Kavajë


Kavajë is a city and municipality centrally located in the Western Lowlands region of Albania, in Tirana County. It borders Durrës to the north, Tiranë to the east and Rrogozhinë to the south. To the west lies the Adriatic Sea. According on the 2023 census, the municipality had a population of 30,012, although the Civil Registry inferred the total number of inhabitants to be 79,556. The overall surface area is.

Etymology

The name Kavajë is mentioned in Ottoman archives from the Land Registry of the Sanjak of Albania for the years 1431–1432. In the documents, first published by Turkish researcher Halil İnalcık this locality was part of. On Latin Maps it was mentioned as Cavalli.

History

Early development

There have been varied opinions on the origin of Kavajë as an inhabited settlement. Until recently, researchers believed the early beginnings of this region as a settlement should be sought somewhere in the middle of the 16th century. However, relying on the findings of geological fragments and inscriptions, it appears that the origin of this settlement can be traced back to the first centuries BCE.
The present day territory of Kavajë has been inhabited since the Late Antiquity. It is believed that the Illyrian tribe of Taulantii built their city Arnisa in the area today known as Zik-Xhafaj.
Ensuing the Roman Conquest of the region, Kavajë would establish itself as a transit route for Via Egnatia – the road was built by the Romans in order to link a chain of their colonies stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the Bosphorus.
The famous Battle of Pharsalus between Julius Caesar and his archrival Pompey took place near Shkëmbi i Kavajës, at the time known as Petra. Byzantine historian Anna Komnena in the Alexiad records the name of the area as Kabalion.
In the second half of the 13th century and up until the early 15th century, much of central Albania and its surrounding region were ruled by a few powerful feudal families. The two most prominent families that ruled Kavajë at this time were the feudal families of Skuraj and Matrangaj. The Skuraj family, as direct descendants of the dynasty that founded the Principality of Arbanon controlled the eastern part of Kavajë. Their emblem depicted a lion standing up on one foot and reaching up to grab a fleur-de-lis. This symbol would later be used as the official Emblem of the City of Tirana. The Zguraj neighborhood of Kavajë is named after the Skuraj Dynasty that ruled the region.

The Matrangaj family as the most powerful rulers of the region had established their center in Bashtovë. They controlled most of the Myzeqe plains and the coastal hills of Karpen.

Ottoman Period

Ottoman writer and traveler Evliya Çelebi describes Kavajë in this 1670 memoir:
Scottish diplomat David Urquhart describes his encounter upon arriving in Kavajë in this 1831 piece:

Modern development

Dr. Erickson was a missionary to Albania who had offered political advice to the Vatra delegation at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. The school he founded, aimed to promote the knowledge of modern scientific agriculture and provide a thorough training to young Albanians.
The girls school was inaugurated on September 20 and the boys agriculture school opened on October 10 of that same year. Cost for enrollment was 50 gold franga per month. The students could study continuously for three straight years with an option for two additional years given to those with excellent results. Classes were taught in both Albanian and English language.
Funding for the project was made possible by the Near East Foundation who had commissioned New York based studio "Thompson & Churchill" in charge of the architectural design. Following the Italian fascist occupation of 1939, the school was briefly renamed Italian Agrarian Institute "Arnaldo Mussolini" in honor of Benito Mussolini's younger brother.
At the start of World War II, approximately 600 Jews lived in the Republic of Albania. About 400 of them were German and Austrian refugees and the rest were from nearby countries like Yugoslavia and Greece. The largest number of these refugees, some 200 in total, were placed at a camp in Kavajë where they would later find shelter amongst the local population.
The citizens of Kavajë gave an invaluable contribution in the housing and sheltering of Jewish refugees during the war. The names of Mihal Lekatari, Besim Kadiu and Shyqyri Myrto are placed on the list of the Righteous among the Nations honored by Yad Vashem.
Known primarily as an agricultural region, in the early decade of the 1960s Kavajë started to emerge as an important industrial center in Albania. Following is a list of the major industrial plants that operated in the city:
  • The Nails and Bolts Plant was inaugurated on November 28, 1963. Using Chinese technology, the plant produced nails, bolts and screws. In the later years, with its expansion, the plant started to produce wooden screws, metal wires, metal chains, rail bolts, barbed wires, etc. As of 1990 the plant employed 1,200 workers.
  • The Paper Factory was inaugurated on November 28, 1966. Using Chinese technology, it initially started to produce stationery paper for notebooks, books and textbooks as well as typographic paper for official documents and newspapers. This plant employed 750 workers at its peak.

