Beci is a village in the Dushkaja subregion in the Gjakova Municipality of Kosovo. It is almost exclusively inhabited by ethnic Albanians, who form the near-absolute majority of the village's population.

Beci
Village
Beci is located in Kosovo
Beci
Beci
Coordinates: 42°26′35″N 20°26′58″E / 42.44306°N 20.44944°E / 42.44306; 20.44944
Country Kosovo
DistrictGjakova
MunicipalityGjakova
Elevation
350 m (1,150 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,223
Time zoneUTC+1 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Etymology

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It is believed that the toponym is derived from the Albanian word Bec-i, which means "little lamb" in Albanian.[2]

Geography

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Beci is bordered by Sapot to the west, Zhdrellë and Rashkoc to the northwest and north, Cërmjan to the northeast, Meqe east , Doblibare and Vraniq to the southeast and with Lugu e Bunarit to the south and southwest. It is located in the ethnographic Dushkaja region, and is situated around 7km northeast of Gjakova.

History

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Beci is divided into two sections - Beci i Epër (Upper Beci) and Beci i Poshtëm (Lower Beci). In the cadastral documents of the Sanjak of Shkodra in 1485, the village is mentioned with the name Beçi.[3] The inhabitants bore a mixture of Albanian, Christian and Slavic names.[4]

In the Ottoman register of 1582 the inhabitants bore majority Albanian names, indicating the village was historically inhabited by an Albanian population.[5][6]

Anthropology

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Beci is inhabited by a near-absolute majority of ethnic Albanians, and most of the inhabitants traditionally belonged to a single Albanian tribal brotherhood around 300 years ago - the Mërturi-Berisha. The village was traditionally divided into 4 neighbourhoods - the neighbourhoods of the Biblekët, Ndreajt, Salcët and Tetajt. The Muslim and Catholic Albanians here belong to the same brotherhood.[7] There is also a family that hails from the Krasniqi tribe and one that hails from the Thaçi tribe.[8]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ 2011 Kosovo Census results
  2. ^ Morina, Zeki (2017). TEMA: TOPONIMIA DHE ANTROPONIMIA E GJAKOVËS ME RRETHINË ( Shqyrtime etnolinguistike ) (PDF) (Thesis). Shkodër: INSTITUTI I STUDIMEVE ALBANOLOGJIKE, UNIVERSITETI I SHKODRËS “LUIGJ GURAKUQI”. p. 79. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  3. ^ Morina, Zeki (2017). TEMA: TOPONIMIA DHE ANTROPONIMIA E GJAKOVËS ME RRETHINË ( Shqyrtime etnolinguistike ) (PDF) (Thesis). Shkodër: INSTITUTI I STUDIMEVE ALBANOLOGJIKE, UNIVERSITETI I SHKODRËS “LUIGJ GURAKUQI”. p. 79. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  4. ^ Selami Pulaha - Defteri i regjistrimit te Sanxhakut te Shkodrs i vitit 1485 p. 310
  5. ^ Selami Pulaha - Defteri i regjistrimit te Sanxhakut te Shkodres i vitit 1485
  6. ^ Popullsia Shqiptare e Kosoves Gjate Shekujve
  7. ^ Morina, Zeki (2017). TEMA: TOPONIMIA DHE ANTROPONIMIA E GJAKOVËS ME RRETHINË ( Shqyrtime etnolinguistike ) (PDF) (Thesis). Shkodër: INSTITUTI I STUDIMEVE ALBANOLOGJIKE, UNIVERSITETI I SHKODRËS “LUIGJ GURAKUQI”. p. 78. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  8. ^ Hoxha, Skënder R. "Një kapitull i historisë së Becit të Dushkajës". Zemra Shqiptare.