Reka E Keqe
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Reka e Keqe is an ethnographic subregion of the greater Reka region of the
Dukagjini Plain Metohija (), also known in Albanian as Dukagjini, (, ) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2024 census, the popul ...
of western
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
, sitting along the border with
Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and covering a number of villages between
Gjakova Gjakova or Đakovica, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the sixth largest city of Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the District of Gjakova, Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakov ...
and
Junik Junik ( sq-definite, Juniku; sr-Cyrl, Јуник) is a town and municipality in the Gjakova District in western Kosovo. History During the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans, Junik and the Municipality of Junik were part of the Nahiya of Altun- ...
. It is inhabited almost exclusively by
Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...
.


Geography

Reka e Keqe, which translates to "''Bad River''" in
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, is a ravine formed by three rivers – the Carragojë,
Erenik The Erenik; Serbian Cyrillic: Ереник / Рибник) or Ribnik is a river in Kosovo. Located in the west of the country, it measures -long, a right tributary to the White Drin. The Erenik originates near the Albanian border, in the north ...
and Trava - in the northwest of the municipality of Gjakova. The ravine extends to the southern borders of
Deçan Deçan (, ; , ) is a town and municipality in the district of Gjakova, Kosovo. The municipality has an area of and it includes the town and 37 smaller settlements. According to the last census of 2024, the municipality has a population of 27,7 ...
, and runs 25km southeast towards the town of Gjakova itself. It is situated some 10-15km from the Albanian border. The region derives its name from its geographical position by these rivers. The word ''Reka'' itself is a Slavic word, meaning "river". Reka e Keqe is a smaller subregion of the greater Reka region of the
Dukagjini Plain Metohija (), also known in Albanian as Dukagjini, (, ) is a large basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2024 census, the popul ...
, which consists of around 80 villages known for their resistance against occupying forces. Reka e Keqe consists of numerous rural areas between Junik and Gjakova - including
Babaj i Bokës Babaj i Bokës is a village in Gjakova Municipality, Kosovo. According to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS) estimate from the 2011 census, there were 595 people residing in Babaj i Bokës, with Kosovo Albanians, Albanians constituting the maj ...
, Berjah,
Botushë Botushë (; ) is a village in the municipality of Gjakova, District of Gjakova, southwest Kosovo. It is located near the border with Albania and is part of both the Highlands of Gjakova and Reka e Keqe. It is inhabited exclusively by Albanians. ...
, Brovinë, Devë,
Dobrosh Dobrosh is a village in District of Gjakova, Kosovo and has 403 residents. Dobrosh is situated nearby to the villages Pacaj and Sheremet. It is inhabited by Albanians. History The village was mentioned in the Ottoman defter of 1485 as 'Dobrosh i ...
, Duzhnje, Guskë, Korenicë, Molliq,
Morinë Morinë is a settlement in eastern Albania, on the border with Kosovo. The Kosovo side of the border is Vërmica. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Kukës. Morinë is an important stop on the highway that conn ...
, Nivokaz, Ponoshec, Popoc, Ramoc, Rracaj, Shishman, Stubëll,
Vogovë Vogovë is a village in the District of Gjakova, in Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Alb ...
and more. Reka e Keqe lies along one of Kosovo’s main alluvial zones, where intergranular sediments such as sand and gravel have formed productive
aquifers An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...
. These groundwater reserves are important for local use in drinking water, irrigation and industry.


