Islam in Montenegro

Islam in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities and religious institutions of Islam in Montenegro. It is the second largest religion in the country, after Christianity. According to the 2011 census, Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up 20% of the total population.[1] Montenegro's Muslims belong mostly to the Sunni branch. According to the estimate by the Pew Research Center, Muslims have a population of 130,000 (20.3%) as of 2020.[2]

Islam in Montenegro
Total population
130,000 (2020)
Regions with significant populations
Largest concentrations in the northeastern municipalities Bijelo Polje, Petnjica, Rožaje, Gusinje and Plav and southeastern municipalities Ulcinj, Bar and Tuzi.
Religions
Islam, Sunni, Shia
Languages
Montenegrin, Bosnian, Albanian and Roma
Islam by country
Africa
Asia
Americas
Europe
Oceania
 Islam portal

History
Husein-paša's Mosque in Pljevlja

In the 15th century the Montenegrin ruler Ivan Crnojević (1465–1490) was at war with the infiltrating Venetians. Unable to maintain war on both fronts, the Ottoman Empire had conquered much of Montenegro's territory and introduced Islam. Ivan's third son Staniša Crnojević was the first prominent Montenegrin of the Muslim faith, and since then Islam was not an uncommon religion to the Crnojević Montenegrin ruling dynasty.

Staniša Crnojević took up the name Skenderbeg Crnojević and ruled from his capital at Cetinje. He is well known as one of the most prominent Muslim administrators in the northern reaches of the Ottoman Empire of Slavic origins during the reign of Sultan Selim I. Staniša Crnojević is known to have commanded an army of approximately 3000 Akıncı he also maintained correspondence with neighboring contemporaries such as Gazi Husrev-beg.

Twenty-first century

The Muslims of Montenegro are mostly Bosniaks and Albanians by ethnicity, but also some are declared as ethnic Muslims and Montenegrins. The adherents of Islam in Montenegro can be mostly found in the Sandžak region in Montenegro and Ulcinj, Bar and Podgorica. Bosniaks have similar ethnic background with ethnic Muslims, but differ in ideology of what ethnicity they belong to.[3] In Montenegro are established 13 Councils of Islamic Community: Podgorica, Tuzi, Dinoša, Bar, Ostros, Ulcinj, Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, Berane, Petnjica, Rožaje, Plav and Gusinje.

Demographics
Religious groups in Montenegro, according to the 2011 census
Adherents of Islam in Montenegro, according to the 2011 census
Main articles: Demographics of Montenegro and Demographic history of Montenegro

According to the 2011 census, there are 118,477 adherents of Islam in Montenegro.

Ethnic composition of Muslims (adherents of Islam) in Montenegro:[4]

  • 53,453 Bosniaks
  • 22,267 Albanians
  • 20,270 Muslims (distinctive ethnic group)
  • 12,758 Montenegrins
  • 5,034 Roma
  • 2,003 Egyptians (distinctive ethnic group)
  • 256 Muslims/Montenigrins
  • 195 Gorani
  • 183 Muslims/Bosniaks
  • 181 Bosniaks/Muslims
  • 172 Montenigrins/Muslims
  • 169 Bosnians
  • 101 Turks
  • others (under 100 members per community) and ethnically undeclared

Geographical distribution
Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population[5]
  90–100%
  70–80%
 Kazakhstan
  50–70%
  30–50%
 North Macedonia
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  2–4%
  1–2%
  < 1%

There are large regional differences in the distribution Muslim population. Rožaje Municipality, for example, is almost exclusively inhabited by adherents of Islam, while there are zero Muslims living in Plužine Municipality.

Municipality
Population
(2011 census)
[6]
Islam/Muslim (%)
Rožaje Municipality 22,96494.95
Plav Municipality 13,10876.64
Ulcinj Municipality 19,92171.82
Bijelo Polje Municipality 46,05146.18
Bar Municipality 42,04830.14
Berane Municipality 33,97027.97
Pljevlja Municipality 30,78616.37
Podgorica Municipality 185,93711.23
Tivat Municipality 14,0315.10
Budva Municipality 19,2183.40
Herceg Novi Municipality 30,8642.01
Kotor Municipality 22,6011.66
Danilovgrad Municipality 18,4721.41
Nikšić Municipality 72,4431.39
Cetinje Municipality 16,6570.76
Šavnik Municipality 2,0700.58
Kolašin Municipality 8,3800.55
Mojkovac Municipality 8,6220.29
Andrijevica Municipality 5,0710.16
Žabljak Municipality 3,5690.14
Plužine Municipality 3,2460.00
Montenegro620,02919.11%
  • Sultan Murat II mosque in Rožaje
  • Pljevlja Mosque
  • Muslim woman in Ulcinj, 1890s

See also

References
  1. "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011" (PDF). Monstat. pp. 14, 15. Retrieved October 16, 2016. For the purpose of the chart, the categories 'Islam' and 'Muslims' were merged.
  2. {{cite web |url=https://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projection-table/2020/percent/all/%7Ctitle=Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050|date=April 2, 2015 |publisher=Pew Research Center|accessdate=26 October 2020|
  3. Dimitrova 2001, p. 94-108.
  4. Statistical Office of Montenegro: Population by ethnicity and religion (2011)
  5. "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  6. Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011

Further reading


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