Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) 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 go ...
located in
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 ...
. Settled on the banks of
Ibar and
Sitnica
The Sitnica ( sq, Sitnicë; sr-Cyrl, Ситница) is a river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar at Mitrovica, and it is the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo.
History
In the 14th century, during the reign of king Milutin ...
rivers, the city is the administrative center of the
District of Mitrovica
Mitrovica District ( sq, Rajoni i Mitrovicës, sr-cyrl, Косовскомитровачки округ, ''Kosovskomitrovački okrug'') is one of the unified seven districts of Kosovo. Its administrative center and the largest city is Mitrov ...
.
In 2013, following the
North Kosovo crisis, the
Serb-majority municipality of
North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
was created, dividing the city in two administrative units. According to the 2011 Census, in Mitrovica live 97,686 inhabitants, 85,360 of which in the southern municipality and 12,326 in
North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
.
Name
The name of Mitrovica derives from the name ''Demetrius''. It was most probably named after the 8th century Byzantine church ''St. Demetrius'' which was built near
Zvečan Fortress
The Fortress of Zvečan ( sr, / , ; sq, Kalaja e Zveçanit), also known as Zvečan/Zveçan medieval fortress and Fortress of Mitrovica ( sq, Kalaja e Mitrovicës), located in the north-west of the city of North Mitrovica, in Kosovo, is an enor ...
, just above the modern Mitrovica, in honor of
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Saint Demetrius (or Demetrios) of Thessalonica ( el, Ἅγιος Δημήτριος τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης, (); bg, Димитър Солунски (); mk, Свети Димитрија Солунски (); ro, Sfântul Dumitru; sr ...
.
The city was called ''D(i)mitrovica'' until it fell under the
Ottoman rule
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
.
In 1660, the Ottoman explorer
Evliya Çelebi
Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...
mentions for the first time the city with the name ''Mitrovica''.
After President
Tito
Tito may refer to:
People Mononyms
* Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman
* Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journ ...
's death, each of the constituent parts of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
had to have one place named with the word "Tito" (or "Tito's") included, the city was then known as ''Titova Mitrovica'' (Титова Митровица) in Serbian or ''Mitrovica e Titos'' in Albanian, until 1991.
History
Antiquity
There is archaeological evidence that proves the region of Mitrovica has been inhabited since the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era. Two settlements were discovered in 1955 in the industrial park near the FAFOS factory (phosphates productions), from which the archaeological site got the name. In Fafos, settlements revealed different objects of everyday use, but the most characteristic were cult objects (small anthropomorphic figures) of the
Vinča culture
The Vinča culture (), also known as Turdaș culture or Turdaș–Vinča culture, is a Neolithic archaeological culture of Southeast Europe, dated to the period 5700–4500 BC or 5300–4700/4500 BC.. Named for its type site, Vinča-Belo Brdo ...
.
Middle Ages
The city is one of the oldest known settlements in Kosovo, being first mentioned in written documents during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Near Mitrovica is the medieval fortress of
Zvečan
Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
, which played an important role during the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
under
Nemanjić rule.
Under
Ottoman rule Mitrovica was a typical small Oriental city. Rapid development came in the 19th century after
lead ore
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, l ...
was discovered and mined in the region, providing what has historically been one of Kosovo's largest industries.
It became an industrial town, formerly the economic centre of Kosovo because of the nearby
Trepça Mines Trepca ( sr, Трепча / ''Trepča'', sq, Trepça) may refer to:
* Trepča Mines, an industrial complex in Mitrovica, Kosovo
* KB Trepça, a basketball club in Mitrovica
* KF Trepça, a football club in Mitrovica founded in 1932
* KF Trepça ...
. It grew in size as a centre of trade and industry with the completion of the railway line to
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
in 1873–1878, which linked Mitrovica to the port of
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
.
Another line later linked the town to
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
and
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
.
