1000 sacrifices unite the inhabitants of Kosovo and Albania in Babaj i Boka

The village that the "JETA" show team visited this week is a settlement in the Gjakova Highlands area. It is the village called "Babaj i Bokës", with a rare landscape stretching along the Erenik River.

The day of the team's visit was a special date for the residents, who gather at the Pulaj shrine of Dervish Neziri every year on May 6th.

In the courtyard of this tomb, the slaughter of sacrificial animals takes place, which, according to locals, is left over from the day of Dervish Neziri's death.

Residents say that on this day every year, up to 1000 sacrificial animals are distributed to all locals, visitors, and families in need.

Many visitors walked to the shrine. They came from all regions of Kosovo and even from areas of Albania.

Kosovo police units, firefighters, and ambulances were all on hand to assist the numerous residents and visitors.

Inside Dervish Neziri's tomb were also family members, who said that every year this tradition is marked by distributing sacrificial meat to all participants.

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The celebration of this date, as the residents of Babaj i Bokës call it, begins in the early morning hours and ends in the evening.

"I have been living in exile for 35 years, but for every Saint George I come here. This date has remained on Saint George's Day quite by chance, because the village tradition is not related to this holiday. This tradition is destined for the Pulaj tomb and is taken as the tomb's qilyme. Dervish Neziri is the one who is said to have left this tradition to be done by distributing the sacrifices to the residents and all visitors," says one of the exiles of Babaj të Bokës.

In the nature of this village, a few meters below the tomb, visitors could enjoy music and dance, eat, and young people could enjoy the playgrounds for them.