Zvecan
Encyclopedia
Zvečan is a town and municipality in the Kosovska Mitrovica
district of Kosovo
. It is a part of North Kosovo
, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of 104 km² (40 sq mi), and consists of 35 villages. As of 2008, the municipality has a population of approximately 17,000.
families in the area.
According to 2006 estimates, the municipality of Zvečan had a population of 16,600 people.
As of 2008, the municipality has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants, of which ca. 16,050 (ca. 94 %) are Serbs. Some 350 Albanians are concentrated in the villages of Boljetin, Lipa and Žaža, with 80 Kosovo Albanian families having returned to the municipality since 2000. A small number of other minorities also reside in the munnicipality. About 4,000 Kosovo Serbs are located in the municipality as Internally displaced person
s (IDPs) as well as 250 refugees from Croatia
.
. It was mentioned for the first time in connection with the border clashes between the Serbs
and Byzantines
between 1091 and 1094
. There is also an inscription that Stephen Nemanja, after the victory over the Byzantines in 1170, ordered that a prayer for the successful outcome of the battle be held in the church of St. George at Zvečan.
In the 13th and 14th centuries Zvečan was one of the royal residences of the Serbian court. Queen Theodora
died there in December 1322, and nine years later her husband, Stefan Uroš III
was imprisoned and strangled there. First the Musić
, then the Vojinović noble family, held the fortified city and region during the Serbian Empire
of Uroš V (r. 1355–1371).
In 1389, after the Battle of Kosovo
, it was integrated into the Ottoman Empire
and later became part of the Sanjak of Novi Pazar
. From 1878 to 1908 it, along with the rest of the Sanjak, was administered by the
Austro-Hungarian Empire as a result of the Congress of Berlin. But in 1908 it was returned to Turkey.
On the highest spot, i.e. the Upper Town, there are remains of the church of St. George, cistern and the main octagonal tower. The ramparts of this part of the fort are reinforced by massive towers. The main entrance to the town was on the western side.
, part of the University of Pristina at Kosovska Mitrovica
.
Zvečan has hosted annually two international music festivals: The North
City
Jazz
& Blues
Festival
, and international rock
festival Overdrive, as well as international art colony Sokolica and children song festival Cvrkuti sa Ibra (Chirrups from the Ibar River
).
The Zvečan Fortress
and Sokolica Мonastery, both from the Middle Ages
, have been located in the Zvečan area.
District of Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica District is one the five districts of Serbia in Autonomous province Kosovo and Metohija, with seat in the city of Kosovska Mitrovica.-Municipalities:It includes the municipalities of: * Kosovska Mitrovica* Leposavić* Srbica...
district of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. It is a part of North Kosovo
North Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
, a region with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the ethnic-Albanian-majority Kosovo and Metohija. The municipality covers an area of 104 km² (40 sq mi), and consists of 35 villages. As of 2008, the municipality has a population of approximately 17,000.
Demographics
In November 2005, it was estimated that the municipality was 95% Serb, with only 4 AlbanianAlbanians in Kosovo
Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo . According to the 1991 Serbian census, boycotted by Albanians, there were 1,596,072 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or 81.6% of population...
families in the area.
According to 2006 estimates, the municipality of Zvečan had a population of 16,600 people.
As of 2008, the municipality has a population of approximately 17,000 inhabitants, of which ca. 16,050 (ca. 94 %) are Serbs. Some 350 Albanians are concentrated in the villages of Boljetin, Lipa and Žaža, with 80 Kosovo Albanian families having returned to the municipality since 2000. A small number of other minorities also reside in the munnicipality. About 4,000 Kosovo Serbs are located in the municipality as Internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s (IDPs) as well as 250 refugees from Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
.
| Ethnic Composition, Including IDPs | |||||||||||||
| Year/Population | Albanians | % | Serbs | % | Others | % | IDP | % | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1,934 | 19.3 | 7,591 | 75.7 | 554 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10,030 | ||||
| January 1999 | 2,261 | 24.5 | 6,825 | 73.9 | 146 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | 9,229 | ||||
| Current figure | 350 | 2.1 | 12,050 | 72.6 | 250 | 1.5 | 4,200 | 25.3 | 16,600 | ||||
| Ref: OSCE – | |||||||||||||
History
The town of Zvečan is located near Kosovska MitrovicaKosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
. It was mentioned for the first time in connection with the border clashes between the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
between 1091 and 1094
Battle of Zvečan
Since the early 8th century, Serbia had a relationship of entirely nominal suzerainty with the Byzantine Empire. Serbian rulers were crowned as princes and led entirely independent states linked very precariously to the Constantinople...
