Kolonjë is a

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 ...

Korçë County Korçë County ( sq, Qarku Korçë, italic=unset), officially the County of Korçë ( sq, Qarku i Korçës, italic=unset), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the seventh most populous of ...

, southeastern

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 ...

. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Barmash, Çlirim, Ersekë,

Leskovik Leskovik is a town and a former municipality in the Korçë County, southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Kolonjë. It is located right at the Greek-Albanian border. The population ...

, Mollas,

Novoselë Novoselë is a village and a former municipality in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous c ...

, Qendër Ersekë and Qendër Leskovik. The seat of the municipality is the town Ersekë. The total population is 11,070 (2011 census), in a total area of . It is an ethnographic region. The area of the municipality is with the former Kolonjë District, one of the 36

districts of Albania Districts ( sq, or ) were first and second-level administrative divisions of Albania from 19132000. Their number, size, and status changed over time. From 1991 to 2000, the 36 districts were organized into 12 counties. Pursuant to the 1998 Con ...

, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Location

Kolonjë is located in south-east Albania and its capital is Ersekë. Other towns in this district include

to the south. It is bounded by

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 som ...

to the north and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

to the east, including the regional units of

Kastoria Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...

and Ioannina. The town of Ersekë is located at the foot of mount

Gramos Gramos ( sq, Gramoz, Mali i Gramozit; rup, Gramosta, Gramusta; el, Γράμος or Γράμμος) is a mountain range on the border of Albania and Greece. The mountain is part of the northern Pindus mountain range. Its highest peak, at the ...

, Albania's fourth-highest mountain with a peak at 2,525 m above sea level.

History

During the Middle Ages a region under the name Koloneia (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Κολωνεία) is located in the mountain region south of

(southeast Albania) and north of

Konitsa Konitsa ( el, Κόνιτσα; see also names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina in Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian border. Northeast of Konitsa lies a group of villages known as the Zagor ...

and

(northwestern Greece) at the west slopes of

Grammos Gramos ( sq, Gramoz, Mali i Gramozit; rup, Gramosta, Gramusta; el, Γράμος or Γράμμος) is a mountain range on the border of Albania and Greece. The mountain is part of the northern Pindus mountain range. Its highest peak, at the ...

mountain range. A Byzantine military garrison under the same name was built west of Grammos. According to the account of

John Skylitzes John Skylitzes, commonly Latinized as Ioannes, la, Johannes, label=none, la, Iōannēs, label=none Scylitzes ( el, Ἰωάννης Σκυλίτζης, ''Iōánnēs Skylítzēs'', or el, Σκυλίτση, ''Skylítsē'', label=none ; la, ...

, in , after the

Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria From ca. 970 until 1018, a series of conflicts between the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantine Empire led to the gradual reconquest of Bulgaria by the Byzantines, who thus re-established their control over the entire Balkan peninsula for the firs ...

, emperor

Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...

created new

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...

s at Koloneia, Dryinopolis, and Dyrrhachium, and settled former Byzantine prisoners of war to secure the Byzantine positions in

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

against future enemy attacks from central and western Macedonia. At 1040s the theme of Koloneia was incorporated to the Duchy of Dyrrachion. After the

Sack of Constantinople The sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 and marked the culmination of the Fourth Crusade. Crusader armies captured, looted, and destroyed parts of Constantinople, then the capital of the Byzantine Empire. After the capture of the ...

at 1204 and the following

partition Partition may refer to: Computing Hardware * Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive * Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job Software * Partition (database), the division of a ...

of the Byzantine Empire Koloneia was granted to the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. However, Koloneia came under the control of the Despotate of Epirus and formed one of the themes of the Despotate. Following the Battle of Pelagonia in 1259 Koloneia was ceded to the Empire of Nicaea. In a text by Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos (r. 1347-1354) whose 'History' covers the years 1320-1356, there is mention of local Albanians; “''While the emperor was spending about eight days in Achrida (

Ohrid Ohrid ( mk, Охрид ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the List of cities in North Macedonia, eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording ...

