Editing Debar

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{about|the place in North Macedonia|the legal penalty|Debarment|the sociological concept|Social rejection}}
{{confused|Dbar (disambiguation)|The Bar (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See Template:Infobox Settlement for additional fields that may be available-->
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->| name               = 
| official_name      = Debar
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = {{native name|mk|Дебaр|italics=off}}<br />{{native name|sq|Dibër/Dibra}}
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| image1 = Debar.jpg
| image2 = Debar - panoramio (2).jpg
| image3 = „Инкјар џамија“ 04.jpg
| footer = From the top, View over Debar, Skanderbeg Monument, Hünkar Mosque}}
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = View of Debar
| image_flag         = [[File:Flag of Dibër Municipality.svg|Flag of Dibër Municipality|100px]]<ref name = "Debar (Municipality, North Macedonia)">{{cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/mk-deba.html|title=Debar (Municipality, North Macedonia)|website=www.crwflags.com}}</ref>
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| subdivision_name1  = [[File:Logo of Southwestern Region, North Macedonia.svg|15px]] [[Southwestern Statistical Region|Southwestern]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Municipalities of North Macedonia|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[File:Coat of arms of Debar Municipality.svg|15px]] [[Debar Municipality|Debar]]
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| population_total   = 14,561
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| coordinates        = {{coord|41|31|N|20|32|E|region:MK|display=inline}}
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'''Debar''' ({{langx|mk|Дебaр}} {{IPA|mk|ˈdɛbar||Mk-Debar.ogg}}; {{langx|sq|Dibër}}, {{lang-sq-definite|Dibra or Dibra e Madhe}}) is a city in the western part of [[North Macedonia]], near the border with [[Albania]], off the road from [[Struga]] to [[Gostivar]]. It is the seat of [[Debar Municipality]]. Debar has an ethnic [[Albanians of North Macedonia|Albanian]] majority of 74% and is North Macedonia's only city where [[ethnic Macedonians]] do not rank first or second demographically. The official languages are [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] and [[Albanian language|Albanian.]]

==Name==
The name of the city in [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] is ''Debar'' (Дебар). In [[Albanian language|Albanian]]; ''Dibër''/''Dibra'' or ''Dibra e Madhe'' (meaning "Great Dibra", in contrast to the other [[Dibër County|Dibër in Albania]]). In [[Serbian language|Serbian]] ''Debar'' ({{lang|sr|Дебар}}), in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] ''Debǎr'' ({{lang|bg|Дебър}}), in [[Turkish language|Turkish]] ''Debre'' or ''Debre-i Bala'', in [[Greek language|Greek]], ''Dívrē'' ({{lang|el|Δίβρη}}) or ''Dívra'' ({{lang|el|Δίβρα}}), in [[Ancient Greek]] ''Dēvoros'', Δήβορος and in [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times as ''Deborus''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h68_AAAAcAAJ&q=deborus+macedonia&pg=RA1-PT78 |title= Dictionarium historicum, geographicum, poeticum |first=Carolo |last=Stephano|year= 1633 |page=783}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Дебар и Дебарското Езеро 01.JPG|thumb|[[Lake Debar]]]]
Debar is surrounded by the [[Dešat]], [[Stogovo]], [[Jablanica (mountain range)|Jablanica]] and [[Mount Bistra|Bistra]] mountains.

It is located 625 meters above sea level, next to [[Lake Debar]], the [[Black Drin]] River and its smaller break-off river, [[Radika]].

