Peja in the context of "Definiteness"

Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the north and east, and North Macedonia to the southeast. It covers an area of 10,887 km (4,203 sq mi) and has a population of nearly 1.6 million, of whom the vast majority (approximately 92 per cent) are ethnic Albanians. Kosovo has a varied terrain, with high plains along with rolling hills and mountains, some of which have an altitude over 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Its climate is mainly continental with some Mediterranean and Alpine influences. Kosovo's capital and most populous city is Pristina; other major cities and urban areas include Prizren, Ferizaj, Gjilan, and Peja.

Kosovo formed the core territory of the Dardani, an Illyrian people, attested in classical sources from the 4th century BCE. The Dardani established the Kingdom of Dardania, with its political and cultural center likely located near present-day Lipjan (ancient Ulpiana). The kingdom was incorporated into the Roman Empire in the 1st century BCE; later, in the 3rd century CE, it was transformed into a separate Roman province. During the Byzantine period, the region was eventually organised as part of the Theme of Dardania and remained under imperial control, facing Slavic migrations in the 6th and 7th centuries CE. Control shifted between the Byzantines and the First Bulgarian Empire. In the 13th century, Kosovo became integral to the Serbian medieval state and the establishment of the Serbian Patriarchate. Ottoman expansion in the Balkans in the late 14th and 15th centuries led to the decline and fall of the Serbian Empire; the Battle of Kosovo of 1389, in which a Serbian-led coalition of various ethnicities fought against the Ottoman Empire, is considered one of the defining moments.

This is a list of cities and towns in the Kosovo in alphabetical order categorised by municipality or district, according to the criteria used by the Kosovo Agency of Statistics (KAS). Kosovo's population is distributed in 1,467 settlements with 26 per cent of its population concentrated in 7 regional centers, consisting of Ferizaj, Gjakova, Gjilan, Mitrovica, Peja, Pristina and Prizren.

According to the 2024 census, the cities in Kosovo are classified into the following population size categories:

The Vilayet of Kosovo (Ottoman Turkish: ولايت قوصوه, Vilâyet-i Kosova; Turkish: Kosova Vilayeti; Albanian: Vilajeti i Kosovës; Serbian: Косовски вилајет, Kosovski vilajet) was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula which included the modern-day territory of Kosovo and the north-western part of the Republic of North Macedonia. The areas today comprising Sandžak (Raška) region of Serbia and Montenegro, although de jure under Ottoman control, were de facto under Austro-Hungarian occupation from 1878 until 1909, as provided under Article 25 of the Treaty of Berlin. Üsküb (Skopje) functioned as the capital of the province. Its population of 32,000 made it the largest city in the province, followed by Prizren at 30,000.

The vilayet stood as a microcosm of Ottoman society; incorporated within its boundaries were diverse groups of peoples and religions: Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks; Muslims and Christians, both Eastern Orthodox and Catholic. The province was renowned for its craftsmen and important cities such as İpek, where distinct Ottoman architecture and public baths were erected, some of which can still be seen today. The birthplace of the Albanian national identity was first articulated in Prizren, by the League of Prizren members in 1878.

Rugova Canyon (Albanian: Kanioni i Rugovës; Serbian: Руговска клисура, Rugovska klisura) or Rugova Gorge (Albanian: Gryka e Rugovës) is a river canyon near Peja in western Kosovo. The canyon is located in the Albanian Alps, close to the border with Montenegro.

Rugova Canyon offers great opportunities for hikers, rock-climbers and cave explorers. A "Via Ferrata", called the "Iron Trail", has been built. It is the first and the only one in the Balkans and enables hikers to climb rocks. The Patriarchate of Peja, the historical and spiritual seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church, is located at the entrance of the canyon.

Gjakova (pronounced [ɟakova]) or Đakovica (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђаковица, pronounced [ˈdʑakoʋitsa]) is the sixth-largest city in Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakova has 78,699 inhabitants.

Geographically, it is located in the south-western part of Kosovo, about halfway between the cities of Peja and Prizren. It is approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) inland from the Adriatic Sea. The city is situated some 208 kilometres (129 mi) north-east of Tirana, 145 kilometres (90 mi) north-west of Skopje, 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the capital Pristina, 435 kilometres (270 mi) south of Belgrade and 263 kilometres (163 mi) east of Podgorica.

The District of Peja (Albanian: Rajoni i Pejës, Serbian: Пећки округ, romanized: Pećki okrug) is one of the seven districts of Kosovo. It has its seat in the city of Peja. The district has three municipalities and 118 other settlements. According to the 2024 census, the district had 146,301 inhabitants, and is the least populated of all the districts of Kosovo.

Rugova (Albanian: Rugova or Rugovë) is a mountain region located to the north-west of the city of Peja, in Kosovo. In 2013, it was designated a national park by the Parliament of Kosovo.

Rugova is an ethnographically diverse region, with great importance for the literary branches of lexicology, etymology and onomastics. Rugova is a suitable region for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, paragliding, and picnics.

The Patriarchate of Peć Monastery (Serbian: Манастир Пећка патријаршија, romanized: Manastir Pećka patrijaršija, pronounced [pɛ̂ːt͡ɕkaː patrijǎ(ː)rʃija]; Albanian: Patrikana e Pejës) or the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć, is a medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery located near the city of Peja (Serbian: Peć), Kosovo. Built in the 13th century, it became the residence of Serbian Archbishops. It was expanded during the 14th century, and in 1346, when the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć was created, the Monastery became the seat of Serbian Patriarchs. The monastery complex consists of four churches, and during medieval and early modern times it was also used as mausoleum of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs. Since 2006, it is part of the "Medieval Monuments in Kosovo", a combined World Heritage Site along with three other monuments of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The monastery is ecclesiastically administered by the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, but it has special (stavropegial) status, since it is under direct jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarch whose title includes Archbishop of Peć. The monastery church is unique in Serbian medieval architecture, with three churches connected as one whole, and a total of four churches.