[ During ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the city was part of Axis-occupied Serbia. In 1948, Mitrovica had a population of 13,901 and in the early 1990s of about 75,000.[
]
Modern
Both the town and municipality were badly affected by the 1999 Kosovo War
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
. According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
(OSCE), the area had been the scene of guerrilla activity by the Kosovo Liberation Army
The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and Serbia during the ...
(KLA) prior to the war. It came under the command of NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
's French sector; 7,000 French troops were stationed in the western sector with their headquarters in Mitrovica. They were reinforced with a contingent of 1,200 troops from the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, and a small number of Danish troops.
Most of the approximately 6,000 Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
fled to Serbia, or were relocated to one of two resettlement camps, Cesmin Lug, or Osterode, in North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
. In the north, live some 17,000 Kosovo Serbs, with 2,000 Kosovo Albanians and 1,700 Bosniaks
The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
inhabiting discrete enclaves on the north bank of the Ibar River
The Ibar ( sr-cyrl, Ибар, ), also known as the Ibër and Ibri ( sq, Ibër, Ibri), is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro, northern Kosovo and central Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, in Roža ...
. Almost all of the Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
living on the south bank were displaced to North Mitrovica after the Kosovo War
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
. In 2011, the city had an estimated total population of 71,601.
Mitrovica became the focus for ethnic clashes between the two communities, exacerbated by the presence of nationalist extremists on both sides. The bridges linking the two sides of the town were guarded by armed groups determined to prevent incursions by the other side. Because of the tense situation in the town, KFOR troops and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...
(UNMIK) police were stationed there in large numbers to head off trouble. However, violence and harassment was often directed against members of the "wrong" ethnic community on both sides of the river, necessitating the presence of troops and police checkpoints around individual areas of the city and even in front of individual buildings.
On 17 March 2004, the drowning of an Albanian child in the river prompted major ethnic violence in the town and a Serbian teenager was killed. Demonstrations by thousands of angry Albanians and Serbs mobilised to stop them crossing the river degenerated into rioting and gunfire, leaving at least eight Albanians dead and at least 300 injured. The bloodshed sparked off the worst unrest in Kosovo
The 2004 unrest in Kosovo is the worst ethnic violence case in Kosovo since the end of the 1998–99 conflict. The violence erupted in the partitioned town of Kosovo Mitrovica, leaving hundreds wounded and at least 14 people dead. The unrest w ...
seen since the end of the 1999 war (in which 16 Serb
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
s were killed).
The local prison was the scene of an international incident on 18 April 2004 when Ahmed Mustafa Ibrahim, a Jordanian policeman working as a UN prison guard, opened fire on a group of UN police officers leaving a class, killing three.
Kosovo's independence
Tensions rose considerably in the city of Mitrovica after Kosovo declared independence on 17 February 2008. Some 150 Kosovo Serb police officers refused to take orders from the ethnic Albanian authorities and were suspended. Serb protesters prevented ethnic Albanian court employees from crossing the bridge over the Ibar River. UN police raided and seized the courthouse on 14 March using tear gas against Serbs and leaving some of them wounded. The explosion of a hand-grenade injured several UN and NATO staff on 17 March; UN forces were later withdrawn from the northern part of Mitrovica.
The Serbian minority initially formed the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija
The Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, / ), was the assembly of the association of local governments created by the municipal authorities in Kosovo elected in the May 11, 2008 muni ...
in the city, but it has no police force. Serbs refused to accept the jurisdiction of Kosovo courts.
Kosovar leaders have expressed concern over the future of the region, stating their commitment to keep Mitrovica part of Kosovo and prevent crime or war there. With the 2013 Brussels Agreement Kosovo Serbs accepted the Pristina-run police force and courts and vote on ballots with republic of Kosovo logos. Elected Serbs swear oaths to Republic of Kosovo.
Since 2012 the northern and the southern part of the city, and in particular the New Bridge over the Ibar River
The Ibar ( sr-cyrl, Ибар, ), also known as the Ibër and Ibri ( sq, Ibër, Ibri), is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro, northern Kosovo and central Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, in Roža ...
are patrolled 24/7 by Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
from KFOR- MSU.
