Gjilan

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This article is about the city in Kosovo. For other uses, see Gjilan (disambiguation).
Gjilan
City and municipality
From the top to bottom-right, View over Gjilan, Gjilan Regional Museum, The Clocktower, Xhamia e Derëmahallës, Statue of Idriz Seferi
Flag
Seal
Gjilan is located in Kosovo
Gjilan
Gjilan
Gjilan is located in Europe
Gjilan
Gjilan
Coordinates: 42°27′53″N 21°28′1″E / 42.46472°N 21.46694°E / 42.46472; 21.46694
CountryKosovo
DistrictGjilan
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorAlban Hyseni (Vetëvendosje)
 • CouncilGjilan Municipal Council
Area
 • Municipality[1]391.84 km2 (151.29 sq mi)
 • Rank10th in Kosovo
Population
 (2011[2])
 • Municipality[1]90,178
 • Rank6th in Kosovo
 • Urban
54,239
 • Rural
35,939
 • Ethnicity
Demonym(s)Albanian: Gjilanas (m), Gjilanase (f)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
60000
Area code+383 (0) 28
Vehicle registration06
Websitekk.rks-gov.net/gjilan/

Gjilan[a] or Gnjilane (Serbian Cyrillic: Гњилане) is the sixth most populous city in Kosovo and it serves as both a municipality and the administrative center of the Gjilan District. The municipality has a population of 90,178 with approximately 54,239 inhabitants residing in the urban area. It is located in the east of Kosovo, in the region of Anamorava, and is well connected with the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina, as well as other surrounding cities such as Ferizaj, Kamenica, Preševo and Bujanovac.

Name[edit]

The etymology of Gjilan is disputed. Albanian sources claim that the town (initially a village) obtained its name from Bahti Beg Gjinolli of Gjinaj clan that ruled the region of Vushtrri (Llap and Drenica), and populated this area in the 18th century (around 1750).[citation needed] However, there is no definite evidence to support this claim and in fact no one can confirm who the first real inhabitants were or when they first settled. On the other hand, Serbian sources claim that the origin of the city's name comes from the Serbian word "gnjio" (rotten).[3]

Modern history[edit]

In 1999, Camp Monteith was established outside the city as a base of operations for KFOR during Operation Joint Guardian, on the site of a destroyed Serbian military base which was handed over to the Kosovo Protection Corps in 2007 after the U.S. Military downsized their number of troops. Gjilan has also served as the regional headquarters of the UNMIK International Police task force from 1999.

On April 24, 2002, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the municipality of Gjilan. The earthquake killed one person and injured several others. While hundreds of houses were damaged, mainly old residential houses. The municipality of Gjilan is known as a seismic zone, but from 2002 to 2024 no major earthquakes were recorded.[4][5][6]

Geography[edit]

Gjilan is located in the southeastern part of Kosovo, the region of Anamorava. Its geographic position makes it possible to make good connections with other centers of Kosovo and the region. Around the town of Gjilan lies the Hill of Martyrs (Popovica), Gllama, Dheu i Bardhë, the area of Malisheva (Gjilan), Zabeli of Sahit Agës and Bregu i Thatë. There are three small rivers, Mirusha, Banja and Stanishori, which join and flow to Binačka Morava, west of the Uglara village.

Gjilan is 46 km from Pristina, 27 km from Kamenica, 22 km from Vitia, and 25 km from Novo Brdo. The municipalities of the region are bordered in the southeast by Preševo (33 km) and Kumanovo (53 km), and in the east by Bujanovac (40 km).[7]

The Gjilan area is defined by the Morava River, which collects all the small rivers, with an average monthly flow rate of 6.7 cubic meters/second. In the southeast it is surrounded by the mountains of Karadak.[7]

Climate[edit]

Gjilan has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa) as of the Köppen climate classification with an average annual temperature of 10.9 °C (51.6 °F).[8] The warmest month in Gjilan is August with an average temperature of 22.1 °C (71.8 °F), while the coldest month is January with an average temperature of −0.5 °C (31.1 °F).[8]

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of Gjilan

The budget of the municipality of Gjilan for 2024 is 37 million euros.

