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Deçan (, ; , ) is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
district of Gjakova The District of Gjakova (; ) is one of the seven districts of Kosovo, with seat in the city of Gjakova. Municipalities The district of Gjakova has a total of 3 municipalities and 170 other smaller settlements. Settlements Gjakova Mun ...
,
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. The municipality has an area of and it includes the town and 37 smaller settlements. According to the last census of 2024, the municipality has a population of 27,758.


History


Antiquity

Historical records and archaeological evidence indicate that Deçan has been inhabited since ancient times, with organized life established by the Illyrian tribes, particularly the
Dardani The Dardani (; ; ) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Kingdom of Dardania, Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their society wa ...
, who lived in the area. Remnants of this history can be seen in Deçan, where over seven Catholic churches, Illyrian burial mounds, decorative items, stelae, and other artifacts, remain as traces of its past.


Middle Ages

Deçan was first recorded in 1330 in the decrees known as the Dečani chrysobulls as being a village with a population of 89 households, consisting of 623 people. The village was one of many feudal holdings of the Visoki Dečani monastery. As part of their feudal obligations, the local population of Deçan provided labour and payment in products to the Visoki Dečani monastery. The chrysobulls listed that
Visoki Dečani The Visoki Dečani Monastery is a medieval Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery located near Deçan, Kosovo. It was founded in the first half of the 14th century by Stefan Dečanski, List of Serbian monarchs, King of Serbia. Dečani is by far t ...
held such rights over 2,097 households of meropsi (dependent farmers-serfs), 266 Vlach households (pastoral communities) and 69 ''sokalniki'' (craftsmen) over a large area in southern Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and north Albania. In the charters of Deçan, there were several cases where a father had an Albanian name and his son would have a Serbian name. This has been interpreted as highlighting the process of serbianisation in the region. Following the migration of the Serbs in the 17th and 18th century, many ethnic Serbs who lived in Deçan left. The local Albanian population of Deçan who remained continued to guard the local Visoki Dečani monastery.


Ottoman Period

During the Ottoman era, this region was incorporated into the Sanjak of İpek, with its center in
Peja Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the Peja's Lumbar ...
. The area was known for its persistent resistance, particularly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Albanian League of Prizren in 1878, the League of Peja, and the Pari Assembly in Isniq in April 1910 were significant moments of opposition.


World War I

In the early stages of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, by the end of 1915,
Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
rule was established in these territories, remaining in place until 1918. After the Serbo-Montenegrin government reoccupied the region in 1918, a new territorial organization was implemented, consistent with other occupied areas. At that time, Deçan was included in the Peja and Gjakova Districts. In 1929, with administrative and territorial adjustments, the area that is now the Municipality of Deçan was placed within the province of Zeta.


World War II

During World War II, after the invasion of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...
, the Deçan region was initially part of the Italian protectorate of Albania until 1943. After Italy's capitulation, the area came under German control.


Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

After WW2, Deçan, as well as the rest of
Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo The Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Socijalistička Autonomna Pokrajina Kosovo, Социјалистичка Аутономна Покрајина Косово, separator=" / "; ; . Also abbreviated as SAP Kosovo. referre ...
, was a part of
SR Serbia The Socialist Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Социјалистичка Република Србија, Socijalistička Republika Srbija), previously known as the People's Republic of Serbia ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / " ...
and
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. At the end of 1959, the district system was dismantled, and the municipal structure was reinforced. Deçan was established as an independent municipality, referred to as the People's Council of the Municipality until 1963. Following constitutional reforms, it was renamed the Assembly of the Municipality of Deçan.


Kosovo War

During the
Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
, Deçan was one of the strongholds of the
Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA; , UÇK) was an Albanians, ethnic Albanian separatist militia that sought the separation of Kosovo, the vast majority of which is inhabited by Albanians, from the Republic of Serbia (1992–2006), Republic of R ...
(KLA). The KLA regularly smuggled weapons from
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
across the border to Deçan and as a result, the area saw significant fighting between the KLA and Yugoslav army and police. The town was one of the areas where armed attacks against Serbian police and military began. In August 1995 in one of the most serious incidents before the Kosovo War, the Serbian police stations was attacked and set on fire by an armed group.


Geography

Deçan is located in the western part of Kosovo. It is in the western edge of the Dukagjini field and in the
foothills Foothills or piedmont are geography, geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an highland, upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low terrain, relief hill ...
of the
Accursed Mountains The Accursed Mountains (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Prokletije, Проклетије, separator=" / ", ; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Albanski Alpi, Албански Алпи, separator=" / ", li ...
. It shares the western border with
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and the northwestern border with
Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. The altitude in the municipality of Deçan varies from the lowest point in the village of Maznik at to the highest point, which is Gjeravica in the Accursed Mountains, reaching above sea level. In addition to Gjeravica, Deçan is home to several other peaks exceeding , including Marijash (), Maja e Ropës (), Dog's Peak () and Strellci Peak ().


Demographics

Deçan, as a municipality, according to the last census of 2024 by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, has 27,758 inhabitants. The overwhelming majority of the inhabitants are
Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
(98.45%). Other ethnicities include
Egyptians Egyptians (, ; , ; ) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian identity is closely tied to Geography of Egypt, geography. The population is concentrated in the Nile Valley, a small strip of cultivable land stretchi ...
,
Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...
and others.


Religion

According to the 2011 census, 98.8% of the inhabitants were
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.


Culture

The medieval
Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...
Visoki Dečani monastery stands around to the west of the town.


Twin towns – sister cities

Deçan is twinned with: * Plav, Montenegro *
Ulcinj Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...
, Montenegro


Notable people

* Ali Geci, UÇK guerilla fighter * Azem Maksutaj (b.1975), kickboxer * Beg Rizaj (d.2016), AKSH commander * Binak Alia (1805–1895), Albanian revolt leader * Ramë Binaku (1876-1963), nationalist and guerilla fighter * Ramush Haradinaj (b. 1968), UÇK Commander and former prime minister * Valmir Berisha (b. 1996), footballer * Kosta Pecanac (1879-1944), Serbian
Chetnik The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...


Notes


Bibliography

* * *


External links


Municipality of Dečani
fficial Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Decan Deçan Deçan