==History==
[[File:Saint John Bigorski.jpg|thumb|left|200px| [[Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery]] near Debar.]]
[[File:Debar, Macedonia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The mosque of Debar.]]The [[Byzantine]] emperor [[Basil II]] knew of its existence, historian [[Anna Komnene|Anna Komnena]] recorded the name as ''Devré'' in the Alexiad, and [[Feliks Petančić]] referred to it as ''Dibri'' in 1502.<ref name="Evans">{{cite book |last=Evans |first=Thammy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VUa3BwAAQBAJ&q=Tetovo&pg=PA245 |title=Macedonia |publisher=The Globe Pequot Press Inc |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-84162-395-5 |location=Bradt Travel Guides Ltd, IDC House, The Vale, Chalfront St Peter, Bucks SL9 9RZ, England |pages=260 |access-date=31 December 2015}}</ref>

During the period from the 12th, to early 14th century, Debar was ruled by the [[Albanian nobility|Albanian noble]] [[Gropa family]]. In the latter half of the 14th century until the first half of the 15th century it was ruled by the [[Principality of Kastrioti]], an [[Albanian principalities|Albanian medieval principality]] ruled by the [[Kastrioti]] noble family and later from 1443 by the Albanian state, [[League of Lezhë]]. Debar fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire when local ruler [[Gjon Kastrioti]] died shortly after his four children were taken hostage.<ref name=Evans/>

It was conquered by the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]] in 1395 and subsequently became the seat of the [[Sanjak of Dibra]].

In 1440 [[Skanderbeg]] was appointed as its [[sanjakbey]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omda.bg/imir/studies/alban_id9.html|title=Albanian identities|first=Antonina|last=Zhelyazkova|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515014034/http://www.omda.bg/imir/studies/alban_id9.html|archive-date=15 May 2011|access-date=3 April 2011|quote=In 1440, he was promoted to sancakbey of Debar|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Balkans: a short history from Greek times to the present day, Volume 1972, Part 2 |last=Hösch |first=Peter |year=1972 |publisher=Crane, Russak |isbn= 978-0-8448-0072-1 |page=96 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2RoXAQAAIAAJ&q=sanjak+of+dibra|access-date= 4 April 2011}}</ref>

During the [[Albanian–Turkish Wars (1432–1479)|Ottoman-Albanian wars between 1443-1479]] the Dibër region was the borderline between the Ottomans and the [[League of Lezhë]] led by [[Skanderbeg]] and became an area of continuous conflict. There were two major battles near Debar, on 29 June 1444 The [[Battle of Torvioll]] and on 27 September 1446 [[Battle of Otonetë|The Battle of Otonetë]] both ending with the defeat of the Ottoman armies and Albanian victories.

An Ottoman army division was also stationed within the town.<ref name="Gawrych3536">{{cite book|last=Gawrych|first=George|title=The Crescent and the Eagle: Ottoman rule, Islam and the Albanians, 1874–1913|year=2006|location=London|publisher=IB Tauris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wPOtzk-unJgC&q=Debre|isbn=9781845112875|pages=35–36}}</ref>

It was first a sanjak centre in [[Scutari Vilayet]] before 1877, and afterwards in [[Manastir Vilayet]] between 1877-1912 as ''Debre'' or ''Debre-i Bala'' ("Upper Debre" in Ottoman Turkish, as contrasted with Debre-i Zir, which was [[Peshkopi]]'s Turkish name).

Debar was significantly involved in the national Albanian movement and on 1 November 1878 the Albanian leaders of the city participated in founding the [[League of Prizren]].

In 1907 the [[Congress of Dibra]] was held in the town, which made [[Albanian language|Albanian]] an official language within the Ottoman Empire. The congress allowed that Albanian be taught in schools legally for the first time within the Empire.<ref name="Torte">{{cite web|last=Torte|first=Rexhep|url=http://www.albaniapress.com/lajme/9518/Perfundoi-shenimi-i-100-vjetorit-te-Kongresit-te-Dibres.html|title=Përfundoi shënimi i 100-vjetorit të Kongresit të Dibrës|publisher=Albaniapress|date=4 August 2009|access-date=13 May 2013|archive-date=2 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192859/http://www.albaniapress.com/lajme/9518/Perfundoi-shenimi-i-100-vjetorit-te-Kongresit-te-Dibres.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Balli Kombetar Debar.jpg|thumb|[[Balli Kombëtar]] forces in Debar]]
Following the capture of the town of Debar by [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]], many of its Albanian inhabitants fled to [[Turkey]], the rest went to [[Tirana]].<ref name="Clayer306307"/> Of those that ended up in [[Istanbul]], some of their number migrated to Albania, mainly to Tirana where the Dibran community formed an important segment of the capital city's population from 1920 onward and for some years thereafter.<ref name="Clayer306307">{{cite book|last=Clayer|first=Nathalie|chapter=The Albanian students of the Mekteb-i Mülkiye: Social networks and trends of thought|editor1-last=Özdalga|editor1-first=Elisabeth|title=Late Ottoman Society: The Intellectual Legacy|year=2005|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415341646|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5FMoWJFs73gC&q=debar&pg=PA307|pages=306–307}}</ref>

