Debar

Debar (Дебaр ˈdɛbar; Dibër/Dibra or Dibra e Madhe) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has an ethnic Albanian majority of 74% and is North Macedonia's only city in which ethnic Macedonians do not rank first or second demographically. The official languages are Macedonian and Albanian. The name of the city in Macedonian is Debar (Дебар). In Albanian; Dibër/Dibra or Dibra e Madhe (meaning "Great Dibra", in contrast to the other Dibër in Albania). In Serbian Debar (Дебар), in Bulgarian Debǎr (Дебър), in Turkish Debre or Debre-i Bala, in Greek, Dívrē (Δίβρη) or Dívra (Δίβρα), in Ancient Greek Dèvoros, Δήβορος and in Roman times as Deborus. Debar is surrounded by the Dešat, Stogovo, Jablanica and Bistra mountains. It is located 625 meters above sea level, next to Lake Debar, the Black Drin River and its smaller break-off river, Radika. The earliest recording of Debar is under the name of ‘Deborus’ on a map drawn by the astronomer and cartographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The Byzantine emperor Basil II knew of its existence, historian Anna Komnena recorded the name as Devré in the Alexiad, and Felix Petancic referred to it as Dibri in 1502. After Samuel of Bulgaria was defeated in 1014 by Byzantine emperor Basil II, Debar was administered under the Bishopric of Bitola. During the period between 12th, 13th and early 14th century, Debar was ruled by the Albanian noble Gropa family. In the latter half of the 14th century until the first half of the 15th century it was ruled by the Principality of Kastrioti, an Albanian medieval principality ruled by the Kastrioti noble family and later from 1443 by the Albanian state, League of Lezhë. Debar fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire when local ruler Gjon Kastrioti died shortly after his four children were taken hostage. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1395 and subsequently became the seat of the Sanjak of Dibra. In 1440 Skanderbeg was appointed as its sanjakbey.