi]

The settlement is by the Klina river, in the Klina field.{{sfn|Marković|1967|p=407}} It is the main settlement of the Drenica region.{{sfn|Marković|1967|p=407}} The Klina river belongs to the Metohija region, while the settlement morphologically and hydrologically gravitates towards the Kosovo region.{{sfn|Marković|1967|p=407}}

The municipality covers an area of {{val|378 |u=km2}}, including the town of Skenderaj and 49 villages.

The village of Runik, {{convert|10|km}} northwest of Skenderaj, is one of the most prominent Neolithic sites in Kosovo to date, contains artefacts from the Starcevo and Vinca cultures. Research was conducted in about 35 private parcels in the Dardania neighborhood of Runik. Starcevo and Vinca pottery fragments dating to 6500-3500 BC have been found at the site. A significant find is a baked-clay ocarina {{convert|8|cm|in}} in length, known as the Runik Ocarina, the oldest musical instrument found in Kosovo to date.{{sfn|Berisha|2012|p=18}}

File:Runik Ocarina.jpg Runik Ocarina is the oldest musical instrument found in Kosovo to date.]]

The municipality cadastral area includes several settlements that existed during the Middle Ages, among which some exist still today, such as Liqinë, Polac, Banjë, and others.{{cite journal|last=Božanić|first=S.|year=2009|title=O zemljišnim međama srpskog srednjovekovnog sela|journal=Istraživanja |issue=20|pages=47–64|url=http://scindeks-clanci.nb.rs/data/pdf/0350-2112/2009/0350-21120920047B.pdf}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} There are ruins of a church dating to the 14th century in southern Leqinë.{{cite web|title=Преобрашка-Калуђерска црква|publisher=Споменици културе у Србији|url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=421}} The Church of St. Nicholas was built in 1436, in Banjë, as the endowment of Serbian magnate Rodop.{{cite web|title=Црква Св. Николе|publisher=Споменици културе у Србији|url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=417}} The Devič monastery was built in Llausha near Skënderaj in the 15th century, dedicated to the local monk, St. Joanikije (d. 1430).{{cite web|title=Манастир Девич у близини Србице|publisher=Споменици културе у Србији|url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=419}} The Church of St. John was built in the 16th century on the ruins of a 14th-century church, in Leqinë; the church is surrounded by an old and large Serbian graveyard with tombs dating to the 17th–19th centuries.{{cite web|title=Црква Св. Јована|publisher=Споменици културе у Србији|url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=420}} A 16th-century church and cemetery is located in Runik.{{cite web|title=Црква Св. Ђорђа са гробљем|publisher=Споменици културе у Србији|url=http://spomenicikulture.mi.sanu.ac.rs/spomenik.php?id=422}}File:12-Devic.jpg was founded by Đurađ Branković, Serbian Despot]]In the early 20th century Albanian resistance began with the Kachak movement led by Azem Bejta and his wife Shote Galica, who fought against Bulgarian, Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav forces.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fnbw1wsacSAC&pg=PA63 | author=Elsie, Robert | author-link=Robert Elsie | year=2004 | title=Historical Dictionary of Kosova| publisher=The Scarecrow Press | page=63 | isbn=0-8108-5309-4}} At the end of World War II in 1944, the leader of the Drenica Brigade Shaban Polluzha refused to lead his 12,000 men north and join the Partisans in order to pursue the retreating Germans, because Serbian Chetnik groups were attacking the Albanian population in Kosovo.{{cite book|author=Robert Elsie|title=Historical Dictionary of Kosovo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pg-aeA-nUeAC&pg=PA219|access-date=30 August 2012|date=1 December 2010|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7231-8|page=219}}

During the Kosovo War, Serbian forces reportedly emptied the town of its Albanian inhabitants and executed approximately 115 ethnic Albanian males over the age of 18.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kxm45gC5-5MC |title=Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo |date=1999 |publisher=Department of State |isbn=978-0-16-050065-7 |language=en}} Serbian authorities reportedly were holding detainees in an ammunition factory in the town.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kxm45gC5-5MC |title=Erasing History: Ethnic Cleansing in Kosovo |date=1999 |publisher=Department of State |isbn=978-0-16-050065-7 |language=en}}

Skënderaj 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.

Skënderaj is home of the football club KF Drenica, which plays their home games in the Bajram Aliu Stadium and competes in the second tier league called First Football League of Kosovo. Skënderaj is also home of the Kosovar Superliga volleyball club KV Skenderaj women's and KV Drenica men's.

• Devič, Serbian Orthodox abbey

{{Historical populations

|title=Municipal historical population

| percentages = pagr

|1948|23744 |1953|26166 |1961|30308 |1971|36660 |1981|46927 |1991|55471 |2011|50858 |2024|40632|source = [http://pop-stat.mashke.org/kosovo-division.htm Division of Kosovo]

}}

According to the last official census done in 2011, the municipality of Skenderaj has 50,858 inhabitants.

The ethnic composition of the municipality:

• Adem Jashari, Kosovo Liberation Army leader, born in Prekaz
• Tahir Meha, famous Albanian political activist
• Malush Ahmeti, prominent Kosovo Liberation Army commander
• Hashim Thaçi, President of Kosovo (2016–2020)
• Hamëz Jashari, co-founder of KLA and brother of Adem Jashari
• Hasan Prishtina, political leader of Albanian National Movement
• Sylejman Selimi, comrade of Jashari
• Shote Galica, Kachak leader
• Përparim Hetemaj, footballer
• Mehmet Hetemaj, footballer
• Ahmet Delia, activist of League of Prizren
• Gazmend Çitaku, (born 4th of December 1970) photographer, publisher, and librarian, born in Skenderaj.
• Ilaz Kodra, KLA commander

• Municipalities of Kosovo
• Cities and towns in Kosovo
• Populated places in Kosovo

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web |last=Berisha |first=Milot |title=Archaeological Guide of Kosovo |url=https://www.mkrs-ks.org/repository/docs/drafti_i_guides_-anglisht_final.pdf |year=2012 |publisher=Ministry of Culture of Kosovo}}
• {{cite book|last=Radovanović|first=Milovan|title=Etnički i demografski procesi na Kosovu i Metohiji|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AKotAQAAIAAJ|year=2004|publisher=Liber Press|isbn=9788675560180 }}
• {{cite book|last=Marković|first=Jovan Đ.|title=Geografske oblasti Socijalističke Federativne Republike Jugoslavije|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QlwMAQAAIAAJ|year=1967|publisher=Zavod za izdavanje udžbenika Socijalističke Republike Srbije}}

{{Commons category|Skënderaj}}

• [http://kk.rks-gov.net/skenderaj Municipality of Skenderaj]
• [http://www.osce.org/documents/mik/2008/04/1278_en.pdf OSCE Profile of Skenderaj] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201155212/https://www.osce.org/documents/mik/2008/04/1278_en.pdf |date=2019-12-01 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326134730/http://www.sok-kosovo.org/pdf/population/Kosovo_and_its_population.pdf SOK Kosovo and its population]

{{Kosovo municipalities}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Kosovo

Category:Municipalities of Kosovo

Category:Populated places in the District of Mitrovica

Category:Drenica