[[Dibran Wars (1912-1921)|Between 1912-1921]], Albanians led 5 victorius uprisings against the Serbian Kingdom and Yugoslavia

It was occupied by [[Kingdom of Bulgaria]] between 1915 and 1918.

From 1929 to 1941, Debar was part of the [[Vardar Banovina]] of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]].

Debar was [[annexed]], along with most of Western North Macedonia, into the [[Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)|Italian]]-controlled [[Albanian Kingdom (1939–43)|Kingdom of Albania]] on 17 April 1941, following the [[Axis invasion of Yugoslavia]] during the [[Second World War]]. [[Greater Albania|Albania]] was officially a protectorate of Italy and therefore public administration duties were passed to Albanian authorities. [[Albanian language]] schools, radio stations and newspapers were established in Debar. When [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|Italy capitulated]] in September 1943, Debar passed into [[Germany|German]] hands. In 1944, after a two-month struggle for the city between the communist [[Albanian National Liberation Front]] and German forces holding the city, including the [[21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian)|SS Skanderbeg division]], the communists led by [[Haxhi Lleshi]] finally secured Debar on 30 August 1944.<ref name="Magaš1993">{{cite book|last=Magaš|first=Branka|title=The destruction of Yugoslavia: tracking the break-up 1980-92|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5np99Vgc0YC&pg=PA46|access-date=25 November 2011|year=1993|publisher=Verso|isbn=978-0-86091-593-5|page=46}}</ref>

After the cessation of hostilities with the end of WW2 and the establishment of [[communism]] in both [[Democratic Government of Albania|Albania]] and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], Debar passed back into Yugoslav hands.

==Population==

In the late Ottoman period, Debre (Debar) was a town with 20,000 inhabitants, 420 shops, 9 mosques, 10 madrasas, 5 tekkes, 11 government run primary schools, 1 secondary school, 3 Christian primary schools and 1 church. In the early 19th century, when Debar rebelled against the Turkish Sultan, the French traveller, publicist, and scientist [[Ami Boue]] observed that Debar had 64 shops and 4,200 residents. <ref name="Gawrych3536"/> 

According to the statistics of the [[Bulgaria]]n ethnographer [[Vasil Kanchov]] in 1900 the population of Debar was 15,500 consisting of 10,500 [[Albanians]], 4,500 [[Bulgarians]], and 500 [[Romani people|Romani]].<ref>В. Кѫнчовъ, Македония. Етнография и статистика. (I изд. Бълг. Книжовно Д-во, София, 1900; II фототипно изд. "Проф. М. Дринов", София, 1996),  {{ISBN|954430424X}}, стр. 210</ref>

