Written by Shpresa Siqeca, Prishtina. Translation Petrit Latifi

Here we aim to present in a summary manner the clothing of Ulqin and Tivar with districts in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. For the preparation of this work we have conducted research in Ulqin, Krajë (municipality of Tivar), Ana e Mali and Breg i Bunës.

I. 1. Men’s clothing with a skirt

According to oral data and engravings of the time, in Ulqin, Ana e Mali and Krajë, skirts were used in the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century. They were in use in these regions before the tirq was worn. “in the first quarter of the 20th century, alongside the gradual disappearance of the frock coat from use, another men’s clothing that had largely transcended the boundaries of the areas where it was previously worn (Northeastern Albania and Kosovo) was the white or black tirq suit”.

Men’s clothing with tirq

In Ulcinj and Tivar with districts, men’s clothing with tirq is recorded at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It belonged to the variant of the clothing of the Mbishkodra Highlands. The clothing was the same in both Krajë and Ana e Mali. The shirt was sewn from white cotton fabric.

The tirq and the xamadani were sewn from white zhguni. “The tirq were decorated on the side of the seams and around the pockets and pockets with black or white cord”. The belt was woven from wool, with stripes along the length. Men wore wool socks and leather openings. Flat caps were worn on the head. In bad weather, they threw a sturka over their arms, which was removed from use at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

Men’s clothing with breeches

This clothing was used in Ulcinj, in Krajë, in Anën e Malit and in Breg i Bunës, in the Bregabuñas. The clothing was mainly used in the summer. The shirt was sewn from white cotton fabric. The breeches (or “brakeshes” – as they were called in these parts) were made of cotton and later from white cambric. The belt was woven with multi-colored stripes along the length. Over the shirt they wore the jamadan and the mitan. The sturka was hemispherical in shape. As for jewelry, they used watch pendants; rings, etc.

Men’s clothing with shawls

In the middle of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Ulcinj wore dark blue “Brendavekë” shawls. They also wore the “binishin”, which was knee-length, and the qyrkun. On their heads they wore a red fez with a large, dark blue tassel. As for jewelry, they used qibuks, watches..

II. 1. Clothing of Ulcinj women

Brides and young women wore silk dimi, with velvet legs. The shirt and belt were also made of silk. The xhamadani was sewn of velvet and embroidered with pearls. They wore the “anteri” mitten, binish.. Brides wore a “hilalëk” hat decorated with pearls, earrings.. When they went out, they wore the tallagan, which they called “kapotë”, while they covered their faces with a black veil “byrde”. The tallagan was made of dark brown zhuguni. It had long sleeves reaching above the knee and a square-shaped hood. The bottom of the caps and the back were embroidered with a needle, with natural-colored woolen thread. The decorations were in the form of lines, small circles and semicircles.

The clothing of Zadri women “bregacore”

This clothing was mainly used by Catholic women in the village of Shën Gjergj and other villages of the Buna Coast. Brides wore a silk shirt and apron and wore a scarf on their hips. Over the shirt they wore a “koret-in” tunic with sides, sewn from red and black shajak. Over the coras they wore a short xhamadan and over the sleeves. White marhama was worn on their heads.

They wore many ornaments around their necks, chests and arms. Young women wore a shirt, which was heavily embroidered around their chests. The middle and the circumference of the sleeves were made of lace, while the edges were embroidered. They wore black, thin woolen cloth with dense sides, red boçe, red vest.. On their heads they wore yellow riže, woven from silk.

The clothing of the women of the Great Highlands – “mountaineers”

This clothing was used especially in Shtoj and other villages on the shores of Lake Shkodra. Women’s xhublets were made of žgunjit belts, spikes and black velvet. The xhublets and leather belts featured an eagle in natural or stylized form. The clothing was accompanied by a shirt, mitten, peshtellak, belt, socks, opingat, scarf, takija (“cap”) and other ornaments for decoration. The women’s tunic of the Malësia e Madhe region, as F. Nopcsa observed, “appears to us from a clay figure of the Neolithic period”.

Clothing of the women of Krajë

In Krajë we find two variants of women’s clothing. One is used by Catholic women, while the other is used by Muslim women.

a) Clothing of the Catholic women of Krajë

These clothes have been researched in Shestan, Ljare and Thtjan. The winter clothing consisted of a white shirt, the “boçja” apron, the “zhgunji” shirt, and a zhgunji shirt. The “boçe” apron was with red and white squares. The “zhgunji” shirt was woven in white zhgunji. It was decorated with and colorful cord. On the front, the xhamadani had ten silver beads, worked with the rolling technique and filigree.

On the back of the xhamadani, the schematic motif of a snake in the form of a spiral and the motif of circles were presented. The motif of triangles dominated the ornaments. They wore a woolen belt around their waist. On their heads they wore a “kërshet” and three “tufa” of silk, which were fastened with a red “half-scarf”, over which they wore a white scarf.

b) Clothing of Muslim women of Krajë

Ethnological research on this clothing has been done in Kështenjë, Arbëresh and Ostros. Brides and young women wore a white shirt. Around the opening of the chest, they wore a “grykë” made of white fabric. The “boçja” apron was made of cotton, with wide vertical stripes. They wore a narrow belt around their waist.

Over the shirt, they wore a black or blue xamadan, anteri and jhybe, cotton socks and shoes. On the head, in the front part, women wore embroidered “ribbons”, while their hair was covered with white branches. They used “dallfeste” (golden hairpins), earrings, rings, pearls, necklaces with rows of coins..

The clothing of women of Anë e Malit

Research on this clothing has been done in Katërkolla, Klleza, Millë and in Sukubina. Brides and young women wore a woven cotton shirt and panties with lace-worked legs. The “boçja” apron was woven with different striped stripes, the belt was narrow. On aprons and sashes, schematic snake motifs were presented. They wore black xhamadas. In winter, they used a zhugunji xhoka. When they went out of the house, they wore a “čarçaf” veil with a veil. They wore two scarves on their heads. The scarves were white, pink, red and especially yellow.

Conclusion

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, in Ulcinj and Tivar and its surroundings, about eight types of clothing were used, which were made at home, while some parts were bought ready-made or brought from abroad. The engaged girl mainly prepared the dowry herself. Peasant women wove woolen fabrics and sewed their costumes by hand.

Albanian elements of Illyrian or Illyrian-Thracian origin dominated the clothing, especially in peasant ones. Oriental influences were observed in the “insides” of Ulcinj men and women, in the veils, in the terminology (of some words). Meanwhile, some ornaments of Shestan on the back of the xhubleta and on the xhamadanes, aprons and ornaments of the coast, the motif of the cross – symbol of life and light – appears.

Due to the marital proximity, the influence of Shkodra clothing and ornaments on the clothing of the coast and that of Shestan is noticeable. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the insides of Ulcinj men, the brekushet, tirqit, koreti, peltësheja and xhubleta, have disappeared from daily use, which were replaced by European clothing. Today, the national dress is used by women in Krajë and Ana i Malit, while on solemn occasions, such as weddings, other clothing is also used.

In the photo: the forgotten dress of Krajë by Marubbi 1897