Bosniak Community

The Bosniak community is the second largest minority community in Kosovo.

The majority of Bosniaks live in the Prizren municipality, while considerable Bosniak communities are also located in Dragash/Dragaš, Pejë/Peć, Istog/Istok and North Mitrovicë/Mitovica.

Bosniaks are a predominantly Muslim Slav community, descendent from the Slav tribes that migrated to South-Eastern Europe in the sixth and seventh century AD. Generally, like the Albanian community, they practice Sunni Islam, the largest branch of Islam. In Kosovo today, Bosniaks can be divided into two groups. The first consists of those who migrated to Kosovo at various times from Bosnia, Montenegro and, mostly, from Sandzak, especially after the end of Ottoman rule in the region. This group is concentrated around the Pejë/Peć, Istog/Istok and Mitrovicë/Mitrovica regions and, to a lesser extent, in Prishtinë/Priština. The second group comprises those who traditionally lived predominantly in the regions of Prizren, Dragash/Dragaš and Zupa.

Kosovo recognises the International Day of Bosniaks, 28 September, as an official Memorial Day.

The Bosniak community in Kosovo uses the Latin script and speaks the Bosnian language; a Slavic language closely related to Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin. The Kosovo public education system offers education in the Bosnian languages in several municipalities. The Bosnian language is recognised as an official language in the municipalities of Dragash/Dragaš, Pejë/Peć and Prizren and as a language in official use in the municipality of Istog/Istok.

The Bosniak community has three (3) seats guaranteed in the Kosovo Assembly,  and nominates three (3) members of the CCC.