History


Middle Ages

Prior to the Ottoman conquest of Kosovo and during the time of the
Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
, Reka e Keqe formed part of the Reka
župa A župa, or zhupa, is a historical type of administrative division in Southeast Europe and Central Europe, that originated in medieval South Slavs, South Slavic culture, commonly translated as "county" or "parish". It was mentioned for the first t ...
, which was situated north of present-day Gjakova. According to the
Dečani chrysobulls The Dečani chrysobulls ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Дечанске хрисовуље, Dečanske hrisovulje) alternatively known as the Dečani charters ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Дечанске повеље, Dečanske povelje) are chrysobulls dating to 1330–1345 ...
of the 1330s CE, the Dečani monastery had a tenure in Reka župa of 4 villages and 3 hamlets. Aside from some cases of Albanian anthroponomy, the names of the inhabitants of the villages of the Reka župa in the first half of the 14th century were mainly of Slavonic origin, but these Slavonic names were also used by Albanians during this period. The
Slavicisation Slavicisation or Slavicization, is the acculturation of something non-Slavic into a Slavic culture, cuisine, region, or nation. The process can either be voluntary or applied through varying degrees of pressure. The term can also refer to the ...
of Albanian families in these documents is evident, most notably in cases where clearly Albanian families bore Slavic personal names, or where members of the same family carried both Albanian and Slavic names. This anthroponymic mixture reflects the co-existence of Albanian and Slav naming traditions, and in many cases, points to an ethnic symbiosis and social processes that accompanied the historical development of the region during this time. The use of Slavic names by Albanians came as a result of the conversion of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Albanians to
Orthodoxy Orthodoxy () is adherence to a purported "correct" or otherwise mainstream- or classically-accepted creed, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical co ...
, which was pressured and influenced by the Orthodox Church and the state during the period of Serbian rule in Kosovo. The conversion of Catholic Albanians to Orthodoxy was higher in Reka e Keqe, where important Serbian Orthodox monasteries were located. During the early period of Ottoman rule, many of the villages of Reka e Keqe were part of the
Nahiya A nāḥiyah ( , plural ''nawāḥī'' ), also nahiyeh, nahiya or nahia, is a regional or local type of administrative division that usually consists of a number of villages or sometimes smaller towns. In Tajikistan, it is a second-level divisi ...
of Altun-ili. Most of the villages in the Nahiya of Altun-ili were dominated by inhabitants with Albanian anthroponomy. This is an indication that during the 15th century (as supported by Ottoman defters), the lands between Junik and Gjakova were inhabited by a dominant ethnic Albanian majority.


Late Ottoman Period

The villages of Reka e Keqe, Has,
Gjakova Highlands The Highlands of Gjakova or Gjakova Highlands (), known colloquially as ''Tropoja'', refers to the mountainous ethnographic region in the eastern Albanian Alps that sits between north-eastern Albania and western Kosovo, serving as the historical ...
and Anadrini have traditionally relied on Gjakova as an administrative centre, as well as for trade and other purposes. Volunteers from Reka e Keqe took part in the
attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha The Attack against Mehmed Ali Pasha (), known in Albanian historiography as the Action of Gjakova (Albanian language, Albanian: Aksioni i Gjakovës; ), was undertaken from 3–6 September 1878 by the Gjakova Committee of the League of Prizren in t ...
in Gjakova in 1878 as part of the anti-Ottoman actions of the
League of Prizren The League of Prizren (), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation (), was an Albanian political organization that was officially founded on June 10, 1878 in the old town of Prizren in the Kosovo Vilayet of th ...
.


Kosovo War

On 27–28 April 1999, Serbian forces conducted a large-scale operation against Albanian civilians named “''Operation Reka''” in Reka e Keqe, massacring at least 350 ethnic Albanian civilians and expelling thousands more to Albania. With 309 bodies later discovered in mass graves near
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, the massacre in Reka e Keqe stands as one of the gravest crimes against civilians during the
Kosovo War The Kosovo War (; sr-Cyrl-Latn, Косовски рат, Kosovski rat) was an armed conflict in Kosovo that lasted from 28 February 1998 until 11 June 1999. It ...
and among the worst atrocities of the 1990s Yugoslav conflicts. On the morning of 27 April 1999, Serbian forces launched a coordinated sweep through the villages of Reka e Keqe, forcibly expelling thousands of Albanian civilians and killing dozens. 68 civilians were killed in Korenicë alone. At a checkpoint in Mejë, police separated 274 men and boys from the convoys heading toward Albania, later executing them; 252 of their bodies were found in a mass grave in Batajnica in 2001. Despite convictions by the ICTY of top Yugoslav military and police leaders for their roles in Operation Reka, no one has been prosecuted in Serbian courts for the massacre or the concealment of evidence. All of the victims were
Kosovo Albanian The Albanians of Kosovo (, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars (), constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the ethnic Albanian sub-group of Ghegs, who inhabit the north of ...
civilians, and there was no evidence that any of the victims were armed or took an active part in hostilities between the KLA and the Serbian forces.


References

{{Geographical regions of Kosovo Kosovo Ethnographic Regions Albanian ethnographic regions