Peć

Peć is a town and municipality in north-western Kosovo, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district.

The Serbian name of the city is Peć; the Albanian name's definite form is Peja and the indefinite one Pejë. Other names of the city include the Latin Pescium and Siparantum, the Greek Episkion , the Turkish Ipek or I.pek, and the formerly used form Pentza.

The municipality covers an area of 602 km2 (232 sq mi), including the town of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial communities. The municipality has a population of approximately 170,000 (2008), of which ca. 81.000 live in the town of Peć.

History

The city is located in a strategic position on the Pećka Bistrica river, a tributary of the White Drin to the east of the Prokletije. The city was known as Pescium during the Roman era; or as reported by Ptolemy in his Geography, Siparantum.

The town became a major religious center of medieval Serbia under the Serbian Tsar Stefan Dušan, who made it the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1346. It retained this status until 1766, when the Patriarchate of Peć was abolished. Today, Peć holds the Patriarchate of Serbia. The town and its surrounding area are still revered by adherents of Serbian Orthodoxy; the town is the site of the patriarchal monastery, which stands above the town and consists of four fresco-decorated churches, a library, and a treasury. The 14th century Visoki Deèani monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies about 19 km (12 mi) south, in nearby Deèani.

Peć was captured by the Ottomans in the late 14th century, and underwent major changes under their rule, including a change of name to Ipek. The town was settled by a large number of Turks, many of whose descendants still live in the area, and took on a distinctly oriental character with narrow streets and old-style Turkish houses. It also gained an Islamic character with the construction of a number of mosques, many of which still survive. One of these is the Bajrakli Mosque, built by the Ottomans in the 15th century and located in the center of the city.

The five centuries of Ottoman rule came to an end in the First Balkan War of 1912-1913, when Montenegro took control of the town. In the late 1915, during World War I, Austria-Hungary took the city. Peć was retaken in October 1918. After World War I, the city became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Between 1931 and 1941 the city was part of Zeta Banovina. During the World War II Peæ was occupied by Albania. After World War II, Peæ became part of Yugoslavia as part of the People's Republic of Serbia.

Relations between Serbs and Albanians, who were the majority population, were often tense during the 20th century. They came to a head in the Kosovo War of 1999, during which the city suffered heavy damage and mass killings.[3]. It suffered further damage in violent inter-ethnic unrest in 2004.

Economy

The economy was inevitably badly affected by the war, but historically it has centered on agricultural activities and craftworks produced by the city's traditional craftsmen – coppersmiths, goldsmiths, slipper makers, leather tanners, saddle makers, etc. The most influential business family is "DEVOLLI" family which are one of the richest in Peć.

Touristic Places

Peć has beautiful, if undeveloped touristic places, including Rugova Canyon and skiing is possible in the mountains nearby.

Sport

Peć is one of the more successful cities in Kosovan sport leagues. Its premier football team is KF Besa, its basketball teams are KB Peja and KF Shqiponja. Both of them are active in the Kosovar Superliga. KB Peja is the older and more established basketball team of. Additionally the city is a host to a handball tea, KH Besa Famiglia, a volleyball team Ejona Peja, a judo team Ippon, as well as a womens basketball team KB Penza.