Skorobište (Serbian Cyrillic: Скоробиште, Albanian: Skorobishtë) or Skorobišta (Скоробишта) is a village in Prizren Municipality, Kosovo.
Skorobishtë
| |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Prizren Municipality | |
  Skorobishtë Location in Kosovo | |
| Coordinates: 42°14′00″N 20°48′24″E / 42.233347°N 20.806732°E | |
| Location |  Kosovo |
| District | Prizren |
| Municipality | Prizren |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
• Total | 1,128 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Geography
editIt lies in the eastern slopes of the Kabash Mountain, at an altitude of 1185 m. It is part of the Prizrenski Podgor region. It is located near Prizren.
Demographics
editIt had 1128 inhabitants according to the 2011 census, with an Albanian majority and Bosniak minority.
History
editThe village existed in the Serbian Middle Ages. It was mentioned in Emperor Stefan Dušan's charter dated 26 April 1348 as part of the metochion of the Church of St. Peter in Koriša to Hilandar, along with Planjane, Sishtevac, Črneljevo.[2][3] There had been a quarrel between Skorobište, which was part of the estate of the Monastery of the Holy Archangels and Lubizhdë, which was part of the estate of the Church of St. Peter in Koriša, about a mountain access.[4] From it, it is clear that the people of Skorobište mostly dealt with cattle breeding.[4] Skorobište later became part of the estate of the Monastery of St. Peter in Koriša.[4]
The first Albanian families settled in Skorobište around the 15th century marking the start of significant demographic changes in the village. Ajdar from the Kastrati tribe arrived from Bele near Kukës with his sons Bajrë, Mulë, Sejdi, and Abaz, establishing a foothold for Albanians in the region. Shortly afterward, Rexhë from the Krasniqi tribe followed with his sons Jusuf and Tahir from the Highlanders of Gjakova. Over time, more families arrived, including the brothers Bal, Sal, and Ali from the Shala Tribe Isniq. Bal and Sal were Christians, while their brother Ali was Muslim. From Ali, the later surname Alija originated in the village. Later, a Christian Bulgarian family from Chirpan joined the community, settling in the Shala neighborhood. This family integrated into the village’s culture and landscape, contributing to the diversity of the region.
In the next wave of settlement, the Sopoti Brothers unknown from Puka or Diber, Xhafer and Shaban, arrived and established their lineage in the village. Today, the descendants of Xhafer are known as Xhaferi, while those of Shaban are known as Shabani, reflecting their ancestry. An Family from the Kryeziu Tribe also settled in Skorobište. The first member of this family, also named Shaban, founded a separate line whose descendants are also named Shabani, though they have no direct kinship with the Shabani family from the Sopoti lineage.
Originally, the residents of Skorobište used surnames based on their Albanian tribal affiliations, including names like Kastrati, Shala, Sopoti, Krasniqi, and Kryeziu. However, during the Yugoslav period, the Serbian government assigned Slavic surnames to the villagers as part of an attempt to suppress and erase their Albanian identity. These state-assigned names included Azarović, Smajlović, Ibrahimović, Gazović, Jasharević, Isaković, Bajramović, and others.
After the World War II, the villagers took steps to restore their Albanian cultural heritage by once again changing their surnames. This time, they selected names that reflected their original neighborhoods or ancestral figures. The current Bajra families are descended from the four Kastrati Brothers and are also known as "Gorani or Beljani". The Shala families are now known as Alija, including the descendants of the family from Chirpan known also as "Bugari", who also took this name. The descendants of Krasniqi are now called Jusufi (descendants of Jusuf) and Rexha (descendants of Tahir).The Sopoti Families are now called Shabani(descendants of Shaban) and Xhaferi(descendants of Xhafer). Which honored their family origins and ethnic identity. These changes were an important effort to preserve their cultural and historical roots, strengthening their identity amidst the shifting political and social context of the region.
All of these families speak both Albanian and the southslavic Podgor dialect, which they have adapted to the language of the original inhabitants of the area. This bilingualism reflects the integration, assimilation and coexistence between the Albanian settlers and the existing local population.
