Lushnjë (; locally ''Lushnje'' ; sq-definite, Lushnja) is a city 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 west-central
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 ...
. The municipality's population is 63,135 as of the 2023 census,
in a total area of .
History
In January 1920, Lushnje was a provisional capital of Albania and the place of the
Congress of Lushnje. Chieftains of Albania assembled in the town and declared
Tirana first a provisional and then the definitive capital of
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 ...
.
3 km away from Lushnjë is the Savra Field. This field is on the Lushnjë-Fier road. Here the first battle between
Principality of Zeta and
Principality of Albania,
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 ...
occurred in 1385 (the
Battle of Savra
The Battle of Savra (; ; ; "Battle on the Saurian field") or the Battle of the Vjosë was fought on 18 September 1385 between Ottoman Empire, Ottoman and much smaller Zeta under the Balsha, Zetan forces, at the Savra field near Lushnjë (in moder ...
).
In this battle
Balsha II, the
Lord of Lower Zeta from 1378 to 1385, was killed.
Along with Fier, Lushnjë was the main district of the concentration camps during the Communist Regime; the camps included the villages of Savër, Gradishtë, Bedat, Gjazë, Rrapëz, and Plug.
Geography
Lushnje is in a hot
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
summer type of climate. Lushnje is in the middle plains and flatland. This land is used for growing crops and raising animals. It is 30 km to
Divjakë-Karavasta National Park with wetland and beaches and a lagoon. There is a Reservoir in a village in
Kashar, Lushnje with many farmlands around it and a connecting canal known as Perrio. Lushnje also has many olive oil trees and is one of the leading olive oil-producing places in
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 ...
.
Subdivisions
Subdivisions are
Allkaj,
Ballagat,
Bubullimë,
Dushk,
Fier-Shegan,
Golem,
Hysgjokaj,
Karbunarë,
Kolonjë,
Krutje, and Lushnjë.
Economy
Lushnje is located in the
Myzeqe region that is known as a main provider of agricultural products to the rest of the country and for exports to other European Countries, and home to a national
Institute of Agricultural Research. During the Communism Regime, the city had factories for paper, plastic, and food processing factories. Lushnje has many olive trees. Many other business involve brick making and marble and also oil distributors and small oil refinery for gas station in and out of the city for the city.
Infrastructure
Education
Lushnje has many schools from college and to pre-k. The biggest and most famous schools in Lushnje are known as "Skënder Libohova", "18 Tetori" and "Kongresi i Lushnjes". "Kongresi i Lushnjes" has been renovated and is one for the most modern schools in the city with painted sides and interior upgrades. The college that is situated in Lushnje is
Institute of Agricultural Research Lushnje about agriculture research. "Foto Puka" is another school in the city that is the second largest one. There are two high schools, one is "18 Tetori" and the other being "Vath Koreshi". The city also has a Professional Public High School, "Hasan D. Gina", with special curriculums raising from informatics to auto-services.
The schools of Lushnje offer a lot of recreation for their students. "Skënder Libohova" school has a new multi-functional park and a basketball and soccer area. "Foto Puka" and "Jani Nushi" are more known for their
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
and
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
respectively.
Transportation
There is one highway that passes by the outskirts of Lushnje known as the SH4. The SH4 comes from
Durrës to Lushnje, and then to
Fier.
There are urban buses through the city with only one straight route. The urban bus goes from the roundabout in , Lushnje, through Lushnje, and to
Karbunarë, Lushnje. The ride is about 5 km and 13 minutes or less. There are buses available at the train station which can take you from Lushnje to Greece and many places in the country and
Balkan region.
Due to the shutdown of trains in
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 ...
during 1990 there have been no signs of trains.
Demography
Like most southern Albanian regions, the people of Lushnje speak a Tosk dialect. The population is mixed Orthodox and Muslim, typical of southern Albanian cities. Data from the 1918 census shows that the population of Lushnje was split almost evenly between Muslims and Christians at the time of independence from the Ottoman Empire.
[, Seiner's 1918 data mapped here: http://www-gewi.uni-graz.at/seiner/density.html]
Sport
KS Lushnja was originally formed in 1927 and the first football game held in the city of Lushnje was played shortly after. This was a friendly game against
FK Tomori Berat and the team consisted of young men from Lushnje. The club was named Kongresi i Lushnjës following a proposal from a member of parliament and signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence
Ferit Vokopola to name the club after the Congress of Lushnje, which was where Vokopola himself was elected secretary. In 1927 a young man named Ali Fuga returned from his studies in Austria and joined the club as a player and the head coach. He returned to Albania from Austria with shirts that would be used by the club, and they had green vertical stripes which were used to symbolise the fields of Myzeqe. Although the club was formed on 21 January 1927 it was not "officially" formed until 27 July 1930 shortly after the formation of the
Albanian Football Association a month earlier. It was known then as the Kongresi i Lushnjës literacy-artistic society. The club's first official jerseys were green, and the first sports chief of the club was Ali Fuga, who had been a key member of the club's pre-formation years.
In 1945 they changed their name to KS Traktori Lushnja followed by a further name change in 1950 to SK Lushnja. In 1951 it was changed to Puna Lushnja, before they returned to KS Traktori Lushnja in 1958. In 1991 the club was named
KF Lushnja.
The club's main supporters' group is called the Ultras Delegatët. Lushnje has their own volleyball team known as
Ekipi i Volejbollit të Lushnjes.
Landmarks
*
Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium
*
Congress of Lushnjë Museum
*
Ardenica Monastery
Twin towns - sister cities
*
Brindisi
Brindisi ( ; ) is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Historically, the city has played an essential role in trade and culture due to its strategic position ...
, Italy
Notable people
Following is a list of notable people born in Lushnjë, or who spent most of their lives in the city:
*
Lindita Arapi - poet, writer
*
Artan Bano - footballer and manager
*
Luli Bitri - actor
*
Iljaz Çeço - footballer
*
Rezart Dabulla - footballer
*
Edmond Dalipi - footballer
*
Kristaq Dhamo - movie director
*
Elini Dimoutsos (
Greek: Ελίνι Δημούτσος; born 18 June 1988) - Greek professional
footballer who plays as a
midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
*
Ilir Jaçellari - Albanian actor, painter and photographer, known for roles in ''
ACAB – All Cops Are Bastards'' and ''
Balancing Act''
*
Vath Koreshi - Writer
*
Saimir Malko - footballer and manager
*
Rey Manaj - footballer
*
Florian Marku - boxer
*
Migen Memelli (born 25 April 1980) - Albanian professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach and former player
*
Fahredin Nuri - engineer
*
Fatjon Fatmir Sefa (born 23 July 1984) - Albanian professional footballer who played as a
forward for
Lushnja in the
Albanian Superliga
*
Nebi Efendi Sefa - one of the founding fathers of modern Albania, signed the declaration of independence in 1912
*
Ferit bej Vokopola - one of the founding fathers of modern Albania, signed the declaration of independence in 1912
*
Margarita Xhepa - actor
*
Vaçe Zela - singer
*
Kastro Zizo - musician
See also
*
Balsha II
*
Battle of Savra
The Battle of Savra (; ; ; "Battle on the Saurian field") or the Battle of the Vjosë was fought on 18 September 1385 between Ottoman Empire, Ottoman and much smaller Zeta under the Balsha, Zetan forces, at the Savra field near Lushnjë (in moder ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lushnje
Administrative units of Lushnjë
Cities in Albania
Municipalities in Fier County