Gračanica | |
|---|---|
Town andmunicipality | |
 Center of Gračanica | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
  Gračanica  Gračanica | |
| Coordinates:42°36′N21°12′E / 42.600°N 21.200°E /42.600; 21.200 | |
| Country | Kosovo |
| District | District of Pristina |
| Settlements | 16 |
| Established | 29 December 2009[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Novak Zivic[2] (SL) |
| Area | |
• Total | 131.25 km2 (50.68 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 588 m (1,929 ft) |
| Population (2024)[3] | |
• Total | 19,371 |
| • Density | 147.59/km2 (382.25/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Postal code | 10500[4] |
| Area code | +383(0)38 |
| Vehicle registration | 01 |
| Website | Official site |
Gračanica (Serbian Cyrillic:Грачаница) orGraçanicë (Albaniandefinite form:Graçanica), is a town and municipality located inPristina District inKosovo. As of 2024, the town has a population of 18,486 inhabitants.[5]
It is centered around theGračanica Monastery, ten kilometers east ofPristina. The 1999Kosovo War and its aftermath transformed Gračanica from a small village into an administrative center serving the needs of the 75,000Kosovo Serbs living south of theIbar River. After the2013 Brussels Agreement, the municipality was expected to become part of a proposedCommunity of Serb Municipalities, however the agreement was never implemented as it was deemed unconstitutional. The town is also known for being the location ofGračanica Monastery, one of the richest Serbian medieval monuments from the 14th century.
Pope Benedict IX mentioned the village asGrazaniza in a letter from 1303.[6] It was mentioned in KingStefan Milutin's founding charter of theGračanica Monastery (1321).[7] The name is derived from SlavicGradac, a toponym of fortified cities[8] In the 15th century the settlement was a notable commercial centre.[9] Until the 17th century it had a notableRagusan community.[9] It seems that the settlement was abandoned in 1689 during the Austrian penetration into Kosovo in theGreat Turkish War.[10] In 1901, it had 60 houses, all Serb, with 400 inhabitants.[11]
On 6 June 2000, a grenade was thrown into a crowd of ethnic Serbs gathered at the town square while waiting for a bus, resulting in injuries to three individuals and triggering subsequentcivil unrest.[12] On 15 March 2004, a Serb teenager was killed in a drive-by shooting in the village ofČaglavica (partially in Gračanica).[13] This incident was among several contributing factors to theinter-ethnic unrest that occurred in Kosovo in 2004. Following the unrest, another Serb teenager, Dimitrije Popović, was fatally shot in a drive-by attack carried out by ethnic Albanian assailants on 5 June 2004.[14][15][16]
A votive altar was found in Gračanica. Dedicated to the well-being of two unnamed emperors, it was erected by priests ofJupiter Dolichenus, possibly between 208 and 211 AD.[17]
The first municipal elections were held on 15 November 2009.[18] Although the Serbian government urged Serbs to abstain from participating in the elections, which it did not recognise, a significant number chose to vote.[18] As a result, Bojan Stojanović, an ethnic Serb, was elected Mayor.[19]
The town of Gračanica is also temporary seat of the administration of Serbia-claimedMunicipality of Pristina. TheSerbia-sponsored local elections were held on 11 May 2008. The elections were boycotted by ethnic Albanians, who regard Kosovo as independent from Serbia, resulting in participation predominantly by ethnic Serbs.[citation needed]
Aside from the town of Gračanica, the municipality has the following villages:
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 10,675 | — |
| 2024 | 18,486 | +4.31% |
The municipality of Gračanica has 18,486 inhabitants according to the 2024 census. In 2011, the town had 11,931, of which the majority wereSerbs, also true for the municipality as a whole; by 2024, however, Serbs and Albanians made up roughly equal parts of the population.
The ethnic composition of the municipality of Gračanica:
| Ethnic group | 2011 census[20] | in % | 2024 census[21] | in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albanians | 2,474 | 23.17 | 8,623 | 46.65 |
| Serbs | 7,209 | 67.53 | 8,560 | 46.31 |
| Romani | 745 | 6.98 | 909 | 4.92 |
| Ashkali | 104 | 0.97 | 133 | 0.72 |
| Others | 247 | 2.31 | 261 | 1.14 |
| Total | 10,675 | 100 | 18,486 | 100 |
The religious composition of the municipality of Gračanica:
| Religion | 2024 census[22] | in % |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 9,135 | 49.42 |
| Eastern Orthodox | 8,589 | 46.46 |
| Roman Catholic | 189 | 1.02 |
| Others | 124 | 0.67 |
| No religion | 164 | 0.89 |
| Prefer not to answer | 285 | 1.54 |
| Total | 18,486 | 100.00 |
The settlement is situated in the spacious valley of theGračanka river, by the river, on the exit of the gorge between the hill of Veletina (874m) and sloping hill of Glasnovik on the south, and hill of Steževac (794m) on the northeast.[10]
Gračanica has been aSerb enclave since the end of the 1999Kosovo War, and is the largest Serbian enclave in central Kosovo. It runs along theSkopje-Pristina road, and unites several neighboring Serbian villages. The enclave, which contains rich farmland and is strategically located in the center of Kosovo, on major roads and near Pristina, has been seen as a potential threat by someAlbanian nationalists, who view it as "a den of Serbian intrigue".[23]
Gračanica has an elementary school, several small stores, an open-air market and a police station. The health care center is located in the central part of the town, next to theUNMIK headquarters. An elementary school was reconstructed after the 1999 war.[23]
Gračanica, Kosovo travel guide from Wikivoyage| District of Ferizaj |  | |
|---|---|---|
| District of Gjakova | ||
| District of Gjilan | ||
| District of Mitrovica | ||
| District of Peja | ||
| District of Pristina | ||
| District of Prizren | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
