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| P E S H K O P I |
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| COURTESY OF ILIRIAPRESS |
| Falemnderit p�r vizit�n, dhe mir�sevini gjithmon�. |
| Thank you for visiting, and welcome again |
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| News Albania Kosova Ilirida Epirus Valley of Morava Plava and Gucija Terror Human Rights Violation History Music Literature |
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| News Albania Kosova Ilirida Epirus Valley of Morava Plava and Gucija Terror Human Rights Violation History Music Literature |
| The city became the royal city. It was the home of the bishop of Dibra. In 9th Century AD., the Bulgarians were organizing uprising against Byzantine, They united with Christian priests into a joined battle. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian view for creation of a joined state did not sell very well. Tsar Simeon attempted to invade Byzantine, but he needed allies. Prince Simeon invaded Byzantium in 894 after the Byzantine prohibits to the Bulgarians to use the markets. Faced with a counter-invasion in the south by the Byzantine general Nikephoros Phocas, as well as a blockade of the Danube by the Byzantine fleet, Simeon was forced to negotiate for peace. At the same time he secretly allied himself with the Pechenegs for a joint attack on the Magyars, subsequently renewing his attack on Byzantium. However, the palace built in Peshkopia or castle of Justinian was a home of Archon of Bulgaria." The district of Deborus was under the rule of Boris. The only direct evidence of Boris's title are his seals and the inscription found near the town of Ballsh, modern Albania. With the treaty of 904, all Slavic-inhabited lands in modern southern Macedonia and southern Albania were ceded to the Bulgarian Empire, Samuel Kometopulos was crowned tsar of Bulgaria in 997, the first Bulgarian empire surviving until 1018. In his early years Samuel managed to inflict several major defeats on the Byzantines and to launch offensive campaigns on their territory� Samuel struggled to preserve his country's independence from the Byzantine Empire. His soldiers rulled Dibra. His military general Stefano Bulgar is believed to stay in the castle in Bulka. Samuel died and his army was defeated by Basil II, surnamed the Bulgar-slayer 1025. Peshkopia was found under the Byzantine again. The city of Deborus and Peshkopia lived in peace under the rule of Byzantine until the Ottoman Turkey conquered the city. Byzantium was the world�s leader, and it developed science and encouraged art. Eventhough the Illyrians were extremely religious and superstitious, it did not prevent the church from supporting the education of the people. The preservation and copying of the classics was due to the work of the Byzantines and the Church. Byzantium was also a leader in using diplomacy to solve international disputes and it maintained an extensive secret service in enemy places. |
| The city of Peshkopia was the center of bishops, and the Christianity flourished. Deborus was an important crafting and trade center and had a very significant economic role in this region. There were shops, small manufacturing enterprises, and both Little and Greater Deborus was one of the most important economic centers. Deborus was on of the most developed place in the region with developed economy, trade, crafting, with hers distinguished architecture and in the social - cultural plan. In this period, the population of the region was 25 000 inhabitants. |
| In 1389, Ottoman Turkey lunched attacks in the southern part of Balkan Peninsula. Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs fell one after one, and they found occupied for the next five centuries under the rules of Ottoman Empire. The Bulgarians and Greeks were defeated and burned alive while the Russian Gypsies known as Serbs were decapitated. The Hungarians barely were resisting, and in the southwestern part, the Albanians were heroically battling the ottoman armies. The Albanians were not helped by others, and the Ottoman Turks army was three times bigger than Albanians. |
| The attack started in 1441 and ended in 1449. After the Turkish occupation, the city was devastated. The city of Peshkopia was demolished. The city was occupied for the next five centuries by the Ottoman Turkey. With its natural sources and beautiful views, Little and Greater Dibra became the economic center during the Ottoman rule. Its craftsmen produced fabric, silk, arms, and silver artifacts. The city started to incorporate the Islamic architecture. The Albanians never laid down their arms against the Ottoman occupation. The region of Dibra was the borderline between the Ottoman Turkish forces and Albanian forces. The war did not stop, and it continued until 1465. The region witnessed two major battles, one on April 29, 1944, and the other on September 27, 1446. Both battles were won by Albanians. The Ottoman Turks called the city Dibri. It is believed that the city got the name Dib�r in Ottoman times. |