Demography
The city of Mitrovica in 2011 had 84,235 inhabitants, 71,909 of which were living in the southern municipality, while 12,326 in North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
municipality. Since the 2011 census was not applied in the now four Serb-majority municipalities in North Kosovo
North Kosovo ( sr, Северно Косово, Severno Kosovo; sq, Kosova Veriore), also known as the Ibar Kolašin ( sr, Ибарски Колашин, Ibarski Kolašin; sq, Koloshini i Ibrit or ''Kollashini i Ibrit''; earlier ''Old Kolašin ...
, the data from an Update in 2008–2009 conducted by Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Kosovo Agency of Statistics ( sq, Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës, sr, Agencija za statistiku Kosova, script=Latn) is the national statistics bureau of Kosovo.
It was officially created in 1948, but restarted working as an independent agen ...
(KAS) has been taken as official data for North Mitrovica municipality, as well as for the towns of Zvečan
Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
, Leposavić
Leposavić ( sr-Cyrl, Лепосавић, ) also known as Leposaviq or Albanik ( sq, Leposaviqi or ''Albaniku''), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 18,600 ...
and Zubin Potok
Zubin Potok ( sr-cyr, Зубин Поток, sq-definite, Zubin Potoku); is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 15,200 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consis ...
. According to KAS, 58,458 inhabitants were living in the urban area of the city: 46,132 of them in southern municipality, 12,326 in the north.
The Kosovo war and post-war conflicts, the destruction of economy, especially the operating stoppage of industrial sector, as well as other socio-economic factors, have influenced in the high emigration (whether internal, or external). While from 1948 (32,800 inhabitants) the city had a continual high growth of population, by tripling it in 1991 (104,885 inhabitants), in 2011 in Mitrovica were living only 84,235 inhabitants, a decrease from 19,29% from 1991.
In 2015, a wave of mass migration of about 100,000 Kosovo people towards Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
declined the total population of Kosovo for almost 5%. During this period, 4,889 people fled south Mitrovica, which resulted in a population drop to 68,400 inhabitants. In 2015 the population of North Mitrovica municipality was slightly increased to 12,223 inhabitants. In total, according to Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Kosovo Agency of Statistics ( sq, Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës, sr, Agencija za statistiku Kosova, script=Latn) is the national statistics bureau of Kosovo.
It was officially created in 1948, but restarted working as an independent agen ...
estimation, at the end of 2015, 80,623 people were living in the city of Mitrovica.
Ethnic groups
Mitrovica is characterized with a large ethnic diversity, dominated by Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
and followed by Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
, Bosniaks
The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
, Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
, Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
and other ethnic groups. In south municipality of Mitrovica, Albanians make 96.65% of the total population, while other ethnic groups are Roma, Turks, Bosniaks and others. According to 2011 census, only 14 Serbs live in south Mitrovica municipality.
Since North Mitrovica did not participate in population census conducted in April, 2011, the data is taken from the update 2008–2009 by Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Kosovo Agency of Statistics ( sq, Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës, sr, Agencija za statistiku Kosova, script=Latn) is the national statistics bureau of Kosovo.
It was officially created in 1948, but restarted working as an independent agen ...
which is considered as official by Kosovo government. However, other different institutions have done other estimates that came up with different data.
In North Mitrovica, according to the Update 2009, conducted by Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Kosovo Agency of Statistics ( sq, Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës, sr, Agencija za statistiku Kosova, script=Latn) is the national statistics bureau of Kosovo.
It was officially created in 1948, but restarted working as an independent agen ...
, Serbs and other ethnic groups make up 92.97% or 11,459 inhabitants, while 7.03% or 867 were Albanians.
Religion
The main religious group is Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. Small numbers of Serbian Orthodox
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches.
The majority of the population in ...
and Roman Catholics exist in the city. Albanians
The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...
