Reka (region)

Reka (Macedonian: Река) is a geographical region in Macedonia, which encompasses a quadrangle with Albania in the west, the town of Debar and the Mavrovo mountain, and Kičevo in the east. The region is home to a demographically mixed population of Mijaks (ethnic Macedonians), Albanians, and Torbeši (ethnic Macedonian Muslims).^[1] There are Orthodox Christian Albanians especially in the sub-region of Upper Reka. The sub-regions (ethnographic/geographic regions) of Reka are Mala (Small), Dolna () and Golema (Large) or Gorna (Upper).^[2] In the west of Reka is the region of Lumë, which extends in both Kosovo and Albania.^[3]

Historian Dimitar Bechev regards the Christian populace of Upper Reka as Orthodox Albanian speakers,^[4] whereas historian Noel Malcolm considers them to be Orthodox Albanians.^[5] Albanian philologist Edibe Selimi-Osmani who did fieldwork in Upper Reka during the 1990s and 2000s regarded the population as being of Albanian origin.^[6]

References[]

^ Dimitar Bechev (13 April 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-0-8108-6295-1.
^ Dimitrije Bužarovski; Rumena Bužarovska (2004). Contemporary Trends in Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Third Struga Conference. University "Sts.Kiril i Metodij", School of music, Institute for research and archiving of music (IRAM). p. 46. ISBN 9789989986598.
^ Fejzulla Gjabri (Department of Culture of Albania), Information about the Heroic Epos in the Province of Luma
^ Bechev 2009, p. 188. "Several villages in the Upper Reka subregion were, in the past, populated by Othodox Albanian speakers who have been largely assimilated by the Slavic Macedonians."
^ Malcolm 1998, p. 9. "The people of Debar and its surrounding villages (which include, almost uniquely among the northern Albanian population, a cluster of adherents to the Orthodox Church) were famously independent-minded, and this was often the last area to be subdued when Albanian rebellions were crushed by Ottoman armies."; p.198. "Of course it must be must be true that the ancestors of the Muslims were originally Christians, whether Orthodox or Catholic. Some may have been Albanian-speaking members of the Orthodox Church: a group of villages in the Reka district north of Debar consists of Orthodox Albanians to this day."
^ Osmani 2012, p. 8. "Upper Reka is composed mainly of the Orthodox population, though there not a small Muslim population. But we should know that according to some sources the past, the population of Upper Reka up in 60's of the XIX century, all spoke Albanian, and was Albanian."

[Bechev2009-1] Dimitar Bechev (13 April 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia. Scarecrow Press. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-0-8108-6295-1.

[CTME-2] Dimitrije Bužarovski; Rumena Bužarovska (2004). Contemporary Trends in Musicology and Ethnomusicology: Third Struga Conference. University "Sts.Kiril i Metodij", School of music, Institute for research and archiving of music (IRAM). p. 46. ISBN 9789989986598.

[Gjabri-3] Fejzulla Gjabri (Department of Culture of Albania), Information about the Heroic Epos in the Province of Luma

[Bechev2009b-4] Bechev 2009, p. 188. "Several villages in the Upper Reka subregion were, in the past, populated by Othodox Albanian speakers who have been largely assimilated by the Slavic Macedonians."

[Malcolm-5] Malcolm 1998, p. 9. "The people of Debar and its surrounding villages (which include, almost uniquely among the northern Albanian population, a cluster of adherents to the Orthodox Church) were famously independent-minded, and this was often the last area to be subdued when Albanian rebellions were crushed by Ottoman armies."; p.198. "Of course it must be must be true that the ancestors of the Muslims were originally Christians, whether Orthodox or Catholic. Some may have been Albanian-speaking members of the Orthodox Church: a group of villages in the Reka district north of Debar consists of Orthodox Albanians to this day."

[Osmani8-6] Osmani 2012, p. 8. "Upper Reka is composed mainly of the Orthodox population, though there not a small Muslim population. But we should know that according to some sources the past, the population of Upper Reka up in 60's of the XIX century, all spoke Albanian, and was Albanian."

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