Deçan Municipality

Deçan Municipality
Deçan Municipality
Municipality
	Komuna e Deçanit; Opština Dečani / Општина Дечани
	Seal
	Location of the municipality of Deçan within Kosovo
	Coordinates: 42°32′N 20°17′E / 42.533°N 20.283°ECoordinates: 42°32′N 20°17′E / 42.533°N 20.283°E
Country	Kosovo
District	District of Gjakova
Government
• Mayor
Area
• Municipality	297 km2 (115 sq mi)
Elevation	550 m (1,800 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	40,019
• Density	130/km2 (350/sq mi)
• Urban	3,803
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	51000
Area code(s)	+383 390
Vehicle registration	03
Website	kk.rks-gov.net/decan

Deçan Municipality or Dečani Municipality (Albanian: Komuna e Deçanit; Serbian: Општина Дечани, Opština Dečani, pronounced [dɛ̌t͡ʃani]) is a municipality located in the Gjakova District of Kosovo.^[a] The seat is the town of Deçan. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has 40,019 inhabitants, with 3,803 inhabitants in the town of Deçan.

It is a mountainous area which borders Montenegro and Albania. There is a total of 37 settlements in the municipality. The municipality covers an area of 297 km² (115 sq mi).

During the 1998–1999 war, Deçan was one of the strongholds of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and subsequently suffered a large amount of infrastructure destruction by the Serbian police and paramilitary forces. Much reconstruction has taken place with the assistance of the international agencies and support from the Kosovo Albanian diaspora.^{[citation needed]} It is widely known amongst the Serbian population for the Visoki Dečani monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Geography[]

Deçan lies in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna mountain range, part of Albanian Alps. It is surrounded by the Beleg Mountain.

List of settlements[]

Razniq / Rznić

List of settlements:^[1]

Albanian name	Serbian name
Baballoq	Babaloć
Carrabreg i Epërm	Gornji Crnobreg
Carrabreg i Poshtem	Donji Crnobreg
Deçan	Dečani
Drenoc	Drenovce
Dubovik	Dubovik
Gllogjan	Glođane
Gramaçel	Gramočelj
Jasiq	Jasić
Kodrali	Kodralija
Lëbushë	Ljubusa
Lloqan	Locan
Lumbardh	Bistrica
Maznik	Maznik
Pobergjë	Pobrđe
Papiq	Papić
Pepsh	Pepša
Pozhar	Požar
Prapaqan	Prapaćan
Prelep	Prilep
Rastavica	Rastavica
Ratish i Epërm	Gornji Ratiš
Irzniq	Rznić
Beleg	Beleg
Shaptej	Šaptej
Sllup	Slup
Strellc i Epërm	Gornji Streoc
Strellc i Poshtem	Donji Streoc
Voksh	Vokša
Vranoc i Vogël	Mali Vranovac

Demographics[]

Municipal historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1948	20,672	—
1953	22,218	+1.45%
1961	25,582	+1.78%
1971	31,335	+2.05%
1981	40,640	+2.63%
1991	49,000	+1.89%
2011	40,019	−1.01%
2020 est.	42,244	+0.60%
Source: Division of Kosovo

According to the 2011 census results, the population of the municipality numbered 40,019 inhabitants. The municipality has an ethnic Albanian majority, with other minority groups including Serbs, Bosniaks, Ashkali, Egyptians and Roma. The non-Albanian communities mainly reside in the villages of Babaloq, Dubovik, Gllogjan, Gramaçel, Posar, Rastavica and Shaptej. There are Serbian Orthodox clergy in the Visoki Dečani monastery.

Culture[]

Visoki Dečani monastery[]

Dečani monastery

The Serbian Orthodox monastery Visoki Dečani, located near the town, is 36 meters by 24 meters with a tower 29 meters high. It was built between 1327 and 1335 by the medieval king Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia, and was dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The monastery is situated in the valley of the Lumbardhi i Decanit, Dečanska Bistrica river, surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Bjeshket e Nemuna, Prokletije mountain range. It is regarded as the largest and best preserved medieval monastery in Kosovo. The founding charter of the monastery is dated 1330. Following his death, King Stefan Uroš was buried at the monastery, which henceforth became his popular shrine. Indeed, the epithet Dečanski refers native geographical name of populated place Decani, Monastery itself got name of location of the king's foundation of the monastery. Construction was continued by his son Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan until 1335, but the wall-painting was not completed until 1350.

Visoki Dečani was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and was protected by the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2004, UNESCO listed the monastery on the World Heritage List, citing its frescoes as "one of the most valued examples of the so-called Palaeologan renaissance in Byzantine painting" and "a valuable record of the life in the 14th century" and is protected by UNMIK/KFOR.

During its turbulent history the monastery was an important spiritual center renowned for its artistic and intellectual activities. Although the monastery buildings suffered damage during the Ottoman period, the church has been completely preserved complete with its 14th-century fresco paintings. Today a young brotherhood of 30 brethren lives in the monastery maintaining the traditions of the past: religious services, icon painting, wood carving, book publishing and is also active in the missionary work. The beautiful monastic services are served according to the typicon of Mount Athos.

In 2004, UNESCO listed the monastery on the World Heritage List, citing its frescoes as "one of the most valued examples of the so-called Palaeologan renaissance in Byzantine painting" and "a valuable record of the life in the 14th century". From the exterior, it is also a valued and unusual example of a successful marriage between the early Italian Renaissance and Orthodox styles of architecture.

Notable people[]

Aferdita Kameraj, footballer
Ramush Haradinaj, former officer and leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA/UÇK), and the former Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo
Azem Maksutaj, kickboxer
Kosta Pećanac, Chetnik commander
Valmir Berisha, footballer

Notes[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognized as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 113 UN member states are said to have recognized Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

References[]

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-07-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) GNS Name Database

OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe: mik/2005/02/1181_en.pdf
PTK – Post and Telecommunictions of Kosovo, J.S.C:KodePostare.pdf
ENKEO : decani.pdf
IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions: kosorepo.htm#_Toc480784381

External links[]

[status-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognized as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 113 UN member states are said to have recognized Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

[2] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-07-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) GNS Name Database

[a]

[1]

hide v t Municipalities of Kosovo¹
District of Ferizaj	Ferizaj (Uroševac) Elez Han (Đeneral Janković) Kaçanik Štimlje Štrpce
District of Gjakova	Deçan Gjakova Junik Orahovac
District of Gjilan	Gjilan Kamenica Klokot Parteš Ranilug Vitina
District of Mitrovica	Leposavić Mitrovica North Mitrovica Skenderaj (Srbica) Vučitrn Zubin Potok Zvečan
District of Peja	Peja (Peć) Istok Klina
District of Pristina	Drenas Kosovo Polje (Fushë Kosovë) Gračanica Obilić Lipljan Novo Brdo Podujevo Pristina
District of Prizren	Mališevo Mamuša Prizren Dragaš Suva Reka
¹ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognized as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 113 UN member states are said to have recognized Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.