, Bosniaks
The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry ...
, Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
, Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
and other smaller ethnic groups are mainly Muslim.
In the results of 2011 census, 71,422 people or 99.32% of total population of southern municipality of Mitrovica, were Muslims. Orthodox Christians comprised 11 or 0.02% of total population of municipality, while Catholics comprised 42 or 0.06%.
As North Mitrovica municipality was not covered by population estimation in 2011 by Kosovo Agency of Statistics
Kosovo Agency of Statistics ( sq, Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës, sr, Agencija za statistiku Kosova, script=Latn) is the national statistics bureau of Kosovo.
It was officially created in 1948, but restarted working as an independent agen ...
, there are no official data on religion.
Economy
The Trepça Mines Trepca ( sr, Трепча / ''Trepča'', sq, Trepça) may refer to:
* Trepča Mines, an industrial complex in Mitrovica, Kosovo
* KB Trepça, a basketball club in Mitrovica
* KF Trepça, a football club in Mitrovica founded in 1932
* KF Trepça ...
are located in Mitrovica, though they are not operating. With the closure of the complex, the influx of refugees and IDPs and the lack of investment, unemployment (estimated at approximately 77%) has been prevalent among all communities in the Mitrovica municipality.
Infrastructure
Education
In the southern municipality of Mitrovica there are 31 primary and lower secondary schools, which, since some of the schools function in separate parallels in different areas, operate in 42 educational facilities. In the southern municipality exists also 5 upper
secondary schools. Although there is only one kindergarten, it has a large capacity, available for 300 kids.[GAP Institute]
Municipal profile of Mitrovica -in Albanian The higher education is also provided through the Public University of Mitrovica "Isa Boletini" and University of Applied Sciences.[Municipal Profiles of Republic of Kosovo]
Ministry of Local Governance Administration of Kosovo
In North Mitrovica there are 11 primary schools, four secondary schools and one kindergarten. Regarding the higher education institutions, the public University of Pristina
The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the K ...
is functional. It hold the name University of Priština after the Serbian faculties of the University of Pristina
The University of Pristina ( sq, Universiteti i Prishtinës) is a public university located in Pristina, Kosovo. It is the institution that emerged after the disestablishment of the University of Pristina (1969–99) as a result of the K ...
were relocated from 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 ...
to North Mitrovica after the Kosovo War
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...
. However, many institutions refer to it as University of Mitrovica, including UNMIK
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...
and EUA.
There are two private universities that operate in the south Mitrovica, College "Fama" and International Business College Mitrovica (IBCM). IBCM has campuses in both municipalities of Mitrovica.
Culture
The City Museum of Mitrovica is located there.
Sights
The strategic position of the region of Mitrovica in the middle of two great rivers Ibar and Sitnica
The Sitnica ( sq, Sitnicë; sr-Cyrl, Ситница) is a river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar at Mitrovica, and it is the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo.
History
In the 14th century, during the reign of king Milutin ...
and its mineral wealth in Albanik (Monte Argentarum), made this location populated since prehistoric period. This region was populated by Illyrians, respectively Dardan tribe. The first data for the archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
sites in the region of Mitrovica, begin with the researches of Sir Arthur John Evans, who was the first to pinpoint the Roman town of the Municipium Dardanourm.
In the archaeological sites of the region of Mitrovica were found traces and objects from different periods such as; neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
, Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
, late antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
and medieval period. Objects and figurines include: fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
vestiges, necropolis
A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead".
The term usually im ...
, Terpsichore
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; grc-gre, Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance".
Appearance
...
figure, statues, sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
, altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
, jewellery, etc.
