Vithkuq

Vithkuq (Albanian pronunciation: [viθˈkuc]) is a village and a former municipality in the Korçë County, southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Korçë.^[1] The population at the 2011 census was 1,519.^[2] The municipal unit consists of the villages Vithkuq, Leshnje, Gjanc, Lubonjë, Rehovë, Roshanj, Trebickë, Grabockë, Treskë, Stratobërdh, Panarit, Shtyllë and Cemericë.^[3]

The village gave its name to a particular

The place name Vithkuqi (variant Bythkuqi) means "red butt" in Albanian. It is a compund of two Albanian words: bythë and vithë are dialectal forms of the word "butt"; kuqi means "red".^[4]

History

The history of Vithkuqi is known immediately after the

During the 17th-18th centuries Vithkuq became a local center of culture and trade, being on a strategic location on the Berat-Korçë road. In 1724^[8] the residents of Vithkuq sponsored the foundation of the first Greek school in Korçë.^[9] In the eighteenth century, Vithkuq was inhabited by Orthodox Albanians and by smaller numbers of Aromanians (Vlachs).^[10]

From the end of 18th century, various factors turned Vithkuq into a small mountain village. By the late eighteenth century socio-political and economic crises alongside nominal Ottoman government control resulted in local banditry and Muslim Albanian bands raided Greek, Aromanian and Orthodox Albanian settlements located today within and outside contemporary Albania.^{[11][12][13][10][14]} Vithkuq, mainly an Orthodox Albanian centre that had Greek literary, educational and religious culture was destroyed in addition to other settlements in the region.^{[11][15][13][10][14]} Those events pushed some Orthodox Albanians and Aromanians from Vithkuq to migrate afar to places such as Macedonia, Thrace and so on.^{[14][16][15][13][17][10]}

In 1792, Vithkuq was composed of the following neighborhoods: Borisha, Tataçi (of the Tatars), Llas, Qyrsa, Syrbashi, Krekasi (of the Greeks), Palasi, Kolaqerkasi, Kovaçasi, Saraçi, Rusasi (of the Russians), Dukasi, Dukates, Boris.^[18][19] Vithkuq hosts several churches and monasteries that were built during its period of prosperity.^[20][21][22]

In 1936, in Vithkuq was constructed the first hydroelectric plant of Albania.^[23]

Panorama of Interior of the Church of Archangel Michael

World War II

On August 15, 1943, during

In contemporary times Vithkuq is inhabited by Orthodox Albanians and an Aromanian population who were previously pastoral nomads that settled there after the settlement was abandoned by its earlier inhabitants.[10] as well as Muslim Albanians who have settled in it during communist times.^[11] Vithkuq, known in Albania as being a traditionally Christian settlement is neighbours with various Muslim and Christian Albanian villages that surround it, although the latter have become "demographically depressed", due to migration.^[11] During the communist period some Muslim Albanians from surrounding villages settled in Vithkuq making locals view the village population as mixed (i përzier) and lamenting the decline of the Christian element.^{[11][clarification needed]}

Notable people

• rilindas
  and writer.
• Albanian script he invented
  after Vithkuq.
• Jan Evstrat Vithkuqari, scholar and writer.
• Saint Nicodemus of Elbasan, Orthodox New Martyr
  .
• Ligor Buzi, Fascist leader and journalist from the village of Lubonjë

References