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Kičevo ( ; , sq-definite, Kërçova) is a city in the western part of
North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of
Ohrid Ohrid ( ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording a population of over 42,000 inhabitants as of ...
and
Gostivar Gostivar ( ; sq-definite, Gostivari) is a city in North Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region. It is the seat of one of the larger municipalities in the country with a population of 59,770, and the town also covers . Gostivar has ...
. The capital
Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.


Name

The name of the city in Macedonian and other
South Slavic languages The South Slavic languages are one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches (West Slavic la ...
is ''Kičevo'' (Кичево). The name of the city in Albanian is ''Kërçovë''. It was originally known as Uskana and was inhabited by the Illyrian tribe of the Penestae. It is presumed that the present name of the town originates from the name of this settlement populated by the Slavic Berziti tribe. In Turkish, the city is known as ''Kırçova''. Kicevo was first mentioned as ''Uskana'' (Ωξάνα in
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
) in the reign of Perseus, king of Macedon during the Third Macedonian War (171–169 BC). The next written record of the town did not come until 1018, under the name of ''Kitzabis'' (from Kίτζαβις in
Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...
), or sometimes as ''Kitsabis'' or ''Kitsavis'' or ''Kitzbon'', or slavicised as ''Kicavis'', noted in one of the documents of the
Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus (; 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (, ), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died in 963, but t ...
. Under the rule of Prince Marko it was known as ''Katin Grad'' ("Katina's City") due to Marko's sister being named Katina.


History


Medieval period

Kičevo was noted in one of the documents of the
Byzantine emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus (; 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar Slayer (, ), was the senior Byzantine emperor from 976 to 1025. He and his brother Constantine VIII were crowned before their father Romanos II died in 963, but t ...
in 1018, and also mentioned by the Ohrid archbishop Theophilact in the 11th century. The city would become a part of the
First Bulgarian Empire The First Bulgarian Empire (; was a medieval state that existed in Southeastern Europe between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. It was founded in 680–681 after part of the Bulgars, led by Asparuh of Bulgaria, Asparuh, moved south to the northe ...
and it was one of the first cities to be added to the
Archbishopric of Ohrid The Archbishopric of Ohrid, also known as the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid *T. Kamusella in The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe, Springer, 2008, p. 276 *Aisling Lyon, Decentralisation and the Management of Ethni ...
. It was also a part of the
Second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1422. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...
. The city first fell under Serbian rule during the reign of
Stefan Uroš I Stefan Uroš I ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош I; 1223 – 1 May 1277), known as Uroš the Great () was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav. He was one of the most important rulers in Serbian history ...
and finally under
Stefan Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Saint King, was the King of Serbia between 1282–1321, a member of the Nemanjić dynasty. He was one ...
in 1283. After the downfall of the
Serbian Empire The Serbian Empire ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српско царство, Srpsko carstvo, separator=" / ", ) was a medieval Serbian state that emerged from the Kingdom of Serbia. It was established in 1346 by Dušan the Mighty, who significantly expande ...
the city was under the rule of
Vukašin of Serbia Vukašin Mrnjavčević ( sr-Cyrl, Вукашин Мрњавчевић, ; c. 1320 – 26 September 1371) was King of Serbia as the co-ruler of Stefan Uroš V from 1365 to 1371. He was also a nobleman. Principal domains of Vukašin and his family ...
of the
Mrnjavčević family The House of Mrnjavčević ( sr-Cyrl, Мрњавчевић, Mrnjavčevići / Мрњавчевићи, ) was a medieval Serbian noble house during the Serbian Empire, its fall, and the subsequent years when it held a region of present-day Mac ...
after which it passed to his son Prince Marko and finally to the
Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
.


Ottoman period

When the region was conquered by the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, Kičevo was turned into the military and administrative center of the region. According to Toma Smiljanić-Bradina, the local Slavs of the region still lived in a semi-independent fashion as they did under the rule of Prince Marko retaining their status as "earthly lords" of their fortresses. This semi-independent way of life persisted until the 15th century. According to local folklore the inhabitants of the region also participated in the Christian rebellions during the
Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League (1684), Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Polish–Lith ...
and were forced to flee after its failure. On August 2, 1903, the Christian citizens of Kičevo participated in the Ilinden Uprising, led by Arso Vojvoda and Yordan Piperkata.


Modern

In 1913 Kičevo and the whole region were incorporated in the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
. The city was occupied by the
Kingdom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria (), also known as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom (), usually known in English as the Kingdom of Bulgaria, or simply Bulgaria, was a constitutional monarchy in Southeastern Europe, which was established on , when the Bulgaria ...
during
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 ...
. It became part of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in 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" () has been its colloq ...
in 1918. From 1929 to 1941, Kičevo was part of the
Vardar Banovina The Vardar Banovina, or Vardar Banate ( Macedonian and ; ), was a province ( banate) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. History It was located in the southernmost part of the country, encompassing the whole of today's North Mace ...
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 ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Kičevo was occupied by forces from
Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
and ceded to the Italian protectorate of Albania. On September 9, 1943, after the
Armistice of Cassibile The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
, Macedonian and
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 ...
partisan units disarmed the Italian garrison and took temporary control of the city. However, soon after the capitulation of Italy, Nazi Germany occupied that area. The Germans put
Balli Kombëtar The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front'') was an Albanian nationalist, Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, collaborationist, and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra a ...
in charge of Albania under German rule. The city was finally seized by the Communist Guerillas on November 15, 1944, after German retreat. From 1945 to 1991 the town belonged to the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, as part of its constituent
Socialist Republic of Macedonia The Socialist Republic of Macedonia (), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia, Yugoslav Macedonia or simply Macedonia, was one of the six constituent republics of the post-World War II Socialist Federal Republic of Y ...
. Since 1991 the town has been part of the Republic of Macedonia.