. There is also an inscription that Stephen Nemanja, after the victory over the Byzantines in 1170, ordered that a prayer for the successful outcome of the battle be held in the church of St. George at Zvečan.
In the 13th and 14th centuries Zvečan was one of the royal residences of the Serbian court. Queen Theodora
Theodora Smilets of Bulgaria
Theodora Smilets was a Bulgarian princess and queen consort of Serbia, the first wife of king Stefan Uroš III Dečanski of Serbia....
died there in December 1322, and nine years later her husband, Stefan Uroš III
Stefan Uroš III Decanski of Serbia
Stephen Uroš III of Dečani was King of Serbia from January 6, 1322 to 8 September 1331. He defeated and killed several of his family members who wanted to take the throne from him. He took his epithet Dečanski from the great monastery he built at Dečani.-Early:He was the son of King Stefan Uroš II...
was imprisoned and strangled there. First the Musić
Musić noble family
The Musić was a Serbian noble house that served the Serbian Empire , and during its fall it served Tsar Lazar's Serbia. The eponymous founder was čelnik Musa, who married Dragana Hrebeljanović, the sister of Tsar Lazar . Stefan and Lazar Musić, the sons of Musa, held a region of roughly modern...
, then the Vojinović noble family, held the fortified city and region during the Serbian Empire
Serbian Empire
The Serbian Empire was a short-lived medieval empire in the Balkans that emerged from the Serbian Kingdom. Stephen Uroš IV Dušan was crowned Emperor of Serbs and Greeks on 16 April, 1346, a title signifying a successorship to the Eastern Roman Empire...
of Uroš V (r. 1355–1371).
In 1389, after the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
, it was integrated into the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and later became part of the Sanjak of Novi Pazar
Sanjak of Novi Pazar
The Sanjak of Novi Pazar was an Ottoman sanjak that existed until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 in the territory of present day Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.-History:It was part of the Bosnia Vilayet and later Kosovo Vilayet and included...
. From 1878 to 1908 it, along with the rest of the Sanjak, was administered by the
Austro-Hungarian Empire as a result of the Congress of Berlin. But in 1908 it was returned to Turkey.
On the highest spot, i.e. the Upper Town, there are remains of the church of St. George, cistern and the main octagonal tower. The ramparts of this part of the fort are reinforced by massive towers. The main entrance to the town was on the western side.
Economy
The largest employer in Zvečan is the lead and zinc smelting factory “Trepča.” Its large smokestack is with 306 metres the tallest structure in Kosbo. Due to the serious environmental pollution from the factory, however, UN and KFOR shut it down and the only ongoing operation is alloy production for batteries and battery recycling. Once employing up to 4,000, the very low operations of “Trepča” has had a devastating effect on the local economy. Today, in the municipality only about 500 people are working at 60 small private companies and 150 shops.Culture and education
In Zvečan is situated the Faculty of Arts of PristinaFaculty of Arts in Priština
The Faculty of Arts of Pristina is the faculty of arts of the University of Pristina in North Kosovo.- History :The Faculty was founded in Pristina in 1973 as the Academy of Arts and got the present name in 1986. During the Kosovo War of 1999 it was moved, first to Varvarin and later to Zvečan and...
, part of the University of Pristina at Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
.
Zvečan has hosted annually two international music festivals: The North
North Kosovo
North or Northern Kosovo refers to a region in the northern part of Kosovo with an ethnic Serb majority that functions largely autonomously from the remainder of the disputed territory, which has an ethnic Albanian majority. Ibarian Kolashin , a toponym that pre-dates the political partition, is...
City
Kosovska Mitrovica
Kosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
& Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
Festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
, and international rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
festival Overdrive, as well as international art colony Sokolica and children song festival Cvrkuti sa Ibra (Chirrups from the Ibar River
Ibar River
The Ibar is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro and Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, eastern Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and flows into the West Morava river, Central Serbia, near Kraljevo....
).
The Zvečan Fortress
Zvecan Fortress
The Fortress of Zvečan, located in the north-west of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica, in North Kosovo, is an enormous castle and one of the oldest fortresses in South Eastern Europe...
and Sokolica Мonastery, both from the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, have been located in the Zvečan area.