The town is called Kaçaniku/Kaçanik in Albanian and Качаник/Kačanik in Serbian (same pronunciation, "kachanik"). It has a population of 10,300 and 23,400 with the rest of the municipality, 99% of which are Albanians. It is located 19 km south of Ferizaj/Uroševac, 35 km northwest of Skopje.Famous for its quarries and stonecutters, this transit town remains in the shade, wedged between two countries and between the mountains. The Lepenac River has carved out the Kačanik Gorge here, the only crossing point through the Šar Mountains between Northern Macedonia and Kosovo. So much to say that the place has seen many people pass through. For centuries, brigands have robbed travelers here. This is where the name of the city comes from: the kachaks, the bandits of the Albanian mountains. The inhabitants prefer to remember that it was Sultan Murad III who founded their city at the end of the 16th century. Or that it was here that the Kosovo Albanian independence fighters promulgated their first constitution in 1991. A strategic city and a symbolic city, Kaçanik/Kačanik was sacked by Milošević's troops in 1999, resulting in the death of about 100 people. This had the effect of radicalizing some Muslims in the city. In 2015, extremists stormed the Koca-Sinan-Pasha mosque. Since then, about 100 Islamists have reportedly joined Daesh. While the vast majority of the population remains committed to moderate Islam, Kaçanik/Kačanik is now considered the "jihadist capital of Kosovo."

Weather at the moment

Loading...
Organize your trip with our partners Kaçanik (Kačanik)
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners

Pictures and images Kaçanik (Kačanik)

There are currently no photos for this destination.

Send a reply