Goljak

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Goljak
Goljak locator map.png
Location in Kosovo
Highest point
Elevation1,181 m (3,875 ft)[1]
Coordinates42°41′30″N 21°41′21″E / 42.69167°N 21.68917°E / 42.69167; 21.68917Coordinates: 42°41′30″N 21°41′21″E / 42.69167°N 21.68917°E / 42.69167; 21.68917
Geography
LocationKosovo[a]

Goljak (Albanian: Gollak; Serbian Cyrillic: Гољак) is a mountainous region and mountain range in the eastern part of Kosovo[a], bordering the Llap (region) to the west, and straddling along the border with Serbia.[2] The cities of Pristina and Gjilan in Kosovo, and Sijarinska Banja in Serbia are located by the mountains. The highest peak, Gollak-Lisica, has an elevation of 1,186 m (3,891 ft) above sea level.[3] Gollak itself is split into Upper Gollak and Lower Gollak.

Environment[]

The Gollak region consists mainly of forests and pastures, and the altitudes vary between 800m-1260m above sea level. The climate of the region is influenced by continental air masses, and so Gollak has cold winters and hot summers. The temperature averages at 12.6 degrees Celsius, and the average sub-zero temperature stands at -5.8 degrees Celsius. Gollak's total annual precipitation is 667mm/year. There is a diverse range of flora and vegetation due to the diversity present within the climate, the mountainous environment and the compositions of both soil and geology in the region - the variance between altitudes and the variation of other ecological factors have culminated in different vegetation zones upon Gollak's vertical profile, which is characterised by forest and herbaceous plant communities.[4]

History[]

Gollak was one of the regions that had a strong role in the theme of Albanian independence and was a vital part of it's foundation.[5] In 1912, 12,000 Albanian rebels gathered outside of Prishtina in order to occupy the town. Within this group were Albanians from the district of Prishtina, led by Isa Boletini, Xhemal bey Prishtina and Beqir aga Vushtrria, and they had previously defeated the Ottoman Turks in Llap and Gollak.[6] Idriz Seferi saw much action in the Gollak region.[7]

During the German occupation of Kosovo in World War II, three Albanian villages were burnt down by German forces on 3rd May, 1941.[8]

Ethnobotany and Local Medicine[]

There was an ethnobotanical field study conducted in 37 villages of the Gollak region that focused on the traditional uses of medicinal plants, wild food plants and mushrooms. In total, 66 elderly members of these villages were interviewed - from this information, it was discovered that 98 taxa (belonging to 47 different families) are utilised in the traditional medicines and foods of the region. These taxa included 92 angiosperms (of which 76 are dicotyledonous] and 6 monocotyledons), 6 mushroom species and 3 gymnosperms, with the predominant families being rosaceae, asteraceae, lamiaceae and alliaceae. Approximately two thirds of the medicinal species recorded were wild. The majority of the wild plants collected within the Gollak region are used for medicinal purposes, whilst 16% were used for food and some other taxa were gathered to be sold at local markets. The most frequent medical problems targeted by these medicinal plants were respiratory system illnesses, skin inflammations and gastrointestinal troubles.[9]

Demographics[]

Gollak mainly consists of small rural settlements.[10] Upper Gollak consists of nineteen villages that hold their assemblies in the mosque of Prapashticë, while Lower Gollak consists of twenty-one villages that gather near the village of , which is now in the Medvegja municipality in Serbia. Albanians form the dominant ethnic group in the Gollak region. Both Upper and Lower Gollak contain the main villages of the Albanian Krasniqi tribe within the vicinity of Prishtina, and they form the dominant tribe in the region.[11]

Culture[]

As any ethnographic region, Gollak has unique aspects in both culture and language. Certain words - such as Lavesh-i (the extreme ends of the tirq), Mashali-a (an old type of gun) and Toja e opangës (laces made of wool to tie up opinga) - are found only within the Gollak region.[12]

Annotations[]

  1. ^ 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 recognised as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states have recognised Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

References[]

  1. ^ Đokić, Jovan. "Katalog planina Srbije". PSD Kopaonik Beograd. Archived from the original on 2011-05-18.
  2. ^ Elsie, Robert (2011). Historical dictionary of Kosovo (2nd ed.). Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-8108-7483-1.
  3. ^ Daum, Werner (1998). Albanien zwischen Kreuz und Halbmond. Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde. p. 257. ISBN 9783701624614.
  4. ^ Pieroni, Andrea; Quave, Cassandra L. (2014). Ethnobotany and Biocultural Diversities in the Balkans: Perspectives on Sustainable Rural Development and Reconciliation. Springer. p. 126. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1492-0. ISBN 978-1-4939-1491-3. S2CID 39754263.
  5. ^ The Kosova Issue - a Historic and Current Problem. Tirana: Eurorilindja. 1996. p. 89.
  6. ^ Elsie, Robert; Destani, Bejtullah D. (2018). Kosovo, a documentary history : from the Balkan wars to World War II. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 9781838600037.
  7. ^ Braha, Shaban (1979). Idriz Seferi në Lëvizjet Kombëtare Shqiptare. Akademia e Shkencave e RPS të Shqipërisë. p. 186.
  8. ^ Radnička klasa Kosovske Mitrovice i okoline u radničkom-kommunističkom pokretu, socijalističkom pokretu, socijalictičkoj revoluciji i socijalističkoj izgradnji. Odbor za izdavanje monografija. 1979. p. 366.
  9. ^ Pieroni, Andrea; Quave, Cassandra L. (2014). Ethnobotany and Biocultural Diversities in the Balkans: Perspectives on Sustainable Rural Development and Reconciliation. Springer. p. 126. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1492-0. ISBN 978-1-4939-1491-3. S2CID 39754263.
  10. ^ Efe, Recep; Ozturk, Munir; Atalay, Ibrahim (25 May 2011). Natural Environment and Culture in the Mediterranean Region II. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 188. ISBN 9781443831079.
  11. ^ Hahn, J. G. von; Elsie, Robert (2015). The discovery of Albania : travel writing and anthropology in the nineteenth-century Balkans (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 81–84. ISBN 9781350154681.
  12. ^ Gjergji, Andromaqi (2005). Veshjet Shqiptare në Shekuj. Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë, Instituti i Kulturës Popullore. pp. 298, 300, 314.
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