A large part of the income is dedicated to salaries for the administration, while a smaller part is distributed for capital investments[9]

Based on the reports of the Gap Institute for the year 2021, 6,085 businesses are active in this municipality.

In the private sector, 11,678 are employed, while in the public sector are employed 2,457 people

Education[edit]

Main article: Education in Gjilan

Education in Gjilan includes pre-school, primary and secondary education, and a public university (Kadri Zeka). As of 2018, there were 12,370 students in 29 primary schools, of which 12,023 were ethnic Albanians and 347 members of ethnic minorities (Serbs, Roma and Turks). There were nine secondary schools with 5,650 students of which 5,449 were Albanians and the rest minority groups.[10]

Infrastructure[edit]

The government of Kosovo is building the highway that connects the city of Gjilan with Pristina. The highway will also connect the city of Kamenica. The highway is 47 kilometers long. Some segments of the Gjilan-Prishtine highway have been paved and the works are expected to be completed at the end of 2024 or at the beginning of 2025.[11][12][13]

Gjilan-Prishtina highway under construction

Demography[edit]

The city of Gjilan
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
195348,748—    
196152,415+0.91%
197167,893+2.62%
198184,085+2.16%
1991103,675+2.12%
201190,178−0.69%
2016
est.		80,525−2.24%
Source: Division of Kosovo

The population of Gjilan has always been mixed, but with a predominant majority of Albanians in both periods during Turkish and Serbian-Yugoslav rule. According to the 2011 census, the Municipality of Gjilan has 90,178 inhabitants. Albanians – 87,814, Serbs – 624, Turks – 978, Bosniaks – 121, Roma – 361, Ashkali – 15, Gorani – 69, Egyptians – 1, others – 95. They preferred not to respond – 35 people. In the city live 54,239 inhabitants, while in rural areas – 35,939. Division of population by gender: male – 45,354, female – 44,824.[14] Based on the population estimates from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics in 2016, the municipality has 81,447 inhabitants.

The vast majority of the population is Albanian, followed by Serbs, and a small number of minorities. There are among others, 978 Turks or 1% of the municipal population. The recorded number of Serbs has decreased due to partial census boycott[15] and the creation of the Serb-majority municipality of Parteš.

The ethnic composition of the municipality:

Ethnic composition
Year/population Albanians  % Serbs  % Roma  % Others  % Total
2011 87,814 97.45 624 0.7 361 0.4 1,379 1.52 90,178
Source: Yugoslav population censuses for data through 1991,and Kosovo 2011 census.

Albanian, Serbian and Turkish are all official languages in the municipality.[16]

Culture[edit]

A theater drama performance in Gjilan

Flaka e Janarit[edit]

Main article: Flaka e Janarit

Flaka e Janarit is a cultural event that starts on January 11 in Gjilan with a symbolic opening of the flame, to keep up with various cultural activities to 31 January of each year. It gathers thousands of artists and art lovers from all the Albanian territories, who for three consecutive weeks transform the city into a cultural metropolis. The nation's martyrs are honored through values of art by this event, which began before the 10th anniversary of the assassination of writer, activist and patriot Jusuf Gërvalla, along with Kadri Zeka and Bardhosh Gërvalla. It was exactly the tenth anniversary without these three martyrs of freedom and from coincidence of these murders in a same date on 11 January, this event got this name "Flaka e Janarit".[17]

Sports[edit]

Main article: Sports in Gjilan
Feyenoord-Drita match

The most popular sport in this city is football.

The city has two teams Drita and Gjilani.

Drita has been declared champion twice in the Kosovo league, while the Gjilan club has not yet managed to win a title.

Drita has participated in competitions organized by UEFA and has played matches with other teams[18]

Main article: Kosovo Derby

Gjilan hosts the biggest derby in Kosovo, the Kosovo Derby, between FC Drita and SC Gjilani. Both of the clubs are from the city, which draw thousands of viewers inside the Gjilan City Stadium.

