Starje is a village in the

Korçë County Korçë County (), officially the County of Korçë (), is a Counties of Albania, county in the Southern Albania, Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the List of counties of Albania by population, fifth most p ...

in southeastern

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 ...

. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality

Kolonjë Kolonjë is a municipality in Korçë County, southeastern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Barmash, Çlirim, Ersekë, Leskovik, Mollas, Novoselë, Qendër Ersekë and Qendër Leskovik. The seat of ...

. Originally the name was Plakas meaning Old 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 ...

. The village's population religiously belongs to the

Bektashi Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...

order while there are also some Orthodox Christians. It is situated at the foot of the Gramos mountains, about 2 km northeast of

Ersekë Ersekë ( sq-definite, Erseka), is a town and a former municipality in southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Kolonjë. Founded in the 17th century, Erseka was the seat o ...

, and is within walking distance to Albanian-Greek border. The highest peak of Gramos mountain Çuka e Peçit 2,523 m (8,278 ft) is located not far from the village. The alpine Lake Gistova is located at an altitude of 2,375 m, on the Albanian-Greek border.
The village is located close to the Llazishta forest, which is known as a holy forest for the

faith believers of the region.

Osum The Osum is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Its source is in the southwestern part of the Korçë County, near the village of Vithkuq at an a ...

, one of the largest rivers of Albania starts here. Osum flows into the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

Notable people

* Xhafer Ypi, former Prime Minister of Albania *

Petrit Dume Petrit Dume (20 May 1920 – 5 December 1975) was an Albanian general and politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh). Life Dume was born in 1920 in Starje, a village in Kolonjë District. During the Second World War (1942–44) he partic ...

, member of the

Politburo of the Party of Labour of Albania The Politburo () was the leading organ of the Party of Labour of Albania. It comprised key government ministers and Central Committee secretaries and served as the main administrative and policy-making body, convening on a weekly basis. The follow ...

* Hasan Zyko Kamberi, one of the most famous

poets of eighteenth century. *

Shahin Kolonja Shahin bey Kolonja (; 1865–1919) was an Albanian journalist, politician, and member of the Ottoman Parliament during its Second Constitutional Era. Early life Shahin Kolonja, was born Shahin Teki Ypi in 1865 or 1867 in Starje, Kolonjë, at ...

, publisher of '' Drita'' magazine in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, and member of the commission for the Albanian alphabet in the

Congress of Monastir The Congress of Manastir () was an academic conference held in the city of Manastir (now Bitola) from November 14 to 22, 1908, with the goal of standardizing the Albanian alphabet. November 22 is now a commemorative day in Albania, Kosovo and ...

which decided the

Albanian alphabet The Albanian alphabet () is a variant of the Latin alphabet used to write the Albanian language. It consists of 36 letters representing all the phonemes of Standard Albanian: The vowels are shown in bold. The letters are named simply by their ...

in 1908. *

Sali Njazi Dede Salih Nijazi (15 March 187628 November 1941) was Bektashi Dedebabate, Dedebaba of the Bektashians from 1930 until his death in 1941. He was the last Dedebaba of Turkey and the first Dedebaba of Albania. Biography Early life Salih Nijazi was born ...

, born in 1876 in Starje leader of World Bektashi Order

Bektashism Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...

based in Haji Bektash

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, reelected when World Headquarters of Bektashi Order moved to

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

in 1929. * Haki Laho, born in Starje, a doctor in the United States. * Ali Laho, born in Starje. Mayor of

from year 2011 to 2015 ( PS). :sq:Bashkia Ersekë

References

{{Kolonjë div Populated places in Kolonjë, Korçë Villages in Korçë County