According to the last census data from 2002, the city of Debar has a population of 14,561, made up of
*10,768 (74.0%) [[Albanians in North Macedonia|Albanians]],
* 1,415 (9.7%) [[Turks in North Macedonia|Turks]],
* 1,079 (7.2%) [[Romani people in North Macedonia|Roma]],
* 1,054 (7.2%) [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonians]], and
*245 (1.7%) others.<ref name = Statisticaloffice>Macedonian Census (2002), [http://www.stat.gov.mk/publikacii/knigaX.pdf  ''Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion''], The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, p. 89.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+
'''City of Debar population according to ethnic group 1948-2021<ref name="Censuses of population 1948 - 2002">[http://makstat.stat.gov.mk/pxweb2007bazi/Database/Censuses/Censuses%20of%20population%201948-2002/Censuses%20of%20population%201948-2002.asp Censuses of population 1948 - 2002] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014071758/http://makstat.stat.gov.mk/pxweb2007bazi/Database/Censuses/Censuses%20of%20population%201948-2002/Censuses%20of%20population%201948-2002.asp |date=14 October 2013 }}</ref>'''
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! rowspan="2" | Ethnic<br />group
! colspan="2" | census 1948
! colspan="2" | census 1953
! colspan="2" | census 1961
! colspan="2" | census 1971
! colspan="2" | census 1981
! colspan="2" | census 1994
! colspan="2" | census 2002
! colspan="2" |census 2021
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
! Number
! %
!Number
! %
|-
| [[Albanians in North Macedonia|Albanians]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 4,122
| align="right" | 74.7
| align="right" | 4,507
| align="right" | 71.3
| align="right" | 6,681
| align="right" | 75.7
| align="right" | 8,625
| align="right" | 70.7
| align="right" | 9,400
| align="right" | 70.5
| align="right" | 10,768
| align="right" | 74.0
| align="right" |8,194
| align="right" |69.8
|-
| [[Turks in North Macedonia|Turks]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 53
| align="right" | 1.0
| align="right" | 195
| align="right" | 3.1
| align="right" | 367
| align="right" | 4.2
| align="right" | 573
| align="right" | 4.7
| align="right" | 1,175
| align="right" | 8.8
| align="right" | 1,415
| align="right" | 9.7
| align="right" |911
| align="right" |7.8
|-
| [[Romani people in North Macedonia|Roma]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 83
| align="right" | 1.5
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 1,030
| align="right" | 8.5
| align="right" | 1,103
| align="right" | 8.3
| align="right" | 1,079
| align="right" | 7.4
| align="right" |1,140
| align="right" |9.7
|-
| [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonians]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 1,110
| align="right" | 20.1
| align="right" | 1,009
| align="right" | 16.0
| align="right" | 1,276
| align="right" | 14.5
| align="right" | 1,106
| align="right" | 9.1
| align="right" | 1,431
| align="right" | 10.7
| align="right" | 1,054
| align="right" | 7.3
| align="right" |419
| align="right" |3.6
|-
| [[Vlachs in the Republic of Macedonia|Vlachs]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 1
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |2
| align="right" |0.0
|-
| [[Serbs in North Macedonia|Serbs]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 87
| align="right" | 1.6
| align="right" | 57
| align="right" | 0.9
| align="right" | 105
| align="right" | 1.2
| align="right" | 37
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | 34
| align="right" | 0.3
| align="right" | 22
| align="right" | 0.2
| align="right" |4
| align="right" |0.0
|-
| [[Bosniaks in North Macedonia|Bosniaks]]
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 0
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" | 2
| align="right" | 0.0
| align="right" |5
| align="right" |0.0
|-
| Others
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | ..
| align="right" | 63
| align="right" | 1.2
| align="right" | 555
| align="right" | 8.8
| align="right" | 394
| align="right" | 4.5
| align="right" | 830
| align="right" | 6.8
| align="right" | 196
| align="right" | 1.5
| align="right" | 219
| align="right" | 1.5
| align="right" | 146
| align="right" | 1.2
|-
| Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources
| colspan="14" |
| align="right" | 914
| align="right" | 7.8
|-
|-bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! align="left" | Total
! colspan="2" | 4,698
! colspan="2" | 5,520
! colspan="2" | 6,323
! colspan="2" | 8,823
! colspan="2" | 12,201
! colspan="2" | 13,340
! colspan="2" | 14,561
! colspan="2" |11,735
|-
| colspan="17" | <small></small>
|}

== Culture ==
[[File:Skenderbeg-Debar-monument.jpg|thumb|left|Statue of [[Skenderbeg|Skanderbeg]] in Debar]]

