Rostuše () is a village and the seat of the municipality of Mavrovo i Rostuše, North Macedonia.
History
In the Middle Ages the village was known as Radostuša (). In 1426, Gjon Kastrioti and his sons donated the villages of Rostuše and Trebište together with the Church of Saint Mary to the Hilandar Monastery.
Ottoman period
Rostuše is attested in the Ottoman defter of 1467 as a village within the Reka area, under the authority of Karagöz Bey. The register records a total of 15 households. The household heads listed in the defter are:
Stanše Gjorgović (Kjorković) Istvan (Stevan), his brother Ninče Koklar Pop Petar Ninče Blašti Nikola Kovač Buklin, son of Rajo Pop Vlatko Gjuro Kovač Gjore (Kjore) Kirać Staniša Vladislav (Sode), his brother Gjuro Bodrikani (Budričani) Dragoe, son of Joka
The Ottoman register records personal names only and does not provide information on ethnic affiliation.
Culture
A church dedicated to the Holy Mother of God was consecrated in 2023 as a reconstruction of an older church. The Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery is located nearby.
Demographics
Rostuše has traditionally been inhabited by a Torbeš and an Orthodox Macedonian population.
According to the 2002 census, the village had a total of 872 inhabitants. The ethnic composition was as follows:
Macedonians – 397 Turks – 427 Albanians – 41 Bosniaks – 2 Others – 5
References