Tuzi is a town in the Podgorica municipality, located along a main road between the city of Podgorica and the Albanian border crossing, just a few kilometers north of the Skadarsko Jezero. It’s the center of the Tuzi urban municipality, a subdivision of Podgorica municipality.
Although there is no historical record for the name “Tuzi”, locals say it owes it name to its founder and first settler, Llesh Tuzi. He was said to have lived in the 15th century and migrated from the Albanian Highlands Malesia e Madhe. According to some documents of an local catholic church, the name Tuzi is already being used in the year 1222. Tuzi is located in surrounded by forests and mountains that are further connected with the Prokletije. As in all cities in Montenegro, Tuzi has a health centre, elementary school “Mahmut Lekić” and high school “25 Maj”. KIC ‘TUZI’, was built in 2004. In the last few years, Tuzi built an another new elementary school and football stadium.
The Albanians of Tuzi today are originally from the surrounding Malësia region tribes of Hoti, Gruda, Triesh and Koja. The Malësor Albanians consider Tuzi as an important cultural and traditional center for their people. Although Tuzi is historically an Albanian town, it is also home to smaller ethnic groups, such as the Bosniaks and Montenegrins themselves.