Demographics

In the 1467-1468 Ottoman defter, Kičevo was divided into two mahallas (neighbourhoods): The Mahale-i Arnavut (Albanian neighbourhood), where the heads of families appear with symbiotic Albanian-Christian-Slavic anthroponomy and the overwhelming majority of the population appeared to be of Albanian origin, and the Serbian mahala, where some Albanian names also appear, in conjunction with a majority of Slavic ones. According to
Vasil Kanchov Vasil Kanchov (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a geographer, ethnographer and teacher who served as Minister of Education of Bulgaria. Early life and education Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school i ...
, in 1900 the city had a population of 4844, of which 1200 were Bulgarian Orthodox, 3560 were Bulgarian Muslims, and 84 Roma, with Albanians being present in the surrounding villages. According to the 1942
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 ...
census, Kičevo was inhabited by a total of 7216 people, 5569 of whom were Muslim Albanians, 883 Serbian-speaking Orthodox Albanians, 600 Bulgarians and 164 Serbs.


Modern

The municipality of Kičevo has 56,734 inhabitants, and the city 27,076. The largest ethnic group in the city of Kičevo is the Macedonians who constitute for 15,031 people (55.5%), followed by the
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, ...
with 7,641 people (28.2%), the Turks with about 2,406 (8.9%) and Roma with 4.9%.Macedonian census, language and religion
Orthodox Christians made up 15,139 (55.9%) of the city's population according to the 2002 census, while Muslims were the second-largest religious group in the city, numbering 11,759 (43.4%). The most common native languages are Macedonian (62.5%), Albanian (28.2%), Turkish (8.0%) and Romani 0.4%.


Culture


Мacedonian traditional clothing

The characteristics of the traditional clothing are massive embroiders on the shirt, collar and sleeves, white and black top garments, several types of head coverings, richly decorated skirts and several different regional varieties of pants and coats, in Kičevo specifically waist sashes are worn, fur coats, decorated collars, embroidered cuffs and fur coats.


Albanian traditional clothing

The Kičevo area maintains a unique composition of traditional Albanian clothing. Unlike the Albanian dialects of the region, the traditional clothing of the Albanians in Kičevo are unitary; rather, diversity is shown varying on gender, age, and situation. Examples of this include the lower part of men's clothing which is characterised by the tirqe; the colour of the tirqe varied depending on age, with youth usually wearing white tirqe and the older men wearing dark brown tirqe. Women wear a ''shami'' (headscarf), which exists in several forms. Depending on the occasion, a ''shami'' can be red or white, but white scarves are preferred. The ''Brezi'' (belt) was not only used for decoration, but also as a symbol of the level of ''burrni'' (manhood) of its wearer as well as to store tobacco and related objects. The ''brezi'' of grown married women is usually tighter and typically white, decorated with a variety of ornaments. Young girls wore a black ''brez'', and elderly women wore a reddish ''brez''.


Monuments

Monastery of St. Bogorodica Prečista (''Monastery of Immaculate Mother of God'') is a significant monastery near Kičevo. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the feast day of this monastery is "Mala Bogorodica", (Birthday of the Virgin Mary on the 21st of September). The monastery, dedicated to the
Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...
and lodgings for devout female monks, represents a medieval monastery that was known under the name Krninski monastery in the past. This monastery is actually an important site for the study of common cult of Christians and Muslims because it is visited by believers from both religions. The reason of this common cult is due to the miraculous powers of the water source inside the monastery. Another important monument is the monastery of St. George located in the vicinity of Kičevo. There are also many important
mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
s from the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
's times of rule and from the
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 ...
population.


Sports

Local football club FK Napredok has spent several seasons in the
Macedonian First Football League The Macedonian First Football League (), also called Macedonian First League, 1. MFL, and Prva Liga, is the highest professional football competition in Macedonia. It is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of ...
and KF Vëllazërimi 77 plays in the Macedonian Third League.


Twin towns - twin cities

* Vratsa
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
*
Óbuda-Békásmegyer Óbuda-Békásmegyer is the List of districts in Budapest, 3rd district of Budapest, Hungary. Landmarks * Aquincum, ruins of the Roman city * Óbuda Jewish Cemetery * Római Part (Roman Beach) History The military camp, then city of Aquincum, l ...
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...


Notable people

* Besart Ibraimi, footballer * Florian Kadriu, footballer *
Xhelil Asani Xhelil Asani (or Djelil Asani; born 12 September 1995) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a left-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose ...
, footballer * Omer Kaleshi, painter * Yoakim Karchovski, priest * Vlatko Lozanoski, singer * Vesna Milošević, former handballer * Vlado Taneski, journalist and serial killer * Saint Evnuvios, Paisios and Averikios


Notes


References


External links


Kičevo web site - mk

Kičevo web site - sq

Kičevo portal web


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kicevo Cities in North Macedonia