Kukës (Albanian pronunciation:[ˈkukəs];Albaniandefinite form:Kukësi) is a city inAlbania. The city is the capital of the surrounding municipality of Kukës and county ofKukës, one of 12 constituentcounties of the republic. It spans 8.2 km2 (3.2 sq mi) and had a total population of 15,643 people as of 2023.[1][2]
Kukës traces its history back over a thousand years. The region that nowadays corresponds to the city territory was inhabited by several ancientIllyrian tribes (most predominantlyDardani tribe), as most of Albania. Numerous tombs from theIllyrians have been identified at Këneta andKolsh nearby the city. The city was part ofKingdom of Dardania during antiquity. The residential estate served as a stopping point on a branch road leading to theVia Egnatia, which connectedDyrrachium on theAdriatic Sea in the west withConstantinople on theMarmara Sea in the east.
Photo of the Old Nermjeme Bridge in 1905
Illyrian tombs were found at Këneta andKolsh nearby Kukës.[5] It was a small Roman settlement, a stopping point on a branch road leading to theVia Egnatia, and a minor Ottoman market centre and trading post on the road to southern Kosovo. It was there (Qafa e Kolosjanit) where Albanian resistance stood up against retreating Serbian army in 1912.
The old Kukës was located at the confluence of theWhite Drin andBlack Drin. In 1976 the town was submerged beneath theFierza Reservoir, which is held back by adam.The new town (Kukësi i Ri - "New Kukës") was built in the 1970s in the plateau nearby which is 320m over the sea level. Kukësi i Ri is surrounded by the artificial lake of Fierza and it looks like a peninsula from the above.It is linked with the other parts of the country by three bridges. On the east it faces the snow-covered mountain of Gjallica, 2468 m above sea level.Inmodern times and due to the close proximity to Kosovo, the city achieved worldwide recognition during theKosovo War as thousands ofKosovo-Albanian refugees crossed the border and found security in the city. Kukës attracted international attention during theKosovo War when 450,000 Kosovo Albanianrefugees crossed the frontier and were housed in camps in and around Kukës.
The city was nominated for the 2000Nobel Peace Prize in regard to hospitality and for embracing thousands of refugees during theKosovo War.[6] It was the first time a town was nominated for the prize.[7] In 2017, the city applied for the 2018European Green Capital Award to becomeEurope's Green Capital.[8]There is amosque and a closed alpine-stylehotel, part of an attempt to establish atourist industry there. TheOSCE maintained a villa there.
Kukës is situated in the northeast of the country. It lies mostly betweenlatitudes 42° and 5° N, andlongitudes 20° and 25° E. The city lies on the Luma Plain and the southern shores ofLake Fierza.[2] It lies approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in the southeast of the former location of the city, which was relocated as part of ahydroelectric scheme.[2]
Like all East Albanians who are in the plain the zone ishumid subtropical (Köppen:Cfa), similar to the north ofItaly, due to its interior location but near theMediterranean. Despite its southern location, its distance to the east compensates for this difference.[9][10] The city experiences mostlycontinental climate.[2][11] This means that the winters are cold and snowy and the summers are predominantly hot. The city's temperature varies a large deal across the seasons with a mild spring in April and May, hot summer months from June to August, frequently rainy and windy autumn months in September and October and very cold winter months, often with snow and frost, from December to March. The mean monthlytemperature ranges between −25 °C (−13 °F)[dubious –discuss] in winter and 25 °C (77 °F) in summer.[2] The mean annualprecipitation ranges between 900 millimetres (35 inches) and 3,000 millimetres (120 inches) depending onlongitude andlatitude.[2]
Climate data for Kukës, elevation: 44 m or 144 ft, 1961-1990 normals and extremes[a]
After the fall of communism, due to the newly implemented freedom of movement among all Albanians, a significant number of Kukës's population relocated internally or emigrated abroad for better economic opportunities.
The region is well known for their developed agriculture. Kukës has a carpet factory whose products are for domestic and trade use. There is also a copper processing factory as the raw material.
Kukës is a good centre for fishing and walking in the surrounding mountains.
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