In the Ottoman period, the village was part of the Ljubinje bajrak.[5] In 1874, it was reported that this historical Christian village had no Christian inhabitants.[6] In 1877, the village had 60 families; the christian families had converted to islam 110 years prior (ca. 1767)as the majority of the Albanian population was muslim.[7] The locals still didn't work on Christian saint feast days, and married only on weekdays, and never Fridays.[7] In 1882, there was an old Roman church in the Bajra Quarter, and a newly built school in the village, but no teachers.[8] During the First World War the local Muslim school(Mektab) functioned, supported financially by Ottoman Ministry of Education(Maarif Vekâleti).[9] The inhabitants strictly did not marry with Turks.[8]
In August 1958, below the Crni Vrh and above Skorobište, fields had been dug up and tens of thousands young plants had been removed and left, destroyed.[10]
In 1999, during the Kosovo War, the villages of Skorobishte and Kabash in southern Kosovo became significant battlegrounds. In this region, the 125th Brigade of the Kosovo Liberation Army(KLA), led by Commander Ekrem Rexha(also known as Drini) and Lulzim Kabashi, mounted a determined resistance against the Yugoslav Army and pro-Serb militias.
The community of Skorobishte provided crucial support to the KLA, as much of Kosovo’s Albanian population stood behind the goals of the liberation movement. Fighters from the 125th Brigade established defensive lines and launched attacks to repel both the Yugoslav Army and armed Serb civilians from the nearby village of Dojnice. These Serb residents of Dojnice had armed themselves with the intent of attacking the people of Skorobishte and asserting control over the area. With the support of the local population, the 125th Brigade managed to withstand these attacks and push back the armed Serb groups, successfully defending the village.
The battles in Skorobishtë and Kabash remain symbolic of the determination and resilience of the Albanian population and the KLA fighters in their pursuit of independence.
Demographics
editThe village is one of seven mixed Albanian-Bosniak villages near Prizren.[11] The 1971 census saw the Slavic Muslim inhabitants being largely assimilated into Albanians.[12] It had 1128 inhabitants according to the 2011 census, of whom 67,91% Albanians and 26,86% Bosniaks.
The bilingual speaking Muslim population, known as Podgorci or Prekokamci, living in Skorobište, Grnčare, Ljubizda,and Novo Selo, did not largely leave during and after the Kosovo War.[13]
Culture
editThe local Slavic speech (Podgorski) is part of the Prizren–South Morava speech, of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian. The Albanians speak the Northeastern Gheg sub-dialect of Albanian.
Personalities
edit• Mulla Selim (Bilo) Bajra (1875-1925), First Mufti (Muslim leader)
• Ekrem Rexha (1961-2000), KLA Commander
References
edit- ^ 2011 Kosovo Census results
- ^ Skopsko naučno društvo (1927). Glasnik Skopskog naučnog društva. Vol. 2. p. 33.
- ^ Vojislav Korać (2000). Colloque scientifique international Huit siecles du monastere de Chilandar: histoire, vie spirituelle, littérature, art et architecture. SANU. p. 41.
- ^ a b c Istorijski glasnik. Društvo istoričara SR Srbije. 1989. pp. 48–50.
- ^ Srboljub Đ Stamenković (2001). Географска енциклопедија насеља Србије: М-Р. Универзитет у Београду. Географски факултет. p. 336. ISBN 978-86-82657-15-6.
- ^ Srpsko učeno društvo (1874). Glasnik Srpskoga učenog društva ... Vol. 40. p. 197.
- ^ a b Putopis dela prave (stare) Srbije. Vol. 3. U Državnoj štampariji. 1877. p. 161.
- ^ a b Matica srpska (1882). Letopis matice srpske. Vol. 131–135. Matica srpska. p. 1.
- ^ Цокова Полина и Йордан Симов. Българското образование в Македония 1915–1918 г. – (не)преодоляната криза, Кюстендилски четения 2009. Кризите в историята, София 2011, с. 159.
- ^ Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti (1980). Glas. Vol. 315–318. p. 29.
- ^ Milovan Radovanović (2004). Etnički i demografski procesi na Kosovu i Metohiji. Liber Press. p. 458.
- ^ Srpska reč. DP "Borba". 1999. p. 102.
- ^ Јужнословенски филолог. Vol. 61. 2005. p. 146.