Islam in Kosovo

Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population[1]
  95–100%
  90–95%
  50–55%
  30–35%
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  2–4%
  1–2%
  < 1%

Islam in Kosovo has a long-standing tradition dating back to the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. Before the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, the entire Balkan region had been Christianized by both the Western and Eastern Roman Empire. From 1389 until 1912, Kosovo was officially governed by the Muslim Ottoman Empire and a high level of Islamization occurred among Catholic and Orthodox Albanians, mainly due to Sufi orders and socio-political opportunism. Both Christian and Muslim Albanians intermarried and some lived as "Laramans", also known as Crypto-Christians.[2] During the time period after World War II, Kosovo was ruled by secular socialist authorities in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). During that period, Kosovars became increasingly secularized. After the end of Communist period religion had a revival in Kosovo.[3] Today, 95.6% of Kosovo's population are Muslims, most of whom are ethnic Albanians.[4] There are also non-Albanian speaking Muslims, who define themselves as Bosniaks, Gorani and Turks.

  1. ^ "Muslim Population Growth in Europe Pew Research Center". 2024-07-10. Archived from the original on 2024-07-10.
  2. ^ Reineck, Janet. Neighbors at War: Anthropological Perspectives on Yugoslav Ethnicity, Culture, and History. Penn State Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-271-04435-4. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. ^ "A Growing Split Between Islamic, Secular Identities In Kosovo". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.
  4. ^ "Kosovo - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov.