Kačanik

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Kachanik
Kaçanik / Kaçaniku
Kačanik / Качаник




leader_name =
area_km2 =
elevation_m =
population_total = 38,010 (municipality)
population_as_of = 1991
population_density_km2 =
area_code =
timezone = CET
utc_offset =+1
website =
footnotes =

Kačanik or Kaçanik ( _sq. Kaçanik" or "Kaçaniku; _sr. Качаник, "Kačanik") is a town and municipality in southern Kosovo.

History

An epitaph found in one grave from the 2nd century A.D. proves that inhabited localities existed in this region even in the ancient times. This grave was discovered in the early 1980s during the erection of the Shopping Mall in Kaçanik, and now the epitaph is placed in the building of the shopping mall.

The town was founded by Koxha Sinan Pasha, who erected the town mosque which exists even today, a public kitchen for the poor ("imaret"), a school near the mosque, two "hane" (inns similar to "caravanserais"), one Turkish bath ("hammam"), the town fortress and a few mills on the Lepenac river.

Kaçanik is known as an administrative town by the end of 16th century, and up to year 1891 it was a part of the "sanjak" of Üsküb (Skopje), known as "Nahije", which again belonged to the Kosovo Province of the Ottoman Empire. In 1878, it was planned to become part of the Principality of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano, but per the Treaty of Berlin it was returned to the Ottomans. [cite news|url=http://news.ibox.bg/news/id_359346741|title=Сан Стефано — непостигнатият идеал|last=Тосева|first=Катерина|date=2008-03-03|publisher=News.bg|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=2008-09-16]

Economy

Considering that through Kaçanik runs the main roadway that connects Pristina and Skopje, as well as the railway Fushë Kosovë - Thesaloniki (constructed in 1879) makes Kaçanik an important place and a strategic position when it comes to the economic aspect.

Kaçanik municipality is mainly known for the production of construction materials. But there also exists very good grounds for the development of farms, apiculture, arboriculture, various craftsmanship and artisan, and especially for the development of winter and summer tourism.

Kaçanik has an old tradition in private manufactures, especially when it comes to the production of calcareous stone, wood for construction purposes and other services and artisan skills.

ee also

* District of Ferizaj

References

External links

* [http://www.kacaniku.be/ Portali i Kaçanikut]
* [http://www.komuna-kacanik.org/ Komuna Kaçanik]
* [http://www.sok-kosovo.org/pdf/population/Kosovo_and_its_population.pdf SOK Kosovo and its population]