Shurdhan lies about 21 km south of Gjilan and is a hilly and mountainous settlement divided into neighbourhoods. Several localities preserve old burial grounds, settlement traces and church sites, while local tradition presents the village as an old Karadak settlement.
Its 20th-century history was marked by violence and migration. Residents were killed in events around 1910–12 and in later periods, while many families moved to Gjilan, Preshevë and elsewhere.
At the beginning of 1999 the village had 23 houses and 145 Albanian residents. During police and military operations, 24 houses were burned and two men were killed; most of the records of the school, library and local office were also destroyed.
Source
Source and further reading
Principal source: Prof. Dr. Jusuf Osmani, Vendbanimet e Kosovës 6 — Gjilani, Prishtinë, 2004.
Source entry: SHURDHANI
This page presents a selected summary from the published study of the settlement. For complete archival references, family histories, microtoponymy and the full treatment, consult the original volume.