Leskovik

Leskovik
Municipality

The city of Leskovik and the Melesini Mountain
Leskovik
Coordinates: 40°9′N 20°36′E / 40.150°N 20.600°ECoordinates: 40°9′N 20°36′E / 40.150°N 20.600°E
Country  Albania
County Korçë
Elevation 913 m (2,995 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 1,525
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal code 7402
Area code 0871
Car plates ER

Leskovik is a municipality in the Kolonjë District, Korçë County, southeastern Albania.[1] It is located right at the Greek-Albanian border. The population at the 2011 census was 1,525.[2] Its maximum population was around 1910, with around 10,000 people.

History

Ottoman period

The area came under Ottoman rule in 15th century and became part of the Sanjak of Ioannina.[3][4] Leskovik was recognized as a town in the early 1800s. It was conceived as a relaxing and retreat center for the Ottoman administration. According to the "Encyclopedia" of Sami Frashëri, it gradually became the center of the Kaza and later the Sanjak.

Leskovik surroundings and its nearby mountain Melesin were a battle arena between Ottoman army and the Albanian rebels led by Iliaz (Zylyftar) Poda (from the nearby village of Podë) during the Albanian rebellion of 1832-1833.[5][6]

Edith Durham, who traveled the area during the last Ottoman period, would give a description of the town in her book "The Burden of the Balkans" as: "Leskovik is a quiet small place, solid and stony, built much like a North Wales village, but clean and tidy, the population mostly Bektashite Moslems. Some of the Christian women had a small cross tattooed between their eyebrows. There is small church, and a Greek school...".[7]

During the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) Ottoman rule came to an end and Leskovik briefly came under the control of the Greek forces. Shortly after the town was visited by an international commission who was responsible to draw the precise borders between the Kingdom of Greece and the newly established Principality of Albania.[8] Leskovik was finally ceded to Albania under the terms of the Protocol of Florence (17 December 1913).

World War II

During the Greco-Italian War, Leskovik was controlled by the Greek Army, during the penetration of the Greek forces in November 1940. Latter, the town showed a strong support to communist partisans during the Italian and German World War II occupation.

Cold War

The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, being an ally of the Soviet Union, was involved in the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) by supporting the communist led Greek Democratic Army. Leskovic became for a period its headquarters. The town also hosted a training, a supply center, as well as medical facilities for the communist guerrillas, who mounted several invasions from Albanian soil into the Greek region of Grammos and fled back to Albania once an operation was completed.[9]

Today

The population has decreased after the '90s, due to emigration. The population's religion is distributed between Bektashis, Orthodoxes, and Muslims.

Geography

Leskovik is located 0.7 miles from Melesin mountain,[10] inside Ersekë-Konitsa-Çarshovë triangle.

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ Albanian government budget legislation
  2. ↑ 2011 census results
  3. ↑ H. Karpat, Kemal (1985). Ottoman population, 1830-1914: demographic and social characteristics. p. 146. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  4. ↑ Motika, Raoul (1995). Türkische Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte (1071-1920). p. 297. Retrieved 22 September 2011. Sancaks Yanya (Kazas: Yanya, Aydonat (Paramythia), Filat (Philiates), Meçova (Metsovo), Leskovik (war kurzzeitig Sancak) und Koniçe (Konitsa)
  5. ↑ Schwandner-Sievers, Bernd J.; Fischer (October 21, 2002). Albanian Identities: Myth and History. Indiana University Press. p. 174. ISBN 978-0253215703. ...in addition to the revolts led my Albanian military leaders, like Zylyftar Poda and Tafil Buzi, throughout the decade of 1830s,...
  6. ↑ Portrait of Albania, "8 Nëntori" Publishing House, 1982, p. 50, The battles in the Melesin Mountain (Leskovik) in 1831 and in Shkodra in 1835,...
  7. ↑ Mary Edith Durham (1905). "Chapter X: Monastir to Tepelen". The Burden of the Balkans. London: EDWARD ARNOLD. p. 217. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  8. ↑ Stickney, Edith Pierpont (1926). Southern Albania or Northern Epirus in European International Affairs, 1912–1923. Stanford University Press. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-0-8047-6171-0.
  9. ↑ Shrader, Charles R. (1999). The withered vine : logistics and the communist insurgency in Greece, 1945-1949 ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). Westport, Conn.: Praeger. pp. 188–192. ISBN 9780275965440.
  10. ↑ "1", Local Environmental Action Plan (in Albanian), Leskovik Municipality, 2007, p. 13, retrieved 2013-09-22, Qyteti i Leskovikut është i vendosur në një lartësi mesatare 920 mmbi nivelin e detit dhe shtrihet rrëzë malit të Melesinit dhe kodrave përreth tij. Leskoviku është i rrethuar nga një sërë kodrash dhe malesh. Në krahinën e Leskovikut bëjnë pjesë, përveç qytetit, një mori fshatrash të përmendura jo vetëm në traditat historike e kulturore, por edhe aktualitetin agro-blegtoral të tyre. Këtu përmenden fshatrat Postenan, Lashovë, Cërckë, Gërmenj, Podë, Radat, Glinë, Vrepckë, Radanj, Pobickë. Në lindje, qyteti kufizohet me malin e Vashës dhe në perëndim me malin e Melesinit. [Leskovik is located at an average height of 920 meters above sea level and lies at the foot of the Melesin Mountain and hills around him. Leskovik is surrounded by a range of mountains and hills. In Leskovik province, in addition to the town, there are a number of villages referring not only to the historical and cultural traditions, but also the relevance of their agro-livestock. We can mention here the villages of Postenan, Lashovë, Cerckë, Germenj, pode, Radati, Glina, Verpcka, Radanje, Pobickë. To the east, the city is bordered by Vasha Mountain and to the west by Melesin Mountain.]
  11. ↑ Late Ottoman society: the intellectual legacy By Elisabeth Özdalga Page 311
  12. ↑ Late Ottoman society: the intellectual legacy By Elisabeth Özdalga page 319
  13. ↑ Dalip Greca (August 7, 2013), Enigma e Hymnit të Federatës "VATRA" [Enigma of the "Vatra" Federation Hymn] (in Albanian), New York, NY: "Dielli" online, retrieved 2013-09-17
  14. ↑ Nuri Plaku (6 February 2009), Kontributi i Nedin Leskovikut ne hapjen e shkolles se pare shqipe ne Myzeqe [Contribution of Nedin Leskoviku in the opening of the first Albanian school in Myzeqe] (in Albanian), Fieri.com, retrieved 2013-09-17

External links