 | ||
Velika Hoča (Serbian Cyrillic: Велика Хоча, Albanian: Hoçë e Madhe) is a village in the municipality of Orahovac, in Kosovo. It is one of the Serb enclaves in Kosovo, and houses some 13 Orthodox church buildings, most of which date to the Serbian Middle Ages.
Contents
Map of Ho%C3%A7%C3%AB e Madhe
Geography
Velika Hoča is situated in the historical region of Metohija.
History
Velika Hoča is one of the oldest settlements in Metohija. It was given as metochion by Stefan Nemanja to Hilandar in 1198–99 (Charter of Hilandar). In the Middle Ages, Velika Hoča was a strong economical and spiritual centre with 24 churches and three monasteries. 8 monasteries and five ruins have been preserved from that period. The Dečani wine is made from vineyards in Velika Hoča since at least the reign of Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331-1355).
Demographics
Up until the Kosovo War, there were no Albanian inhabitants in the village and its surroundings. Since, the village is surrounded by Albanian-inhabited villages. As of January 2009 the village has around 700 residents, Serbs. Before the Kosovo War the village had around 2000 residents.
Agriculture
The main economic activity of Velika Hoča is viniculture.
Culture
Velika Hoča is a significant cultural centre of Serbs in Kosovo. The village is noted for its 13 churches, some dating from the 12th century and reign of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, others from the 14th to 16th centuries. There are also several tower houses, one that belonged to Lazar Kujundžić.