| When the Ottoman Turkey arrived in Dib�r, the Islam faith knocked on the door of the people of Little and Grate Dib�r. The Ottoman Empire known with the policies and laws of holy Koran did not use force to convert people to Islam. The Ottomans have studied culture, tradition, folklore of the people, and by giving a lot of wealth in peaceful way expended Islam among the people in Dib�r and Balkans. The Ottomans carefully have studied the Albanian people. The Ottomans studied very carefully the Albanians and found out that the Albanians were the rulers of Rome and Byzantine. The Albanians were priced by Ottoman of high virtue. The Ottomans revealed that the Albanian people are genuine, honest, courage and brave, heroic with war fighting capabilities, and trustworthy. It was priority for the Ottomans to create true bound and alliance with Albanians by making everything to convert Albanians to Muslim faith. However, the Albanians were stubborn and not likely to change the religion. Therefore, the expansion of this religion among Albanian was hard. The exercise mostly practiced by Ottomans was the trust of Albanians. The Albanians from Dib�r were faithful to the Ottomans, and they respected them. During the Ottoman times in Dib�r, many Albanians achieved titles such as �agas,� �begs,� �pasha,� and �viziers.� During the Ottoman times, the economic and social life grew. The city became an important trading place. Many trading stores were opened, and the new crafts built only in this place had hard time to meet the demands of that time. There were saddlers, tinkers, coppersmiths, and goldsmiths, which contributed in founding of the Gostivar bazaar. The reconstruction involved the building of the shopping place or �Bazaar,� the two story houses, but it still retained the Illyrian style. During 16th Century, the region undergo in construction of mosques. It is still remained in folk songs, �Dib�r with seven minarets done lot of things for the Port. What Dibra did for Istanbul, Istanbul did not do for Dib�r.� For first time under the name Dibra, the city appears in the year 1502 on the itinerary notes of Felix Petanci. In the first half of the 19th century, the traveler Ami Bue has observed and recorded that Dibra has 64 shops and 4200 residents. By the end of the century, the town had 15,500 residents. In the year 1800, Dibra with 8500 inhabitants and more than 250 small business enterprises such as stores, shops, and small artisan manufacturing places, was one of the most important economic centers for central. Both Little and Grate Dibra were called the same. Albanians mostly used Peshkopia for little Dib�r because the city was the host of the bishop of both Dibras. |
| In the 17th century, Dib�r and Peshkopia became part of the Villayet of Kosova, and it turned to be an important trade center in the second half of the 18th century. Dib�r and Peshkopia were significantly involved in the national Albanian movement and on November 1, 1878 the Albanian leaders of the city participated in founding the League of Prizren.
After the collapse and weakness of the Ottoman Turkey, the Russian forces attack the Empire. The joined Russian, Polish, Fins, Serbian and other Slavic forces attack the weak Ottoman Empire. In a fallacy alliance with Albanian, Boshnjaks, Bulgarians, the Russians and the Serbs have started the war to betray all. The large numbar of the soldiers in the Slavic Vardar Army perpetrated massacres not only to the non slavic soldiers that were in the units, but the civilivan population was killed and massacred to. They killed every person including children, old women and men. It was a genocide and ethnic cleansing. The Bulgarians and other non Serbian population were forced to declare themselves as Serbian, while the Albanian population was killed. While the Slavic people were talking about fighting the Ottoman Turkey, the Slaves prepared hidden plans to anex the Albanian territories. The Serbo-Montenegrin forces or better known as Russian Gypcies attacked the villages arround Dib�r. During the First Balkan War of 1912-1913, the city was annexed by the Kingdom of Serbia.in September 1913 there was an Alabanian uprising from Dib�r and Peshkopia against Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Albanians drew the Serbian forces out of the city. By the congress of Berlin, the city was given to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. |
| The city of Dib�r and Peshkopia was ethnically clean. All the citizens were Albanians. There were few Gendarmeries, and the election was always won by Albanian. In 1941, the city of Dib�r and Peshkopia found themselves under the occupation of Italy. The Italian forces were driven out in 1943 by Albanian National Head. Both Dibras had communist units or Partisans. The communists betrayed by the Slavic communists divided Peshkopia and Dibra. Peshkopia remained a part of Albania, while Greater Dibra was in no men zone until 1957. The UN sided to Yugoslavian side.
The city of Dib�r being among the most important economic centers in Balkans, the Yugoslavian made possible the city to be undeveloped. There was a little effort of investments by the Yugoslav Government. Even though the richness of the town and surrounding area, Dibra still remains undeveloped town. Unfortunately, the FROY Macedonia is continuing in the same way. Dibra now is one of the most underdeveloped places in FROY Macedonia. Little Dib�r or Peshkopia is far more developed than Greater Dib�r. For fifty years, the communism ruled Peshkopia. After the fall of communism, the small businesses flourished giving the true look to the city. Peshkopia is a beautiful place and welcomes everyone to dine in the beautiful foothill of Korab. The Peshkopia are the Dibrans; they are always happy, and they will remain forever happy. |
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| Author: S.K. Shkupjani August 25, 2008 |