Some of the best craftsman, [[wood carving|woodcarving]] masters and builders came from the Debar region and were recognized for their skills in creating detailed and impressive woodcarvings, painting beautiful icons and building unique architecture. In fact, Debar was one of the then famous three woodcarving schools in the region, the other two being [[Samokov]] and [[Bansko]]. Their work can be seen in many churches and cultural buildings throughout the [[Balkan Peninsula]]. The [[Mijak School of woodcarving]] became noted for its artistic excellence, and an amazing example that can be seen today by tourists is the [[iconostasis]] in the nearby Monastery of [[Saint Jovan Bigorski]], near the town of Debar.<ref name="PetrovskiDautovski2004">{{cite book|author1=Janko Petrovski|author2=Aleksandar Dautovski|author3=Angelikija Anakijeva|title=Undying creativity: a pictorial journey through Macedonia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oE3J_v5vzOAC&pg=PA71|year=2004|publisher=MacedoniaDirect|isbn=978-9989-2343-0-9|pages=71–}}</ref> The monastery was rebuilt in the 19th century and is situated on the slopes of [[Mount Bistra]], above the banks of the River [[Radika]]. The monastery was built on the remains of an older church dating from 1021.

Another important religious monument is the monastery of Saint Gjorgi in the village of [[Rajčica, Debar|Rajcica]] in the immediate vicinity of Debar. The monastery was recently built.

[[Grigor Parlichev]] was given the title ''Second Homer'' in 1860 in Athens for his poem ''The Serdar''. Based on a folk poem, it deals with the exploits and heroic death of [[Kuzman Kapidan]], a famous hero and protector of Christian people in the Debar region in their struggle with bandits.

Some of the oldest and richest Albanian epics still exist in the Debar regions and are part of the Albanian mythological heritage.

Debar is also known for its pizza consumption. As of 2018, Debar had one pizzeria for every 3,000 residents, and emigrants from the town had opened approximately 50 pizza restaurants in the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2018/04/10/pizza-unchained-tech-startup-slice-helps-local-pizzerias-get-online-and-fight-back-against-dominos/|title=Pizza Unchained: Tech Startup Slice Helps Local Pizzerias Get Online And Fight Back Against Domino's|last=Feldman|first=Amy|work=Forbes|access-date=12 April 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412210648/https://www.forbes.com/sites/amyfeldman/2018/04/10/pizza-unchained-tech-startup-slice-helps-local-pizzerias-get-online-and-fight-back-against-dominos/|archive-date=12 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sports==
Local football club [[KF Korabi Debar|Korabi]] plays in the [[Macedonian Second Football League|Macedonian Second League]] (West Division).

==International relations==

===Partner towns===
Partner towns of Debar:
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Vidin]], Bulgaria
{{div col end}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Gjon Kastrioti]], father of [[Skanderbeg]]
* [[Nexhat Agolli]], politician and deputy president of [[ASNOM]]
* [[Eqrem Basha]], writer
* [[Gëzim Ostreni]], former NLA commander
* [[Abdurraman Dibra]], politician, minister in [[Zog I of Albania|Ahmet Zogu]]'s rule
* [[Fiqri Dine]], former prime minister of [[Albania]]
* [[Akif Erdemgil]], military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies
* [[Moisi Golemi]], general in [[Skanderbeg|Skenderbeg]]'s army
* [[John of Debar]], Orthodox clergyman
* [[Sherif Lengu]], a founding father of modern [[Albania]]
* [[Haki Stërmilli]], writer
* [[Myfti Vehbi Dibra Agolli]], modern [[Albania]] founding father
* [[Selim Rusi]], Albanian nationalist
* [[Hafëz Ismet Dibra]], religious leader and writer
* [[Liman Kaba]], Yugoslav and Albanian partisan 
* [[Said Najdeni]], Albanian activist, scholar

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

===General references===
* The History of Byzantine State by [[George Alexandrovič Ostrogorsky|G. Ostrogorsky]]
* The Serdar by G. Prlicev

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Debar}}{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Debar Municipality}}
{{Towns in North Macedonia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|41|31|N|20|32|E|type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Cities in North Macedonia]]
[[Category:Debar Municipality]]