Saraj Municipality

Saraj (Macedonian: Сарајⓘ, Albanian: Saraj) is one of the ten municipalities that make up the city of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia.

  • Saraj, which means "palace" in Turkish, is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found.
    • It is a rural municipality and it is not part of the urban core of Skopje proper.
Municipality of Saraj
Општина Сарај
Komuna e Sarajit
Rural municipality
Flag of Municipality of Saraj
Flag
Official logo of Municipality of Saraj
Coat of arms
Location of Municipality of Saraj
Country North Macedonia
Region Skopje
Municipal seatSkopje
Government
 • MayorBlerim Bexheti (DUI)
Area
 • Total229.06 km2 (88.44 sq mi)
Population
 • Total38,399
Official Language(s)
 • primaryMacedonian, Albanian
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
WebsiteOfficial Website

Geography

Saraj borders

History

In the early 2000s municipal boundaries within Macedonia in some areas were redrawn.[1] During difficult negotiations the governing Macedonian Social Democrats (SDSM) gave in to the request of its Albanian coalition partner that wanted Albanians within Skopje to surpass the 20% population mark by attaching two rural Albanian inhabited municipalities, Saraj and Kondovo.[1] The municipalities attachment to the capital city raised the Albanian population from 15.30% to 20.49%.[1] The change was seen as an important win among Albanians, while Macedonians were concerned with a more visible Albanian presence in Skopje and the increasing fragmentation of the urban population based on ethnicity.[1]

Demographics

According to the last national census from 2021, Saraj has 38,399 inhabitants.[2]

Ethnic groups in the municipality include:

  • Albanians = 34,586 (90.1%)
  • Macedonians = 1,005 (2.6%)
  • Bosniaks = 1,043 (2.6%)
  • others.
2002 2021
Number % Number %
TOTAL 35,408 100 38,399 100
Albanians 32,408 91.53 34,586 90.07
Macedonians 1,377 3.89 1,005 2.62
Turks ... ... 28 0.07
Roma ... ... 255 0.66
Bosniaks 1,120 3.16 1,043 2.72
others ... ... 16 0.04
Persons for whom data are taken from administrative sources n/a n/a 1,450 3.78

Inhabited places

There are 23 inhabited places in this municipality.

Inhabited Places TotalMacedoniansAlbaniansTurksRomaVlachsSerbsBosniansOthers
Saraj Municipality38,3991,00534,58628255--1,0431,466
Arnakija1.16351.086-----71
Bojane2.13212.070-----60
Bukoviḱ1.842-1.769-----73
Čajlane639-6021----37
Dolno Svilare2.172-2.128-----46
Dvorce145-141-----4
Glumovo2.15212.060----3259
Gorno Svilare845-830-----15
Grčec36-3-----33
Kondovo3.626183.3539--266177
Kopanica1.790-1.761-----29
Krušopek2.01741.977----135
Laskarci1.169-1.127-----42
Ljubin2.42651.49351--85964
Matka466156248---1555
Paničari130-107-----23
Raduša1.533-1.447-----86
Raoviḱ79-40-----39
Rašče2.83512.760-----74
Rudnik Raduša179-156-----23
Saraj6.2653075.37911167-473324
Semenište79827549---537
Šiševo3.9585053.29428743261

Twin towns

Twin municipalities

References
  1. Ragaru, Nadege (2008). "The Political Uses and Social Lives of "National Heroes": Controversies over Skanderbeg's Statue in Skopje". Südosteuropa. 56 (4): 535.
  2. 2021 census results in English and Macedonian (PDF)
  3. Komuna e Sarajit binjakëzim me komunën turke Uskudar Archived 2012-06-04 at the Wayback Machine, INA, 2012-06-01 (in Albanian)
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