Expulsion of Karadak

The expulsion of the Karadak is the expulsion of Catholic Albanians between 1846 and 1847 by the Ottoman authorities in the region of Karadak.[1][2] The Christian Albanians of the Karadak region were crypto-Catholics (Laramans). In 1846, they declared themselves openly to be Catholics.[3][4][5] Sopi describes the suffering and the exile of Catholic Albanians in Karadak (modern day Letnicë in Vitina) who in the years of 1845 publicly declared their Christian faith. The Albanian Maliq Beg of Gjilani then ordered for their arrest where 30 members were sent to Skopje and then to Istanbul where they remained in prisons for months. Later they were deported to a swamp region in Anatolia, Turkey, where half of them died. In 1848, survivors returned where they once again were persecuted. Before leaving they made an oath in front of the statue of the Black Madonna in the church of St. George in Viti. The highlanders of Karadak were from Stublla, Binca, Terziaj and Vernakolla. Today there is a monument dedicated to the martyrs in courtyard of the church.[6][7]

Martiret e Karadakut (The Martyrs of Karadak)
LocationGjilan, Kosovo vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Date1846–1847
TargetCatholic Albanians in Karadak
Attack type
Ethnic cleansing, Expulsion, Forced migration
Victims150
PerpetratorsMaliq Beg Gjinolli, Muslim Albanian Highlanders from Karadak
MotiveAnti-Catholicism

In total, 150 Catholic Albanians and their priest were expelled to Anatolia. 20 of them died during the journey to their place of exile and another 70 died in the harsh conditions of Anatolia before being allowed to return to their homeland in 1848.[8]

Marko Sopi (1938-2006) wrote the first historical monograph about the events of the expulsion.[9]

References
  1. Kott, Marilyn (2016). Catholic Kosovo: A Visitor's Guide to Her People, Churches, Historical Sites, and Her 1,900 Year Journey. Lulu Press, Inc. ISBN 9781483435213.
  2. "NË STUBLLAVAQË GJURMËVE TË MARTIRËVE TË KARADAKUT". www.drita.info. 14 March 2016.
  3. "MARTIRET E KARADAKUT Kety". yumpu.com.
  4. "Ipeshkvi i Kosovës Imzot Mark Sopi (1938-2006), një vijues i denjë i traditës për Fe e Atdhe « Fjala e Lirë". www.fjala.info.
  5. "Kisha katolike e Kosovës përfundon devocionin e majit te Zoja e Bekuar në Letnicë". www.archivioradiovaticana.va.
  6. Elsie, Robert (2010). Historical Dictionary of Kosovo. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810874831.
  7. Tu marcheras derrière ton ombre (in French). Editions Publibook. ISBN 9782748338829.
  8. Malcolm, Noel (2020). Rebels, Believers, Survivors: Studies in the History of the Albanians. Oxford University Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-0198857297.
  9. Elsie, Robert (2013). A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History. I.B.Tauris. p. 419. ISBN 9781780764313.
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