Sports
Mitrovica is the City in Kosovo with the most professional Football clubs, in the Country. Three football clubs are situated on the territory of Mitrovica. KF Trepça
Klubi Futbollistik Trepça, commonly known as KF Trepça, is a football club based in the southern part of Mitrovica, Kosovo. The club was founded in 1932.Alo!:
KF Trepça is the first Kosovo Football club to gain promotion in to the Yugosl ...
and KF Trepça'89 are from the south of the city. FK Trepča
Fudbalski klub Trepča ( sr-cyr, Фудбалски клуб Трепча), commonly known as Trepča, is a Serbian football club based in North Mitrovica, in North Kosovo. Kurirbr>PROVUKLI SE: Šćepović sprečio bruku protiv Trepče (serbia ...
is from North Mitrovica
North Mitrovica, sr-Cyrl, Ceвepнa Митровица; sq, Mitrovica e Veriut or ''Mitrovicë Veriore'' or North Kosovska Mitrovica,, sr-Cyrl, Северна Косовска Митровица is a town and municipality located in Mitrovica ...
.KF Trepça
Klubi Futbollistik Trepça, commonly known as KF Trepça, is a football club based in the southern part of Mitrovica, Kosovo. The club was founded in 1932.Alo!:
KF Trepça is the first Kosovo Football club to gain promotion in to the Yugosl ...
and KF Trepça'89 the two southern club's play in the Football Superleague of Kosovo
The Football Superleague of Kosovo ( sq, Superliga e Futbollit të Kosovës), also known as the ALBI MALL Superleague of Kosovo ( sq, ALBI MALL Superliga e Kosovës) for sponsorship reasons with Albi Mall, is the top level of the Kosovar football ...
. KF Trepça play at the Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium
The Adem Jashari Olympic Stadium ( sq, Stadiumi Olimpik Adem Jashari) is a multi-purpose stadium in Mitrovica, Kosovo, which is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of KF Trepça. The stadium has a capacity of around 35,000 pe ...
, which hosted Kosovo's first FIFA-recognised friendly international football match on 5 March 2014, playing 0–0 against Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
is also a popular sport in the city and is represented by KB Trepça
KB Trepça is a professional basketball club based in Mitrovicë, Kosovo. The club competes in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague, Balkan basketball International League and Kosovo Cup. KB Trepca is one of the most successful clubs in Kosovo, KB T ...
which is one of the most successful clubs in Kosovo.
Notable people
* Ali Shukrija, Chairman of the Executive Council
The Chairman of the Executive Council of the Isle of Man was the executive head of the Isle of Man Government from 1961 to 1986. The title of the office was changed in 1986 to Chief Minister.
Chairmen
See also
*Chief Minister
* Executive Co ...
of SAP Kosovo
The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / ", sq, Krahina Socialiste Autonome e Kosovë ...
*Ilija Vakić
Ilija Vakić ( sr-cyr, Илија Вакић; born 30 July 1932) is a Serbian retired politician who served as Chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within SFR Yugoslavia from May 1967 to May 1974. , Chairman of the Executive Council of SAP Kosovo
*Bajram Rexhepi
Bajram Rexhepi (3 June 1954 – 21 August 2017), was a Kosovar politician who served as the first elected post-war prime minister and later as interior minister of Kosovo and as a member of the Kosovo Assembly. He was a member of the second larges ...
, Prime Minister of Kosovo
* Dejzi, Albanian fashion designer
* Vahedin Ajeti, Albanian footballer
*Enis Alushi
Enis Alushi (born 22 December 1985) is a Kosovan retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
1. FC Nürnberg
On 28 July 2016, Alushi joined 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg. His debut with 1. FC Nürnberg came on ...
, Albanian football player
*Valon Behrami
Valon Behrami (born 19 April 1985) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Behrami was capped 83 times at international level by the Switzerland national team, playing at four FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euro 2008 and UE ...
, Swiss international football player
*Vukan, Grand Prince of Serbia
Vukan I ( sr, Вукан, gr, Βολκάνος; 1050 – 1112) was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1083 until his death in 1112. During first years he ruled together with his brother Marko, holding the regions of inner Serbia ( Raška, lat. R ...
