Uroševac

Ferizaj or Uroševac (Albanian: Ferizaj or Ferizaji; Serbian: Урошевац, Uroševac) is a city and municipality in southern Kosovo^[a], located some 38 kilometers (24 mi) south of the capital Pristina. Uroševac is the third most populous city in Kosovo, after Pristina and Prizren. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district. The central city postal codes include 70000, 70010, 70030 and 70040.

The municipality covers an area of 345 km² (133 sq mi), including the city of Uroševac and 45 villages. It is largely an agricultural plain. Its population is estimated at 108,690.^[1]:

History

Ferizoviç was little more than a village until 1873, when the Belgrade-Thessaloniki railway was opened, passing through the town. Its Turkish name derives from a pre-1873 hotel owned by a local Kosovo Albanian named Feriz Shashivari; thus Serbs and Bosnians called the community Ferizovići ("Feriz's village") while Albanians called it Ferizaj. The town was known as Ferizovich or Ferizovo in Bulgarian. It is still known informally as "Tasjan", from a Turkish form of the French word station, referring to its status as a main station on the railway line.^[2]

Balkan Wars

After the settlement had fallen to Serbia during the First Balkan War, the local Albanian population gave a determined resistance. According to some reports, the fight lasted three days.^[3] The Serbian commander then ordered the population back home and to surrender arms. When the survivors returned, between 300-400 people were massacred.^[3] There then followed the destruction of Albanian-populated villages around Uroševac.^[4] Before the official annexation to the Kingdom of Serbia, the name was changed to Uroševac, after Stefan Uroš V of Serbia.^[2]

Kosovo War

The city suffered some damage during the Kosovo War of 1999, with some of its Albanian-populated neighborhoods being shelled and burned by the Yugoslav Army. Following the war, the city has seen serious intercommunal unrest which resulted in almost all of the Serbians and rest of non-Albanian inhabitants being expelled or fleeing.

Camp Bondsteel, the main base of the United States Army detachment to the KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo, is located nearby.

Mosque and Church

The mosque (Big Mosque of Mulla Veseli from 1891 Albanian: Xhamia e Madhe Mulla Veselit në Ferizaj) and the church St. Uroš Orthodox Cathedral ^[5] located in the centre of Uroševac are considered as a symbol of religious tolerance between Albanian Muslims and Serbian Orthodox. The mosque was destroyed during the World War II, but then rebuilt. During the Kosovo war in 1999 none of them were destroyed. In March 2004 during unrest in Kosovo, the church was attacked. Because the mosque and the church are in the same place, many people like to make photos as a unique phenomenon.

Economy

The US company "Brown & Root," assisting in constructing the Camp Bondsteel, is a major employer in the municipality with 1,500 people locally employed. Most of the 22 socially-owned enterprises have been privatised. According to statistical information from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, there are more than 4,500 private small and medium-sized businesses registered in the municipality while the municipal registry counts 3,463 active local businesses. The municipal figures of local active companies show that 11% are production oriented, 43% provide services, and 46% of businesses are trade-oriented.^[1]

Education

There are 30 primary schools in the municipality and 22,771 students. Six secondary schools include gymnasium and professional schools (technical, medical, music, agricultural and economics) with 7,054 students in total. The school attendance of the Ashkali, Roma and Gorani children is lower than the Kosovo Albanians. There is also one kindergarten with a total of 270 children registered. The Municipal Department of Education and Science has more than 1,680 professional and support staff, including 10 minority communities representatives.^[6] Uroševac has two public libraries, where student also have internet access. Membership prices are very symbolic.

Sport

Three football clubs are situated in Uroševac: FK Ferizaj, KF Vullnetari i UÇK-së and KF Vizioni. Uroševac is center for sports except for handball, where it has one teams in the top league: KH Kastrioti.

Media

There are 3 TV stations and 4 radio stations licensed and operational in Uroševac. All the local media are privately owned: RTV TEMA, TV Liria, RTV Festina, Radio Ferizaj and Radio Furtuna.

Demographics

There is currently no correct information on the exact figure on the municipality's population, as the last census took place in 1991. However, as of 2011 municipal authorities estimate the population to 108,690. The majority, roughly 100,000 residents, are Kosovo Albanian. The other groups are as follows: Ashkali (3500 residents), Roma (200 residents), Gorani (150 residents), Bosniak (60 residents), Serb (approximately 140 residents), and other communities (40 residents), including Turks.^[1]

The city had a population of about 70,000 people in the 1990s but this has grown substantially as a result of Albanian migration from the countryside and from parts of southern Serbia.^[2]

In 1998, prior to the 1999 Kosovo War, the population was recorded as 57,421, of whom 82.1% were Albanian, 9.4% Serb, and the remainder from various other national communities. In 2003 the town had a total population of 139,800.

Notable people

• Arsim Abazi, Footballer
• Lucjan Avgustini, Prelate
• Genc Iseni, Footballer
• Shefqet Pllana, Ethnographer
• Ljuba Tadić, Actor
• Labinot Tahiri, Musik
• Veli Sahiti - TRIX, Musik
• Grupi Kthjellu, Musik
• Astrit Fazliu, Footballer
• Fatos Kryeziu, Actor

Gallery

See also

• Kosovo Serb enclaves
• Pine of Tsar Dušan

Notes and references

Notes:

References:

External links

• Ferizaj
• LuRexSoft
• RTV TEMA
• Ferizajnet