Banjë, Malishevë

Banjë (Albanian: Banjë; Serbian: Бања) is a village in the Municipality of Malishevë, in the Republic of Kosovo. It is located about 4 km east of Malishevë, along the regional road Malishevë–Duhël, and covers an area of 13.3 km².

According to the 2024 census, it had a population of 3,523 inhabitants, almost all of ethnic Albanian origin.

The village is known for its thermal spring, which gave it its name, and is considered one of the oldest settlements in the Malishevë region.

The village of Banjë is located in the eastern part of the territory of the Municipality of Malishevë, about 4 km from the municipal center. It extends on both sides of the regional road Malishevë–Duhël.^[2]

The Municipality of Malishevë covers an area of 306 km², representing about 3 % of the territory of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 54,613 inhabitants, of which 99.8 % were ethnic Albanians, corresponding to roughly 3 % of Kosovo’s total population.^[2]

The village of Banjë itself has an area of 13.3 km² and a population of 3,639 inhabitants. The population density is approximately 274 inhabitants per km². The terrain is mostly flat to hilly, offering favorable conditions for agricultural development.^[2]

Most villages in the Municipality of Malishevë lie at altitudes between 400 and 700 m above sea level. They are located in transitional zones between plains and hilly terrain, extending into mountainous areas. ^[2]

Historically, the population has made use of the natural resources of the region, especially agriculture, horticulture, and livestock farming. The most fertile lands are found in the valley of the Mirusha River and in the basins of Bellanicë, Banjë, and Malishevë.^[2]

The rural settlement of Banjë borders the following villages:

• to the north, with Carrallukë and Lladroc;
• to the northeast, again with Lladroc;
• to the east, with Bellanicë;
• to the south, with Kërvansar and Gurishtë;
• to the southwest, with Gajrak-Marali;
• and to the west and northwest, with the town of Malishevë.

In the upper part of the village lies the thermal spring “Banja”, from which the settlement takes its name. To the southeast rises Mount Gajrak (741 m), while to the northwest stretches the Llapushë Plain (600 m).^[2]

The lower part of Banjë’s territory is separated from Malishevë by two depressions, the Banjë Basin and the Bellanicë Basin.^[2]

The name "Banjë" derives from the Proto-Slavic baňa, itself a borrowing from Vulgar Latin bāneum (“bath, hot spring”), referring to a local thermal spring believed to have healing properties. This etymology is most likely based on linguistic analysis rather than on verified historical sources.

The territory of the village of Banjë exhibits a complex geological composition.

Most of the rocks date from the Neogene period, while other formations belong to the Upper Cretaceous (Senonian).

The main geological formations identified in the area include:

• Quaternary deposits,
• Neogene formations,
• Basic rocks,
• Low-grade metamorphic schists,
• Upper and Lower Cretaceous formations,
• Ultrabasic rocks,
• Cenomanian–Turonian limestones,
• Volcanogenic rocks,
• Marbles,
• Upper Jurassic formations,
• and massive and stratified limestone formations, among others.

The relief of Banjë’s territory was formed during the Alpine orogeny, which produced a wide variety of morphological forms.^[2]

The eastern part consists mainly of limestone and Neogene rocks (including serpentinites and crystalline rocks), where an intensive and regular relief has developed.^[2]

In the western and northern parts, karstic and older limestone rocks predominate, forming a well-developed karst relief.^[2]

Several major morphological forms can be distinguished within the territory of Banjë:

the mountainous masses in the southern and southwestern areas, and the Llapushë plains.^[2]

The valley of the Mirusha River represents one of the most significant geomorphological features both for Banjë and for the entire Municipality of Malishevë, with an average altitude of about 600 meters.^[2]

The main karstic relief forms in the northwestern part of the Mirusha–Banjë valley include sinkholes, rocky cavities, pits, and caves.^[2]

