From the top, Aerial view of Peshkopi, Peshkopi Palace of Culture, Town centre, View of Peshkopi from the road the neighborhood of Dobrovë, Church of the Holy Transfiguration in Herbel, Peshkopi, South view of Peshkopi to the Drin river with fog in the Albanian part
Peshkopi (Albanian pronunciation:[pɛʃkɔpi];Albaniandefinite form:Peshkopia) is a town located in the mountainous regions of northeasternAlbania, inDibër County. It is the capital of both the county (Albanian:qark) and the district (Albanian:rreth) of Dibër, and is the only county regional capital in Albania which does not share its name with its county. The population as of the 2023 census is 14,710.[1]
Peshkopi lies east of theBlack Drin river, about 187 kilometres (116 mi) northeast ofTirana, the capital ofAlbania, and 20 kilometres (12 mi) from theMacedonian border. The town sits 651 metres (2,136 ft) above sea level.
Known for its thermal waters, year-round agriculture, and natural beauty, Peshkopi is also developing a reputation as tourism destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, and rock climbing. The third tallest mountain in the Balkans,Mount Korabi, and the birthplace of Albania's national hero,Gjerg Kastrioti, are nearby heritages sites. The district also contains large mineral ore deposits such as chromium, sulfur, and marble. It is also an important industrial center in Albania, producing many agricultural products for Albania.
The name of Peshkopi is derived from the wordpeshkop meaningbishop inAlbanian and fromEpiskopè inGreek. Bulgarian maps of the eleventh century[citation needed] show the town under the namePresolengrad. The region of Dibër was subsumed under theArchbishopric of Ohrid in 1019, and one year later received the status of an episcopate with its center in the Bulke ward of Peshkopi, located in what is now the neighborhood of Dobrovë. The central church of the Dibër Episcopate was that of St. Stephen (Albanian:Kisha e Shqefnit). The seat of the Episcopate would later be relocated, but the town of Peshkopi retained its name.[4] Peshkopi is referenced as early as the fifteenth century under the namePeskopia.[5]
The region today known as Dibër was inhabited in pre-Christian times by the Illyrian tribe known to the Romans asPenestae, Πενέσται inAncient Greek (Albanian:penestë).[6]
By the beginning of the sixteenth century, theOttoman Empire had completed its conquest of Albania.[7] Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Peshkopi (thenDebre-i Zir, which meant "Lower Debre" inPersian) was a small market town, overshadowed by the larger and more flamboyantDebar (Albanian:Dibra e Madhe, "Greater Dibër"), which today lies just over theMacedonian border. The population of Peshkopi was almost completely Muslim by 1583.[citation needed] In 1873 an Ottoman barracks was built in Peshkopi, housing up to 8,000 soldiers.[4]
The Dibër region, including Peshkopi, took part in the uprisings against Ottoman authority that were occurring throughout Albania in the early 1910s. Albanian armed bands (Albanian:çeta) captured Peshkopi from the Ottomans on August 16, 1912.[8]
In the aftermath of the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, aSerbian army occupied Dibër and entered Peshkopi in early December 1912. Albanian forces retook the city on September 20, 1913.[9]Bulgarian army soldiers invaded Peshkopi on January 1, 1916. TheAustro-Hungarian Empire, an ally of Bulgaria, brought an army to Peshkopi on April 12, 1916, and engaged in punitive house-burnings and executions throughout the region in an attempt to quell local resistance. The Bulgarians and Austro-Hungarians departed the area in September 1918.[10]
Italian forces invaded Albania in 1939, reaching Peshkopi on April 15.[11] Albanian Communist partisans retook Peshkopi on September 9, 1943. The following October, the partisans defeatedBalli Kombëtar forces in an armed battle for control of the city. In July 1944, German forces occupied the city, but were expelled later that same month. Fighting continued in the Dibër region until early September, leaving the Communist-dominatedNational Liberation Army (Albanian:Ushtria Nacionalçlirimtare) in control.[12]
Peshkopi is located in northeastern Albania, in the Dibër County. It is situated in the valley of the Drin river, at the foot of the Korab mountain range. The town is the administrative center of the district and has a population of around 14,000 people. The Korab mountain range, which is one of the highest ranges in the Balkans, is located to the east of the town. The Drin River, which is the longest river in the country, flows through the valley and provides water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The valley is also known for its fertile soil and is an important agricultural area, producing crops such as corn, wheat, and vegetables.
Peshkopi has a number of primary and secondary schools, which provide education to children in the town and surrounding areas. The schools offer a range of subjects including math, science, language, and social studies. Many of them also have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and art programs. Overall, education is highly valued in Peshkopi and the government is continuously investing in the development of the educational system in the town.
Peshkopi briefly had a branch ofAleksandër Moisiu University. It was closed in 2017 by order of the national Ministry of Education for alleged failure to meet standards.
The main form of tourism in the region is mountain tourism, due to the hilly terrain and extensive forest. The district of Dibra is home to two of the thirteennational parks in Albania,Lurë National Park, andKorab-Koritnik Nature Park, which offer a variety of outdoor activities including climbing, walking, skiing, trekking, picnics, hunting, kayaking, etc.
Themuseum, located beside the general secondary school, houses a collection of local costumes, carpets, kitchen equipment and filigree jewelry, as well as a number of models of local architecture.
Elez Isufi Boulevard is a pedestrian-only street in the middle of Peshkopi lined withlinden (Albanian:bli) trees. The street is paved with stone from non-native stone from Berat.[14]
Thermal mineral water springs and sulphur baths (Albanian:llixha) in the vicinity of Peshkopi are a draw for seasonal tourism, primarily from within Albania, but also to a lesser extent from neighboring countries. They are reputed to alleviate some health issues.[15] The baths are located a short distance east of the city, upstream along the creek which runs through the middle of Peshkopi.
Peshkopi is an important transportation hub, located at the crossroads of several important roads connecting Albania with Kosovo and North Macedonia. The town is served by the Rinas Mother Teresa International Airport in the capital city of Tirana, which is located around 200 km to the west of Peshkopi. There are also regular bus services connecting the town with Tirana and Durres.
Peshkopi is served by bus lines to and fromTirana andDurrës. Buses typically depart in the morning on a fixed schedule. There are also minibuses and vans (Albanian:furgona) serving a wider set of destinations, which depart when sufficiently full. Minibuses to Tirana and Durrës are generally somewhat more expensive than the equivalent bus route.
The main road to Peshkopi is SH6 (State Road 6). A new highway called theArbër Highway (Albanian:Rruga e Arbërit) is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in Spring 2023. The 200 km road will linkTirana withDebar,North Macedonia and will connect with SH6.
^abMoisi Murra (January 2010)."Qyteti i Peshkopisë nga lashtësia në ditët tona" [The City of Peshkopi from Antiquity to the Present Day](PDF).Rruga e Arbërit (in Albanian). p. 8.Archived(PDF) from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved2010-02-15.
^Sinani. p. 248.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^Sinani, Rakip (2005).Dibra dhe dibranët në faqet e historisë [Dibër and the Dibrans in the Pages of History] (in Albanian). Tiranë: KTISTALINA-KH. p. 20.ISBN99943-625-8-5.
^Sinani. p. 39.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^Sinani. p. 138.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help).
^Sinani. pp. 150–160.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^Sinani. pp. 168–170.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^"Gazeta Shqiptare". 1939-04-16. Cited inSinani. p. 209.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
^Sinani. pp. 221–240.{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
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