), the Albanian nomads living in the region of Deabolis (Devoll) appeared before him, as well as those from Koloneia ( Kolonja) and those from the vicinity of Ohrid.''” This meeting was estimated to have taken place at around February 1328. One source says that one of the two main waves of Albanian movements coming from the north entered Kolonjë in the 14th century, with the wave also affecting the neighboring

Dangëllia Dangëllia is a traditional or "ethnographic" region of Albania, located primarily around the towns of Përmet and Frashëri, although the exact definition of its borders varies. Neighboring regions include Dishnica to the North, Zagori and Këlc ...

region. The name Kolonja is related to the Roman period of the area.

Villages, communities and settlements

Gramos mountain, Northern Greece and Albania - waterfall

* Barmash * Bezhan * Blush * Borovë * Butkë * Çlirim * Ersekë * Gjonc *

Gërmenj Gërmenj is a village in the former municipality of Potom in Berat County, Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Skrapar Skrapar ( sq-definite, Skrapari) is a municipality in Berat County, southern Albania ...

* Gostivisht * Helmës *

Kabash Kabash (, ) is a town in the Vitina Municipality of southeast Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republ ...

* Kagjinas * Kaltanj *

Kamnik Kamnik (; german: Stein''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, pp. 26–27. or ''Stein in Oberkrain'') is a town in northern Slovenia. It is t ...

* Kodras * Kozel * Kreshovë * Kurtez * Lashovë * Lëngëz * Lënckë *

Leshnjë Leshnjë is a village and a former municipality in Berat County, central Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Skrapar Skrapar ( sq-definite, Skrapari) is a municipality in Berat County, southern ...

* Luaras * Mesicke * Milec * Mollas *

* Orgockë * Piskal * Podë * Postenan *

Prodan Prodan ( Bulgarian and Croatian: Продан) is a South Slavic (Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian) masculine given name, itself a passive adjective ('' prodan'') from Slavic '' prodati''–"to sell", hence meaning "sold". It is attested in Bulgar ...

* Psarr i Zi * Qafzes * Qesarakë * Qinam Radovickë * Qinam * Qytezë * Radimisht * Radanj * Rehovë * Selenicë e Pishës * Shalës * Shtikë * Shën Mërtir * Starje * Taç * Vodicë * Vrepckë

Notable people

* Sali Njazi, 1st

Dedebaba The Dedebabate is the leadership of Bektashism The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash ...

of the Bektashi Order *

Sali Butka Salih Butka (1852 – 24 October 1938), was an Albanian nationalist figure, kachak, poet, and one of the delegates of the city of Korçë to the Albanian National Congress of Lushnjë.Nikolaeva Todorova Marii︠a︡''Balkan identities: nation ...

Albanian nationalist figure, revolutionary

kachak Kachaks ( sq, kaçak, sr, качаци / ''kačaci'') is a term used for the Albanian bandits active in the late 19th and early 20th century in northern Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia, and later as a term for the militias of Albania ...

and a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

Shahin Kolonja Shahin bey Kolonja ( tr, Şahin Teki Kolonya; 1865–1919) was an Albanian journalist, politician, and member of the Ottoman Parliament during its Second Constitutional Era. Life Shahin Kolonja was born in Starje, Ottoman Empire, today's southe ...

Albanian journalist and politician *

Petro dode Petro Dode (born 17 April 1924, date of death unknown) was an Albanian politician. He served as Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania from 19 February 1987 to 17 April 1990. Dode was a party functionary. He authored technical and po ...

Albanian politician *

Petro nini Luarasi Petro Nini Luarasi (born 22 April 1865 in Luaras, Kolonjë, Albania, then Ottoman Empire, and died on 17 August 1911 in Ersekë, Kolonjë, Albania, then Ottoman Empire) was an Albanian rilindas activist, Christian orthodox priest, teacher and ...