*Stefan Dečanski
Stefan Uroš III ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош III, ), known as Stefan Dečanski ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Дечански, ; 1276 – 11 November 1331), was the King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of ...
, King of Serbia
This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia.
The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knya ...
* Bekim Bejta, poet and translator
*Nevena Božović
Nevena Ivanović (; sr-cyr, Невена Ивановић, ; , ; born 15 June 1994) is a Serbian singer and songwriter. She made her singing debut by representing Serbia at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with song "Piši mi", placing ...
, Serbian singer and Serbia's Eurosong participant
* Milan Biševac, Serbian football player
* Aleksandar Čanović, former Serbian football player
*Nexhip Draga
Mehmet Nexhip bey Draga ( tr, Mehmed Necib Draga; 1867–1920) was an important figure of the Albanian National Awakening and an Albanian politician.
Biography
Nexhip Draga was born in 1867 in Mitroviça (now Mitrovica), then a town of the Ott ...
, Albanian nationalist
*Xhafer Deva
Xhafer Deva (21 February 1904 – 25 May 1978) was a Kosovo Albanian politician during World War II. A notable local politician in Kosovo and in Axis-occupied Albania, he took charge of German-occupied Mitrovica and worked with the Germans ...
, former Minister of the Interior of 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 shares ...
*Miloš Krasić
Miloš Krasić ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Красић; born 1 November 1984) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a winger. He represented the Serbia national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and at one point in his career, he ...
, former Serbian football player
* Nikola Lazetić, former Serbian football player
*Žarko Lazetić
Žarko Lazetić (; born 22 February 1982) is a Serbian football manager and former player.
Playing career
In December 2006, it was announced that Lazetić agreed to join Partizan from Bežanija in the January transfer window, along with his tea ...
, former Serbian football player
*Rexhep Mitrovica
Rexhep Mitrovica (15 January 1888 – 21 May 1967) was a Prime Minister of Albania's government under Nazi Germany. A staunch nationalist, he was elected head of the Second League of Prizren.
Biography Early life
Rexhep was born to a wealthy ...
, former Prime Minister of 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 shares ...
*Rona Nishliu
Rona Nishliu (born 25 August 1986) is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter. She came to international prominence after representing Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she placed fifth and achieved the best ...
, represented Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012
*Riza Lushta
Riza Lushta (22 January 1916 – 6 February 1997) was a Kosovar Albanian football striker.
Career
Early career
Lushta was born on 22 January 1916 in Kosovska Mitrovica, Kingdom of Serbia (present day Mitrovica, Kosovo). It was in his hometown ...
, former Albanian football player
*Vjosa Osmani
Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (born 17 May 1982) is a Kosovar Albanian jurist and politician serving as the 5th and current President of Kosovo since 4 April 2021.
Born in former Yugoslavia and raised in the city then known as Titova Mitrovica, today the ...
, jurist, President of Kosovo
The president of the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Presidenti i Republikës së Kosovës, ), is the head of state and chief representative of the de facto Republic of Kosovo in the country and abroad.
The president is elected indirectly, by the Assem ...
* Xhevat Prekazi, former football player
*Muharrem Qena
Muharrem Qena (22 June 1930 – 25 September 2006) was a Kosovo Albanian actor, director, writer and singer. He went to high school in Prishtina, and he completed film school in Belgrade. He is among the noted directors who staged their works at t ...
, actor and singer
*Valdet Rama
Valdet Skënder Rama (born 20 November 1987) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for German club Wuppertaler SV. He also holds German citizenship.
Early life
Rama is a Kosovo Albanian and fled to Germany at the age ...
, 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 ...
footballer
* Darko Spalević, former Serbian football player
*Borislav Stevanović
Borislav Stevanović (22 September 1975 – 24 January 2022) was a Serbian Association football, footballer who played at both professional and international levels as a Forward (association football), striker.
Career
Stevanović played club foo ...
