The Sopa or Sopi tribe is a historical
Albanian tribe
The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defini ...
(''fis'') originating from the
Sharr Mountains
Dragash or Sharr ( sq-definite, Dragashi or ''Sharri;'' sr-cyr, Драгаш) is a town and municipality located in the Prizren District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has 34,827 inhabitants. The Albanian name ''Shar ...
of today's
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 ...
,
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
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
. Members of the tribe can be found in many Albanian-inhabited regions of Kosovo and North Macedonia, specifically in and around
Prizren
Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...
.
Origins
The Sopa tribe is of Albanian ancestry and are considered to have their origins in the Sharr mountains; the ''Kokaj'' are one of the branches of the tribe. There is also a claim that the Sopa descend from the
Thaçi tribe of
Pukë.
The root of the tribe's name can possibly be derived from ‘''sop,-i''’, which translates to ‘''hummock''’ in English, but can also mean ‘''wedge/spearhead''’ or the end of a mill race where the water comes out with force and into the mill wheel. German Albanologist Johann Georg von Hahn translates their name as 'hay'.
Distribution
Many of the tribe's members can be found in the territories around the
Sharr Mountains
Dragash or Sharr ( sq-definite, Dragashi or ''Sharri;'' sr-cyr, Драгаш) is a town and municipality located in the Prizren District of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has 34,827 inhabitants. The Albanian name ''Shar ...
, in
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
. Branches of the Sopa tribe were present in
Leskovac
Leskovac ( sr-Cyrl, Лесковац, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Jablanica District in Southern Serbia (Geographical Region), southern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city itself has a p ...
, and they predominated in the Moravica Valley.
See also
*
Tribes of Albania
The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-defi ...
References
Sources
*{{cite web, last=Ramadani, first=Nijazi, year=1909, title=Imazhi i Ngrirë, publisher=SHB “RRJEDHA”, location=Gjilan, url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikibooks/sq/6/63/Index-karadaku41-51.pdf
Tribes of Albania