Climate, understood as the average condition of meteorological phenomena in a given place and period, plays an important role in the development of a region.In the village of Banjë, as in the entire Municipality of Malishevë, the climate is classified as temperate continental with variable Mediterranean influences. It is characterized by cold, long winters and hot, prolonged summers.^[2]

Microclimatic factors contribute to a slightly higher average temperature in the territory of Banjë, estimated at about +2 °C compared to surrounding areas. ^[2]

The maximum temperatures occur in July and August, with an average of 24.6 °C, while the minimum temperatures are recorded in January, averaging –1 °C. The annual mean air temperature is approximately 11 °C. Annual precipitation ranges between 511 mm (minimum) and 1,108 mm (maximum), with an average of 755.5 mm per year.^[2]

(Source: Duhël Meteorological Station)

According to climatic records for the Municipality of Malishevë, the average monthly temperatures for the period 1980–1990 were as follows:

Temperatures rise steadily from January to July, reaching their summer peak in July and August, before gradually declining toward December.

The highest temperatures recorded in 2000 occurred in June and July:

• On 5 May 2000, at 14:00, the temperature reached +31 °C;^[3]
• On 4 July 2000, at 12:00, the maximum value of +37 °C was recorded.^[3]

Earlier climate data for the period 1949–1971 show the following average monthly temperatures for nearby stations:

^[4]

From these data it appears that:

• the coldest month, January, has an average temperature of 1.0 °C in Suharekë and 0.6 °C in Gjakovë;
• the warmest month, July, averages 22.2 °C in Suharekë and 22.1 °C in Gjakovë;
• the annual mean temperature is 11.2 °C in Suharekë and 10.1 °C in Gjakovë.

Rainfall in the Municipality of Malishevë is heaviest between October and January, while the driest months are July, August, and September. During spring, the average rainfall reaches 540 mm, while in summer (June–August) it averages 157.5 mm/m².

Average monthly precipitation for the period 1967–1970 was recorded as follows:

Annual average: 694 mm

Rainfall increases between October and December, while the lowest levels are recorded in July and August.

Further data from the Duhël and Klinë meteorological stations (1960–1978) indicate:

From this data:

• the lowest rainfall occurs in August (34.8 mm in Duhël; 35.8 mm in Klinë);
• the highest rainfall occurs in November (92.5 mm in Duhël; 97.1 mm in Klinë).

Banjë is regarded as one of the oldest settlements in the Llapushë region of Kosovo.^[2]

Archaeological and historical evidence suggests that it may have once served as a local administrative center. Excavations carried out by Kosovar archaeologists in the Samadraxhë area and other parts of the village revealed traces of ancient cemeteries, believed to be Illyrian, particularly in the localities of Shurdhakë, Botët e Shurdhakëve, Telakë, Ura, and Begajve.^[2][5]

In the southern part of the village, near the Telaku and Samadraxhaj neighborhoods, archaeologists discovered several Illyrian burial mounds (tumuli).^[2][5]

Three of these date back to the Metal Age (11th–10th century BC), while six others belong to the period of early Christianity in Dardania.

Artifacts recovered from these sites include bronze fibulae, iron spearheads, amber beads, ceramic vessels, and bronze rings.

The earliest written record of Banjë appears in 1348, mentioned under the same name in the Charter of Emperor Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, alongside the nearby village of Guncat.

Above the village once stood two churches, locally referred to as Kiša and Other Kiša, the word kisha meaning church in Albanian.

In Ottoman tax registers (defters) for the Sanjak of Prizren from 1530, the settlement appears as Bana, described as a relatively large village.

Another register mentions a smaller settlement named Kuçuk Banja, part of the Prizren district, consisting of only one household.

The name Banja is also listed in the Vilayet of Kosovo records for the years 1893, 1896, and 1900.

It was first mentioned in 1348, in Holy Archangel charter of emperor Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia. Above the village there were two churches, which villagers called Kiša and Other Kiša. "Kisha" in the Albanian language literally translates to Church.

Archival documents report that in 1913 the village had 120 houses, of which 117 were burned and 50 inhabitants were killed; many of the wounded were reportedly buried alive.