Gallery[edit]

  • Town center, 1913
    Town center, 1913
  • 1925
    1925
  • House of Zekirja Abdullahu
    House of Zekirja Abdullahu
  • Monastery of St. Nicholas, Straža, Gjilan
    Monastery of St. Nicholas, Straža, Gjilan
  • Main Street
    Main Street
  • City Theater
    City Theater
  • Conservatory
    Conservatory
  • Clock Tower
    Clock Tower
  • Big Mosque
    Big Mosque
  • Oldest Mosque of 1606
    Oldest Mosque of 1606
  • Dunav Church
    Dunav Church

Notable people[edit]

See also: List of people of Gjilan

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Kosovo

Gjilan is twinned with:

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Albanian definite form: Gjilani, IPA-sq

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Komisioni për majten e territorit të Republikës së Kosovës" (PDF) (in Albanian). Prime Minister Office of Kosovo. p. 52. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. ^ 2011 Kosovo Census results
  3. ^ "Архивирана копија". Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. ^ Malisheva, T. V. (2020-04-27). "Pamje të dhimbshme nga tërmeti i vitit 2002 në Gjilan". MALISHEVA. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  5. ^ "Pamje të rralla nga tërmeti i vitit 2002 në Gjilan". Periskopi. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  6. ^ Musliu, Ilmi (2024-04-24). "22 vjet nga tërmeti në Gjilan". Mediafokus (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  7. ^ a b "Geographical position". Municipality of Gjilan - Official Website. Municipality of Gjilan. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Climate: Prizren". Climate-Data. Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  9. ^ A.S (2023-10-27). "Kuvendarët e Gjilanit miratuan në një seancë të jashtëzakonshme buxhetin për vitin 2024". Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  10. ^ "Municipality Profile 2018: Gjilan/Gnjilane" (PDF). osce.org. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
  11. ^ "Prezantohet Autostrada e tretë kosovare, Prishtinë-Gjilan-Konçul". Albinfo. 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  12. ^ RadioStar (2023-07-21). "Hyseni: Autostrada Gjilan-Prishtinë po hapet këtë vit, 70% e punimeve kanë përfunduar!". RADIO STAR 96.4. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  13. ^ Infokus, Gazeta (2024-02-14). "Autostrada Prishtinë-Gjilan, qeveria miraton propozimin për shpronësime shtesë". Infokus. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  14. ^ "Population Number". Gjilan. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  15. ^ "ECMI: Minority figures in Kosovo census to be used with reservations". ECMI.
  16. ^ OSCE Archived 2019-03-27 at the Wayback Machine Implementation of the Law on the Use of Languages by Kosovo Municipalities
  17. ^ Rrustemi, Sabit (2001). Cultural Literary Magazine "Agmia". Vol. 5. pp. 85–86. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ^ admin (2018-05-20). "Drita feston titullin e kampionit, të dytin në histori". Federata e Futbollit e Kosovës (in Albanian). Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  19. ^ "Haziri e Damianovski vlerësojnë se Gjilani e Kumanova janë shembulli më i mirë i bashkëpunimit ndërkufitar" (in Albanian). Gjilan. 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  20. ^ "Korça dhe Gjilani mund të binjakëzohen". yildirim.bel.tr (in Albanian). Albanian Post. 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  21. ^ "Binjakezime". bashkiasarande.gov.al (in Albanian). Sarandë. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  22. ^ "Sister Cities". sioux-city.org. City of Sioux City. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
  23. ^ "Yıldırım Belediyesi 2020–2024 Stratejik Planı" (PDF). yildirim.bel.tr (in Turkish). Yıldırım. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-04-26.

Sources[edit]

  • Kalezić, Dimitrije M. (2002). A – Z. Savremena administracija. ISBN 9788638706716.
  • Urošević, Atanasije; Macura, Miloš (1987). Etnički procesi na Kosovu tokom turske vladavine [Ethnic Processes in Kosovo during Turkish Rule]. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti. ISBN 8670250152.

External links[edit]

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