  • The Glass Factory was inaugurated in the late fall of 1970. Like the others, this factory also used Chinese technology. It produced glass packaging and other glass items for mass consumption. Later on, a ceramic production facility was opened. In 1975, new mirror production lines were set and attempts to produce seasoned glass gave little results. After 1985 the factory started producing items like pearls, stone rings, etc. The Glass factory along with the ceramic facility employed 2,500 workers.
  • The Carpet Production Plant had a separate department for the production of artistic copper. It produced mainly tapestry carpets and artistic copper items for the domestic market. This plant employed 3,000 workers.
  • The Food Factory processed fresh fruits, vegetables and bread for the local population. It also produced conserved fruits and vegetables for exports. This factory employed 300 workers.

    Communism

The first anti-communist revolt in Kavajë took place in the Summer of 1988. It was a union strike organized by Nazmi Roli, Fatmir Veliu, Skënder Germani, Viktor Rrapi and others who were protesting against job cuts and poor working conditions on behalf of the pottery workers and those who worked at the textile plant and the glass factory. In the succeeding months, the city's youth which at the time was forced by the regime to work in agriculture cooperatives, started distributing anti-communist leaflets at local shops, schools and villages nearby. Enver Hoxha's portrait was torn apart at the city's main high school and at the SMT. The perpetrators were Qazim Kariqi, Josif Budo, Mihal Budo, Rexhep Rrugeja, Shpetim Nova, Alket Alushi, Xhevat Hylviu, Artan Lajthia, Adem Hylviu, Arben Goga, Artan Çelhyka, Tahir Okshtuni, Skënder Llixha etc. These were powerful blows that brought embarrassment to the leadership of the party and the state security apparatus. On March 26, 1990, the first active demonstration in Albania took place in the streets of Kavajë. The event that triggered these demonstrations was the football match between local club Besa and Tirana club Partizani which had long been favored by the regime. Angry fans threw banners on the field detesting the system. After the match, numerous people were arrested by the police. Outraged citizens took on the streets and burned the city's police building thus marking the first event of importance against the regime at the time.

Geography

Kavajë is a municipality built on the coastal plains of Albania's Western Lowlands region. Located just south of the Bay of Durrës, it is partially engulfed by two small river streams, Leshniqe to the west-northwest and Darçi to the west-southwest. The municipality borders Durrës to the north at latitude 41°15'N with Përroi i Agait, which flows into the sea, being the dividing border line. The eastern hills near Kryezi border Tirana at longitude 19°38'E. To the south, Rrogozhinë is bordered at the intersecting point between Luz i Vogël and Luz i Madh at latitude 41°07'N. The Adriatic Sea faces the western side, with Kepi i Lagjit being its most extreme point at longitude 19°27'E. Within these boundaries the municipality has an approximate surface area of 198.81 km2.
The highest elevation point is the peak of Bezmajet which reaches a height of. The lowest depression point is found near the shores of Karpen at below sea level.

Administrative divisions

The municipality of Kavajë consists of the following subdivisions:
Kavajë's coastline measures roughly at a length of and is mostly flat with plenty of sandy and gravel beaches. The main beaches are: Golem, Karpen, Carina, Kepi i Lagjit, Plazhi i Gjeneralit, Spille, Greth.

Climate

Kavajë is located in a Mediterranean Climate region where the summers are dry and hot and the winters are wet and mild. Average surface temperatures range annually between.
The following objects/places are declared natural monuments in this region by decree nr.767 dated 20 December 2002: ''Salt Springs of Golemas, Sulfurous Springs of Fliballie, Laurel of Turrë Castle, Coastal Cliffs of Bardhor, Carina Beach, Sea Fossils of Thartor, Aligned Rocks in Cikallesh, General's Beach, Karstic Caves in Mengaj''

Demography

Population density in urban areas was 285 inhabitants per km2 and in rural areas much less. 57.6% of the people in the district lived in rural areas whereas 42.4% lived in the city. The gender structure of the population is almost equal. Only 48% of the workforce is employed. Since 1990, more than 25% of the total population in the district has migrated elsewhere, mainly to countries such as Italy, Greece, Great Britain, France, Germany, United States and Canada. A smaller percentage has migrated towards neighbouring Durrës and the capital, Tirana.
As of 2023, Kavajë’s population stood at 30,012. The population is distributed as follows:
  • 0-14 years: 4,338
  • 15-64 years: 18,400
  • 65+ years: 7,274
The gender distribution as of 2023 was:
  • Males: 14,892 '
  • Females:''' 15,120 ''''