Isniq (Serbian: Istinić/Истинић) is a settlement north of
Deçan
Deçan, or Dečani sr-cyr, Дечани ; also in use Dečane sr-cyr, Дечане is a town and municipality in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of has 3,803 inhabitants, while the municipality has 40,019 inhabitants.
Geog ...
in Western
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
about 45 miles (or 72 km) west of
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
. The village is based on the plains of Dukagjini at the foot of the
Accursed Mountains
The Accursed Mountains ( sq, Bjeshkët e Nemuna; sh-Cyrl-Latn, Проклетије, Prokletije, ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps ( sq, Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the B ...
next to the Deçani's
White Drin
The White Drin or White Drim ( sq, Drini i Bardhë,/ ''Beli Drim'') is a river in Kosovo and northern Albania, a ca. -long headstream of the Drin.
Course
Kosovo
The Kosovo section of the White Drin flows entirely in the semi-karst part of ...
River and is the biggest village in Kosovo. Medicinal plants grow at the mountains of 2656 meters above the sea.
Berit Backer
Berit Backer (August 3, 1947 – March 7, 1993) was a Norwegian social anthropologist and ethnographer, head of the Institute of Peace Research (PRIO) between 1978 and 1982 in Norway. Backer was a human rights activist who fought for Albanian nat ...
wrote a book about the region.
History
In the medieval ages, the village was part of the Decani monastic estate and two families ruled it. During the
Ottoman era
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, the village was split into three timers (military estates) led by three knights. Many inhabitants gradually embraced
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
in the 18th century. Isniq is mentioned in the
Lahuta e Malcis
''The Highland Lute'' ( sq, Lahuta e Malcís, original and standard language of the time based on Gheg Albanian) is the Albanian national epic poem, completed and published by the Albanian friar and poet Gjergj Fishta in 1937. It consists of 30 son ...
. Throughout history, the
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
inhabitants in the area lived according to codes of conduct based on the
Kanun. On September 29, 1998,
Yugoslav forces gave an ultimatum to the Albanian insurgents in the village to surrender their weapons, and after agreeing to do so, a total of 735 arms were collected. Many inhabitants were also expelled and fired upon from Serb paramilitary bases.
Notes and references
Notes:
References:
{{Reflist
Villages in Deçan