Lushnjë (; in Lushnje's own dialect: ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lushnja) is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in west-central

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

. It is located in the County of Fier. The total population is 83,659 (2011 census), in a total area of .

History

Delegates of the Congress - January, 1920

In January 1920, Lushnje was a provisional capital of Albania and the place of the

Congress of Lushnje A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. Chieftains of Albania assembled in the town and declared

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

first a provisional and then the definitive capital of

. 3 km away from Lushnjë is the Savra Field. This field is on the Lushnjë-Fier road. Here the first battle between

Principality of Zeta The Principality of Zeta ( sr, Кнежевина Зета, Kneževina Zeta) is a historiographical name for a late medieval principality located in the southern parts of modern Montenegro and northern parts of modern Albania, around the Lake o ...

and

Ottoman Empire 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 ...

occurred in 1385 (the

Battle of Savra The Battle of Savra ( sq, Beteja e Savrës, sr, Bitka na Saurskom polju, tr, Savra Muharebesi; "Battle on the Saurian field") or the Battle of the Vjosë was fought on 18 September 1385 between Ottoman and much smaller Zetan forces, at the Sa ...

). In this battle Balsha II was killed. Along with Fier, Lushnjë was the main district of the concentration camps during the Communist Regime; some of the camps included the villages of Savër, Gradishtë, Bedat, Gjazë, Rrapëz, Plug, etc.

Geography

Lushnje is in a hot

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

summer type of climate. Lushnje is in the middle plains and flatland. This land is used for growing crops and raising animals. It is 30 km to Divjakë-Karavasta National Park with wetland and beaches and a lagoon. There is a Reservoir in a village in

Kashar Kashar is a village and a former municipality in the Tirana County, central Albania. The population at the 2011 census was 43,353.Lushnje with many farmlands around it and a connecting canal known as Perrio. Lushnje also has many olive oil trees and is one of the leading olive oil-producing places in

Subdivisions

Allkaj,

Ballagat Ballagat is a village and a former municipality in the Fier County, western Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Lushnjë Lushnjë (; in Lushnje's own dialect: ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lus ...

, Bubullimë,

Dushk Dushk is a former municipality in the Fier County, western Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Lushnjë Lushnjë (; in Lushnje's own dialect: ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lushnja) is a city a ...

Fier-Shegan Fier-Shegan is a village and a former municipality in the Fier County, western Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Lushnjë Lushnjë (; in Lushnje's own dialect: ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, ...

Golem A golem ( ; he, , gōlem) is an animated, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is entirely created from inanimate matter (usually clay or mud). The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...

, Hysgjokaj, Karbunarë, Kolonjë, Krutje, Lushnjë.

Economy

Lushnje is located in the

Myzeqe The Myzeqe (; sq-definite, Myzeqeja; rup, Muzachia) is a plain in the Western Lowlands of Albania. The Myzeqe is the largest and widest plain, measured by area, in the Lowlands. Location The Myzeqe plain is a large alluvial plain traversed by ...

region that is known as a main provider of agricultural products to the rest of the country and for exports to other European Countries, and home to a national Institute of Agricultural Research. During the Communism Regime, the city had factories for paper, plastic, and food processing factories. Lushnje has many olive trees. Many other business involve brick making and marble and also oil distributors and small oil refinery for gas station in and out of the city for the city.

Infrastructure

Education

Lushnje has many schools from college and to pre-k. The biggest and most famous schools in Lushnje are known as "Skënder Libohova", "18 Tetori" and "Kongresi i Lushnjes". "Kongresi i Lushnjes" has been renovated and is one for the most modern schools in the city with painted sides and interior upgrades. The college that is situated in Lushnje is Institute of Agricultural Research Lushnje about agriculture research. "Foto Puka" is another school in the city that is the second largest one. There are two high schools, one is "18 Tetori" and the other being "Vath Koreshi". The city also has a Professional Public High School, "Hasan D. Gina", with special curriculums raising from informatics to auto-services. The schools of Lushnje offer a lot of recreation for their students. "Skënder Libohova" school has a new multi-functional park and a basketball and soccer area. "Foto Puka" and "Jani Nushi" are more known for their

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

respectively.

Transportation

There is one highway that passes by the outskirts of Lushnje known as the SH4. The SH4 comes from

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...

to Lushnje, and then to

Fier Fier (; sq-definite, Fieri) is the seventh most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Fier County and Fier Municipality. It is situated on the bank of Gjanica River in the Myzeqe Plain between the Seman in the north, the Vjos ...

. There are urban buses through the city with only one straight route. The urban bus goes from the roundabout in , Lushnje, through Lushnje, and to Karbunarë, Lushnje. The ride is about 5 km and 13 minutes or less. There are buses available at the train station which can take you from Lushnje to Greece and many places in the country and

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

region. Due to the shutdown of trains in

during 1990 there have been no signs of trains.

Demography

Like most southern Albanian regions, the people of Lushnje speak a Tosk dialect. The population is mixed Orthodox and Muslim, typical of southern Albanian cities. Data from the 1918 census shows that the population of Lushnje was split almost evenly between Muslims and Christians at the time of independence from the Ottoman Empire., Seiner's 1918 data mapped here: http://www-gewi.uni-graz.at/seiner/density.html

Culture

Sport

KS Lushnja KF Lushnja is an Albanian football club based in the city of Lushnjë in the County of Fier. Their home ground is the Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium and they currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë. History Early history The club was origin ...

was originally formed in 1927 and the first football game held in the city of Lushnje was played shortly after. This was a friendly game against

FK Tomori Berat KF Tomori is an Albanian football club based in the city of Berat. The club's home ground is the Tomori Stadium and they currently participate in the Kategoria e Parë. History The sport of football was introduced to the city of Berat in the ear ...

and the team consisted of young men from Lushnje. The club was named Kongresi i Lushnjës following a proposal from a member of parliament and signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence Ferit Vokopola to name the club after the Congress of Lushnje, which was where Vokopola himself was elected secretary. In 1927 a young man named Ali Fuga returned from his studies in Austria and joined the club as a player and the head coach. He returned to Albania from Austria with shirts that would be used by the club, and they had green vertical stripes which were used to symbolise the fields of Myzeqe. Although the club was formed on 21 January 1927 it was not "officially" formed until 27 July 1930 shortly after the formation of the

Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Association ( sq, Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. The association is based in Tirana, Albania. It organises the national football leagues of the Albanian Superliga, the F ...

a month earlier. It was known then as the Kongresi i Lushnjës literacy-artistic society. The club's first official jerseys were green, and the first sports chief of the club was Ali Fuga, who had been a key member of the club's pre formation years. In 1945 they changed their name to KS Traktori Lushnja followed by a further name change in 1950 to SK Lushnja. In 1951 it was changed to Puna Lushnja, before they returned to KS Traktori Lushnja in 1958. In 1991 the club was named

KF Lushnja KF Lushnja is an Albanian football club based in the city of Lushnjë in the County of Fier. Their home ground is the Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium and they currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë. History Early history The club was orig ...

. The club's main supporters' group is called the Ultras Delegatët. Also Lushnje has their own Volleyball team known as Ekipi i Volejbollit të Lushnjes.

Landmarks

Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium Abdurrahman Stadium Roza Haxhiu Stadium (or: Stadium A. Roza Haxhiu) is a stadium for many uses in Lushnja, Albania. It is currently used mostly for the football match and is the host field for the KS Lushnja team. The stadium has a capacity of 8,5 ...

* Congress of Lushnjë Museum *

Ardenica Monastery The Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Ardenica ( sq, Manastiri Lindja e Hyjlindëses Mari,; or simply Ardenica Monastery ( sq, Manastiri i Ardenices) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, located 18 kilometers south of Lushnjë, Albania, a ...

Twin towns - Sister cities

Brindisi Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Histo ...

, Italy

Notable people

Following is a list of notable people born in Lushnja,

, or that spent most of their lives in Lushnja: * Lindita Arapi - Poet, writer *

Artan Bano Artan Bano (born 17 February 1966 in Lushnja) is a retired Albanian international football player, who currently is head coach at Albanian Second Division side Egnatia Rrogozhinë. International career He made his debut for Albania in a Febr ...

- Footballer and manager *

Luli Bitri Luljeta Bitri (born June 27, 1976), better known by her stage name Luli Bitri, is an Albanian actress, voice actress, director, and producer. Early life Luli Bitri was born in Lushnjë, Albania and grew up in Tirana. She began to study medicine, ...

- Actor * Iljaz Çeço - Footballer * Rezart Dabulla - Footballer * Edmond Dalipi - Footballer *

Kristaq Dhamo Kristaq Dhamo (20 April 1933 – 14 August 2022) was an Albanian actor and film director. He was awarded the People's Artist of Albania medal. His 1958 film ''Tana (film), Tana'' was entered into the 1st Moscow International Film Festival. Dham ...

- Movie director *

Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Abdurrahman Stadium Roza Haxhiu Stadium (or: Stadium A. Roza Haxhiu) is a stadium for many uses in Lushnja, Albania. It is currently used mostly for the football match and is the host field for the KS Lushnja team. The stadium has a capacity of 8,5 ...

- Footballer * Vath Koreshi - Writer *

Saimir Malko Saimir Malko (born 17 March 1970) is an Albanian retired footballer who played for KS Lushnja, Partizani Tirana, Dinamo Tirana, KF Tirana and Flamurtari Vlorë. Playing career International He made his debut for Albania in a May 1994 friendly ...

- Footballer and manager *

Rey Manaj Rey Aldo Manaj ( sq, Rei Manaj; born 24 February 1997) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker the Albania national team. He is currently a free agent, after his contract with Watford was terminated by mutual consent. Clu ...

- Footballer * Fahredin Nuri - Engineer * Nebi Efendi Sefa - One of the founding fathers of modern Albania, signed the declaration of independence in 1912 * Ferit bej Vokopola - One of the founding fathers of modern Albania, signed the declaration of independence in 1912 *

Margarita Xhepa Margarita Xhepa (born 2 April 1932; rup, Margarita Gepa) is an Albanian actress, best known as one of the great ladies of Cinema of Albania, Albanian cinema and theater. She continues to play in recent films such as Firdus in Bolero ne vilen e ...

- Actor *

Vaçe Zela Vaçe Zela (; 7 April 19396 February 2014) was an Albanian singer and songwriter. She was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. Bor ...

- Singer *

Kastro Zizo Klevis Bega (born 21 May 1984), known professionally as Kastro Zizo, is an Albanian singer, songwriter, actor and television presenter. Bega made his film debut as protagonist Branko in Pharmakon, the Albanian entry for the Best Foreign Langua ...

- Musician *

Florian Marku Florian Marku is an Albanian professional boxer and former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He has held the IBF International welterweight title since September 2021, and the WBC welterweight title since August 2022. Professional boxing c ...

- Boxer

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lushnje Administrative units of Lushnjë Cities in Albania Municipalities in Fier County