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REXHA, Iljas
District (Kaza) of Novobrdo according to the Slavic (Slav) and Ottoman Resources of XV th and
XVI th Centuries
In the first part of this scientific paper work, we will be elaborating on setting the Ottoman administration in
Kosovo, and formation of the District of Novobrdo, as an administrative- territorial unit at the end of the 15th century, and
as part of the district of sanjak of Vilciterrin, in the 16th century. In the second part we will be elaborating on the exploitation
of precious metals of the Novobrda mining first by the medieval Slavic-Serb state of Rashka, and after that by Ottoman
administration. This mining was the biggest one in Balkans and South eastern Europe at that particular historic period.
In addition, we will be talking about its ironsmith facilities for cutting silver coins. In the third part we will be
elaborating on demographic data, onomastic structure, as well as religious and ethnic composition in the city of Novobrda
as well as in its district. Fragmented data presented by Slavic sources, and presented in a more comprehensive manner in
cadastral registries of ottoman empire, in a categorical manner reject the thesis presented by Serbian historiography stating
that in this geographic region and in Kosovo in general, prior to the Ottoman administration there has not been Christian
Albanian population and that only after the establishment of Ottoman administration it existed in Kosovo and Macedonia.
For all of these issues, we will be talking more into details during the foreseen session of this international congress.
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