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Korçë
View of Korçë from the Heroes' Cemetery overlooking the town
Country	Albania
County	Korçë County
District	Korçë District
Elevation	850 m (2,800 ft)
Population
• Total	86,000 Estimate
Time zone	UTC+1 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	7001-7004
Area code	082
Car Plates	KO
Website	www.bashkiakorce.gov.al
Skënderbeu Korçë

Korçë (Template:Lang-sq, other names see below) is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 57,758 people (2008 estimate), making it the seventh largest city in Albania. It stands on a plateau some 850 m (2,800 ft) above sea level, surrounded by the Morava Mountains.

History

Neolithic remains have been found indicating occupation of the site from 4000 BC onwards. The Copper Age lasted from 3000 BC to 2100 BC, and was followed by the Bronze Age.

Korce was on the border between Illyria and Epirus and was inhabited by Illyrians but they were replaced by Chaonian tribes.

A town named 'Coviza' is mentioned in medieval documents in 1280. The modern town dates from the end of the 15th Century, when Iljaz Hoxha, under the command of Sultan Mehmet II, developed Korçë. The Ottoman occupation began in 1440, and after Hoxha's role in the siege of Constantinople, in 1453; he was awarded the title, 'Iljaz Bey Mirahor'. Korçë was a sandjak of the Manastir vilayet in the Ottoman Empire as Görice.

Ottoman rule over Korçë lasted until 1912; although the city and its surroundings were supposed to become part of the Principality of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, the Treaty of Berlin of the same year returned the area to Ottoman rule. Korçë's proximity to Greece, which claimed the entire Orthodox population as Greek, led to its being fiercely contested in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. The city was occupied by Greek forces in 6 December 1912. Its incorporation into Albania in 1913 was controversial, as Greece claimed it as part of a region called 'Northern Epirus'. However, in accordance with the Corfu Protocol signed between Greece and Albania in 1914 and the ethnographic survey that preceded it, the city was included in the newly formed Autonomous Northern Epirus zone, the autonomous status of which, however, never came into being. Northern Epirote forces took over the city on 10 July 1914.

During World War I, the Austro-Hungarians took Korçë, to be followed by the Greeks again and finally by France, which occupied Korçë between 1916-1920. During this time the French established the Republic of Koritsa to thwart Italian advances. It ultimately remained part of Albania, as determined by the International Boundary Commission, which affirmed the country's post-war borders.

During the inter-war period, the city became a hotbed of Communist agitation. Albania's future dictator, Enver Hoxha, lived there and was both a pupil and a teacher at the town's French school. Korçë's underground Communist movement became the nucleus of Hoxha's Albanian Party of Labour. During the 1930s, the Bank of Athens had a branch in the city.

Italian forces occupied Korçë in 1939, along with the rest of the country. After the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War, the Greek Army entered the city in November 1940, which remained under Greek sovereignty until the German attack in April 1941. After Italy's withdrawal from the war in 1943, the Germans occupied the town until October 24, 1944.

During the occupation, the city became a major center of Communist-inspired resistance to the Axis occupation of Albania. The establishment of the Albanian Party of Labour – the Communist Party – was formally proclaimed in Korçë in 1941. Albanian rule was restored in 1944 following the withdrawal of German forces.

The area suffered from Hoxha's dictatorial regime like the rest of Albania, although it is arguable whether it was to as great an extent. Hoxha mainly fought against the rich, despite the fact that they had often fought against the Nazi and Fascist occupations. Thousands of people from Korçë were sent to concentration camps or executed for disagreeing with Hoxha's regime. Hundreds of people fled to Boston, USA, joining a community of Albanians who had previously emigrated there.

After 1990 Korçë was one of the six cities where the New Democratic Party won all the constituencies. Popular revolts in February 1991 ended with the tearing down of Hoxha's statue.

Name

Korça is named differently in other languages: Template:Lang-rup; Template:Lang-bg, Korcha or Горица, Goritsa (archaic form); Template:Lang-el, Koritsá; Template:Lang-it; Template:Lang-mk, Gorica; Template:Lang-tr.

Culture

Religion

Korçë has been an important religious center for Orthodox Christians for centuries. It has the largest Orthodox community in Albania, centering the large Orthodox Church. It is the seat of an Orthodox metropolitan bishop. There is also a large Sunni and Bektashi Muslim community in and around Korçë. The main center of the Bektashis of the area is the Turan Tekke.

Museums

Korça is called the city of museums. The National Museum of Medieval Art of Albania, has the richest archive in all of Europe (ca. 6500 icons and 500 other objects in textile, stone and metal). The National Museum of Archeology is located in Korçë. The first Albanian School as well as the house of the painter Vangjush Mio and his gallery function as museums. Another museum in Korçë is the Bratko Museum and the Oriental Museum. Korça is also called "The city of serenates".

Education

The first school -a Greek language school- in the city was established at 1724. In the end of 19th century local Albanians expressed a growing need to be educated in their native language. The first Albanian language school was established in 1887, followed by Albania's first school for girls in 1891. The school, started by Gjerasim Qiriazi was later run by his sisters, Sevasti and Parashqevi. Later collaborators were the Rev. & Mrs. Grigor Tsilka and Rev & Mrs. Phineas Kennedy of the Congregational Misson Board of Boston.

The city is also home of "Fan S. Noli University" which offers several degrees in humanities, business, and sciences. In April 2005 opened the first bilingual Greek-Albanian school in Korça after 60 years of prohibition of Greek education.