Albanian

rilindas The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where th ...

activist, Christian orthodox priest, teacher and journalist *

Skënder Luarasi Skënder Luarasi (19 January 190027 April 1982) was an Albanian scholar, writer and anti-fascist activist. Life Luarasi was born in Luaras of Kolonjë region (back then Ottoman Empire, today's Albania) on 19 January 1900. He was the son of Alba ...

Albanian scholar, writer and anti-fascist activist * Agim Qirjaqi Albanian actor and television director. *

Ekrem Bardha Ekrem Bardha (born 13 May 1933) is an Albanian American businessman, co-founder of the National Albanian American Council (NAAC), and former owner of Illyria Newspaper. He is currently serving as Albania's Honorary Consul in Michigan and is reg ...

Albanian American Albanian Americans ( sq, shqiptaro-amerikanët) are Americans of full or partial Albanian ancestry and heritage in the United States. They trace their ancestry to the territories with a large Albanian population in the Balkans among others to ...

businessman, co-founder of the

National Albanian American Council The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) is a nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington, DC that represents Albanian Americans and lobbies on their behalf. Ekrem Bardha Ekrem Bardha (born 13 May 1933) is an Albanian American business ...

Fehim zavalani Fehim bey Zavalani (1859-1935) was an Albanian landowner from the Kolonjë area, journalist and activist of the Albanian National Awakening. He was also the editor of ''Bashkimi i Kombit'' (Nation's Unity), one of the most important Albanian new ...

Albanian journalist and activist of the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

Albanian-American actor *

John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...

Albanian-American comedian, actor and musician *John Papajani former Washington State Senator * Kol Tromara Albanian nationalist and political figure *Vasil Tromara Albanian patriot and freedom fighter * Kristo Luarasi Albanian nationalist figure,

printer Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * James ...

and publisher *

Safet Butka Safet Butka (10 August 190119 September 1943) was an Albanian professor, politician and nationalist. Son of famous patriot Sali Butka, he organized the student demonstrations in April 1939 during the Italian invasion and was interned in Ventoten ...

Albanian professor, politician and nationalist * Qemal Butka Albanian architect, painter, politician *

Ali Riza Kolonja Ali Riza Kolonja (1880–1930) was an Albanian army general, diplomat and politician who served as Minister of War in the Delvina Government. Biography Ali Riza Kolonja was born on 1880 in the region of Kolonjë, present day south-eastern Alban ...

Albanian army general, diplomat and politician * Bajram Fevziu Albanian army officer and politician * Xhavid Leskoviku Albanian army officer, political activist and diplomat *

Jani Vreto Jani Vreto (14 January 1822 – 9 July 1900) was an Albanian writer, printer, publisher and important figure of the Albanian National Awakening. He was responsible for setting up and overseeing the work of the first Albanian printing house in Buc ...

Albanian writer, printer, publisher and important figure of the

Naim Frashëri Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, rilindas and translator who was proclaimed as the national poet of Albania. He is regarded as the pioneer of modern ...

Albanian actor * Athanas Sina Albanian journalist, teacher and activist of the

*Vasil Ndreko member of the Society for the Publication of Albanian Writings *Riza Kodheli Albanian

WW2 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 opposing ...

commander, National Liberation Movement * Islam Radovicka Albanian Partisan commander 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 opposing ...

* Sejfi Vllamasi Albanian congressman * Zylyftar Poda Albanian leader, who led several revolts against the

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) ...

* Xhafer ypi former

Prime Minister of Albania The Prime Minister of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Shqipërisë), officially styled Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania ( sq, Kryeministri i Republikës së Shqipërisë), is the head of government of the Republic of Albania and the mo ...

* Petrit Dume Albanian general and politician of the Albanian Party of Labour * Hasan zyko kamberi Albanian literature *Haki Laho Albanian-American, doctor in the United States

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kolonje, Korce Municipalities in Korçë County Albanian ethnographic regions