Written by Petrit Latifi

The following German publication from 1869 states that there were many Albanians living in Morava, Vranje, Prekodolce, Masurica, Verla Reka, Surdulica, Masurica, Sakushqan, Schuteroj, Kalaboz, Beneosr, Dragonitza and Kostanica.

“It is important to research in both directions. As far as the ethnographic conditions are concerned, I note with particular reference to Lejean’s map that the Skipetaren Arnauts or Albanians extend along the left bank of the Morava as far as Wranja, which has a mostly Arnaut population. They then go below Wranja, at one point near Prekodolze, even to the right bank of the Morava, as the villages in the wonderful two-hour-long and one-hour-wide basin of Masuritza, which is flowed through by the Werla Reka and the Masuritza, are almost all Arnauts, namely Surdu litza, Masuritza, Sakuschany, Schüteroje, Kalaboze, Benofre, Dragonitza and Prekodolze.”¹

Masurica Basin a predominantly Arnaut population

“The Masurica Basin is also remarkable for its predominantly Arnaut population. This is the only place where Arnauts live on the eastern bank of the Morava.”²

Albanians in Kostanica and Kurshumlia

“Small town at the confluence of the Toplica and Kostainica rivers and find on the top of a hill the well-preserved remains of a large church from the time of the Byzantine emperors. We visited the Kaimakan of Kurschumlje and are very grateful to him for the attention he showed us and for the good measures he took to enable us to enter the valley of the Kostainica where the wildest of the Arnauts live.”³

Reference

1. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Dr_A_Petermanns_Mitteilungen_aus_Justus/98_8e1jRBV4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=arnautische+Bev%C3%B6lkerung&pg=PA470&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
2. https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/JbGeolReichsanst_022_0331-0388.pdf ↩︎
3. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Mitteilungen_der_Kaiserlich_K%C3%B6niglichen/zvMRAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=arnautischen&pg=PA393&printsec=frontcover ↩︎