During the 1914 uprisings between Albanian rebels and Serbo-Montenegrin forces, 22 residents and two travelers were killed, and more than half of the village was set on fire.

During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, as part of efforts to alter the ethnic composition of the population, 18 Serbian and Montenegrin families were settled in the Bozhlina area, near the border with Malishevë, where they formed their own neighborhood.

At the same time, several Albanian families from Banjë emigrated to Turkey, seven families initially, followed by four more in 1956.

During the Yugoslav agrarian reforms between 1918 and 1941, colonist families were settled in several villages of the Malishevë municipality, including Banjë.

A total of 18 colonist families were recorded in Banjë during this period.

(Source: data on agrarian reform settlements, 1918–1941)

In April 2020, 20 residents of Banjë were placed in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6]

Banjë is classified as a dispersed-type settlement and is among the most populous villages in the Municipality of Malishevë.

According to 2004 data from the Directorate for Planning and Rural Development (KK Malishevë, DPRZH), the village consists of 11 neighborhoods (lagje), 436 houses, and 4,347 inhabitants.

Neighborhoods (Lagje) of Banjë:

• Begaj, Hazrolli, Telaku, Samadraxha, Shalaj, Telaku II, Limaj, Shurdhaj, Buzhalaj, Elshani, Binishi, and Begaj II – Xhembrahtë.

The population density of the village is approximately 274 inhabitants per km² (2011 data), making Banjë one of the most densely populated villages in the Municipality of Malishevë, where the average population density is around 210 inhabitants per km² (2009 data).

Classification of Settlements in the Municipality of Malishevë (2009)

Population by Census Year

According to the Ministry of Spatial Planning (MAPH, 2005), the territory of Llapushë is divided into ten zones, while the Municipality of Malishevë is classified into nine main zones:

• Zone I – Settlements at the foot of the Drenicë Mountains: Berishë, Tërpezë, Lladroviq, Senik, Guncati
• Zone II – At the foot of the Badallë Mountains: Balincë, Mleqan, Plloqicë, Gulluboc
• Zone III – At the foot of the Gremnik Mountains: Qypevë
• Zone IV – At the foot of the Zatriq Mountains: Llapeqevë, Panorc
• Zone V – At the foot of the Shpat Mountains: Astraçup, Burim, Gurbardhë, Turjakë
• Zone VI – At the foot of the Shpat Mountains: Shkozë, Janqisht, Maxharra
• Zone VII – At the foot of the Gajrak Mountains: Pagarushë, Kërvasari, Guriq, Marali, Dragobil
• Zone VIII – Alluvial plain of the Mirusha River: Banjë, Malishevë, Mirusha, Lubizhda, Damanek, Bubli
• Zone IX – Llapushë Basin: Bellanicë, Temeqinë, Carrallukë, Shkarashnik, Drenoc, Vermicë, Llazicë, Bubavec, Kijevë

Banjë belongs to Zone VIII, together with five other settlements.^[2]

The Begaj neighborhood lies in the southern part of the village of Banjë. It is the largest neighborhood, with approximately 100 houses, extending along the slopes of Mount Gajrak, from which it takes its name.^[2]

The area enjoys favorable conditions for the development of agriculture (in the Banjë plain) and livestock farming. It hosts the “17 Shkurti” elementary school, and the main road leading to the neighborhood is paved. Several commercial businesses and construction enterprises operate there. The neighborhood is well organized, with a regular water and sewage system, and the inhabitants mainly belong to the Elshan clan.^[2]

Several educators from the Begaj neighborhood have contributed to local education and public service:

• Ismet Fazli Begaj (1941–2011) – teacher
• Ethem Begaj – educator (deceased)
• Rexhep Begaj – teacher
• Hajrush Begaj – geography professor at the “Abdyl Frashëri” School in Malishevë
• Ragip Begaj – Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Malishevë

• Fatmir Limaj^[7]
• Drilon Hazrollaj