Economy

During the 20th century, Korçë gained a substantial industrial capacity in addition to its historic role as a commercial and agricultural centre. The plateau on which the city stands is highly fertile and is one of Albania's main wheat-growing areas. Local industries include the manufacture of knitwear, rugs, textiles, flour-milling, brewing, and sugar-refining. Deposits of lignite coal are mined in the mountains nearby such as Mborje-Drenove.

Sport

• The football (soccer) club is KS Skënderbeu Korçë, Albanian Champions in 1933.

Notable people from Korçë

• Victor Eftimiu, Poet
• Eli Fara, well known Albanian singer.
• Llazar Fundo, member of the Albanian Communist Party during WWII.
• Panteleimon Kotokos (1890–1969), Orthodox bishop of Gjirokastër (1937–1941).
• Xhevat Korça, Albanian patriot, founder of the Institute of Albanian Studies.
• Ermal Kuqo, Albanian basketball player in the Turkish League.
• Savva Lika, Albanian javelin thrower who has Greek citizenship.
• Vangjush Mio, Painter
• Thimi Mitko, Albanian nationalist nad folklorist.
• Ioannis Pangas (1814–1895), entrepreneur and benefactor.
• Leonidas Sabanis, weightlifter and Olympic Games winner for Greece.
• Konstantinos Skenderis, author and politician.
• Dhimitër Zografi, signatory of Albanian Declaration of Independence

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Korçë is twinned with:

• Thessaloniki, Greece

References

1. Wilkes, J. J. The Illyrians, 1992,ISBN 0631198075,page 47,"According to one reconstruction (Hammond) we have the evidence of an Illyrian dynasty being replaced by a Chaonian regime from Northern Epirus"
2. "History of Albania, 1878-1912". World History at KMLA. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
3. The Ottoman Empire and Its Successors, 1801-1927. William Miller, 1966. ISBN 0714619744
4. Albania's Captives. Pyrrhus J. Ruches. Argonaut, 1965. p. 35 "The same year saw the first Greek school there"
5. The question of the education of the Albanians in their own language was a problem posed many times in the reports of American religious missionaries in the Balkans. In June 1896 Reverend Lewis Bond reported that lessons at the Korça (Korcë) school were conducted in modern Greek, while the local people loved their own tongue which they spoke only at their homes. "Can we do anything for them", asked Reverend Bond. His question obviously remained rhetorical, because three years later he sent another, much more extensive, statement on the issues of the language and education of the Albanians in Korça. He wrote that only at the girls' school, set up by the Protestant community, the training was in Albanian and once more claimed there was no American who would not sympathise with the Albanians and their desire to use their own language Source : Antonina Zhelyazkova Albanian identities . International center for minority study and intercultural relations. Sofia .BULGARIA 1999
6. "Albanische Hefte. Parlamentswahlen 2005 in Albanien" (PDF) (in German). Deutsch-Albanischen Freundschaftsgesellschaft e.V. 2005. p. 32.
7. "Twinning Cities". City of Thessaloniki. Retrieved 2009-07-07.

• N.G.L Hammond, Alexander's Campaign in Illyria, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, pp 4–25. 1974
• James Pettifer, Albania & Kosovo, A & C Black, London (2001, ISBN 0713650168)
• François Pouqueville, Voyage en Morée, à Constantinople, an Albanie, et dans plusieurs autres parties de l'Empire othoman, pendant les années 1798, 1799, 1800 et 1801. (1805)
• T.J. Winnifrith Badlands-Borderlands A History of Northern Epirus/Southern Albania (2003)

External links

• Municipality of Korçë

See also

• Moscopole
• Dardha
• Boboshtica
• Liqenas
• Kamenica
• List of cities in Albania
• List of castles in Albania

v t e Subdivisions of Korçë County
County seat: Korçë
Municipality of Devoll	Bilisht Hoçisht Miras Progër Qendër Bilisht
Municipality of Kolonjë	Barmash Çlirim Ersekë Leskovik Mollas Novoselë Qendër Ersekë Qendër Leskovik
Municipality of Korçë	Drenovë Korçë Lekas Mollaj Qendër Bulgarec Vithkuq Voskop Voskopojë
Municipality of Maliq	Gorë Libonik Maliq Moglicë Pirg Pojan Vreshtas
Municipality of Pogradec	Buçimas Çërravë Dardhas Pogradec Proptisht Trebinjë Udënisht Velçan
Municipality of Pustec	Pustec

v t e Cities and towns in Albania
Cities and towns in Albania share the status of a geographic unit which makes up a municipality.
(74)	Bajram Curri Bajzë Ballsh Berat Bilisht Bulqizë Burrel Cërrik Çorovodë Delvinë Divjakë Durrës Elbasan Ersekë Fier Fierzë Finiq Fushë-Arrëz Fushë-Krujë Gjirokastër Gramsh Himarë Kamëz Kavajë Këlcyrë Klos Konispol Koplik Korçë Krastë Krrabë Krujë Krumë Kuçovë Kukës Kurbnesh Laç Leskovik Lezhë Libohovë Librazhd Lushnjë Maliq Mamurras Manëz Memaliaj Milot Orikum Patos Peqin Përmet Peshkopi Pogradec Poliçan Prrenjas Pukë Reps Roskovec Rrëshen Rrogozhinë Rubik Sarandë Selenicë Shëngjin Shijak Shkodër Sukth Tepelenë Tiranë Tropojë Ulëz Ura Vajgurore Vau i Dejës Vlorë Vorë

• Cities, towns and villages in Albania