, former Serbian football player
*Sulejman Ugljanin
Sulejman Ugljanin (; sr-cyrl, Сулејман Угљанин; born 20 November 1953) is a Serbian politician. An ethnic Bosniak, he has led the Party of Democratic Action of Sandžak since its establishment in 1990.
Ugljanin was previously t ...
, Bosniak politician
*Stevan Stojanović
Stevan Stojanović ( sr-cyr, Стеван Стојановић; born 29 October 1964) is a retired Serbian football goalkeeper best known for captaining Red Star Belgrade side which won the 1991 European Cup Final.
Club career
He came through ...
, former Serbian football player
*Ymer Xhaferi
Ymer Xhaferi ( Serbo-Croat: ''Imer Džaferi'') (born 6 November 1985 in Titova Mitrovica) is a Kosovar- Albanian football midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively d ...
, Albanian football player
*Diana Avdiu
Diana Avdiu (born 11 June 1993 in Mitrovica, Kosovo) is a Kosovan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Kosovo 2012. She began her career as a model when she was 15 years old and has been featured on the covers of le ...
, Miss Kosovo Universe 2012 and semifinalist, Miss Universe 2012
*Erton Fejzullahu
Erton Fejzullahu (born 9 April 1988) is a professional former association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He previously represented Sweden at Sweden national youth football team, youth and Sweden nati ...
, Swedish football player
* Alban Meha, Albanian football player
*MC Kresha
Kreshnik Fazliu (; born 5 September 1984), known professionally as MC Kresha, is a Kosovo-Albanian rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in Mitrovica, Fazliu is credited as a viable hip hop artist in the Albanian-speaking Balkans.
Life and ca ...
, Albanian rapper
* Goran Rakić, Deputy Prime Minister of 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 ...
Twin towns – sister cities
Mitrovica is twinned with:
* İnegöl
İnegöl (known as , ''Angelokomis'' in the Byzantine period) is a city (center of the İnegöl district) in the Bursa Province of Turkey. It has a population of 340,000 (2011 figures). İnegöl is one of the centers of the Turkish furniture indust ...
, Turkey
* Kendari
Kendari is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Southeast Sulawesi. With a population of 345,107 according to the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in the province, and the fourth most on Sulawesi. The city covers an area of , ...
, Indonesia
* Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...
, Albania
* Shëngjin
Shëngjin is a coastal town and a former municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality of Lezhë. The population at the 2011 census was 8,091. , Albania
* 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 ...
, Albania
See also
* Populated places in Kosovo by Albanian name
* Kosovo Serb enclaves
Serbian enclaves are settlements in Kosovo outside North Kosovo ("south of the Ibar") where Serbs form a majority. After the initial outflow after the Kosovo War the situation of the Kosovo Serb communities has improved and under the Ahtisaari ...
* Romani people in Mitrovica refugee camps
In 2008 there were about 500-700 Romani people in Mitrovica refugee camps. These three camps were created by the UN in Kosovo. The camps are based around disused heavy metals mines which have fallen out of use since the end of the Kosovo War of ...
* Monuments in Mitrovica Mitrovica is one of the oldest settlements in Kosovo and a very important urban ensemble.
There are many traces which have special interest and prove early civilization of the territory of Mitrovica, in particular from the Illyrian inhabitation in ...
Notes
References
External links
Photo essay about serbian part of Mitrovica (2011)
OSCE:Profile of Mitrovicë / Mitrovica
Mitrovica North Administrative Office Official Website
North Kosovska Mitrovica Official Website
Jazz & Blues Festival North City
nbsp;– HCIC, UNHCR, WEU, KFOR (22 Mar 2000)
nbsp;– HCIC, UNHCR, WEU, KFOR (24 Feb 2000)
Mitrovica: North and South of a Divided City
Video about displacement and reconstruction in Mitrovica.
*
ESI report: People Or Territory? A Proposal For Mitrovica (16 February 2004)
{{Authority control
Gegëri
Populated places in the District of Mitrovica
Divided cities
Municipalities of Kosovo
Cities in Kosovo