# 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 19.11% of the total population. Montenegro's Muslims belong mostly to the Sunni branch. In 2023, Montenegro's 124,668 Muslims made up 19.99% of the total population.

## History

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.
Staniša Crnojević took up the name Skenderbeg Crnojević and ruled from his capital in Shköder from 1513 to 1530. He is well known as one of the most prominent Muslim administrators of Slavic origin in the northern reaches of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Selim I. Staniša Crnojević is known to have commanded an army of approximately 3000 Akıncı. He also maintained a 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 northeastern Montenegro and the municipalities of Bar, Tuzi and Ulcinj. Bosniaks have a similar ethnic background to ethnic Muslims, but differ in ideology of what ethnicity they belong to. There are 13 established Councils of the Islamic Community in Montenegro, which include Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Dinoša, Gusinje, Ostros, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, Rožaje, Tuzi, Ulcinj and Podgorica. Montenegro has 145 active mosques in the country.

## Demographics

According to the 2011 census, there are 118,477 adherents of Islam in Montenegro.
The ethnic composition of Muslims (adherents of Islam) in Montenegro:
* 54,453 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
* 172 Montenigrins/Muslims
* 169 Bosnians
* 101 Turks
* others (under 100 members per community) and ethnically undeclared

### Geographical distribution

There are large regional differences in the distribution of the Muslim population. The Rožaje Municipality, for example, is almost exclusively inhabited by adherents of Islam, while there are no Muslims living in the Plužine Municipality.
| Municipality | Population (2011 census) | Islam/Muslim (%) |
| Rožaje Municipality | 22,964 | 94.95 |
| Plav Municipality | 13,108 | 76.64 |
| Ulcinj Municipality | 19,921 | 71.82 |
| Bijelo Polje Municipality | 46,051 | 46.18 |
| Bar Municipality | 42,048 | 30.14 |
| Berane Municipality | 33,970 | 27.97 |
| Pljevlja Municipality | 30,786 | 16.37 |
| Podgorica Municipality | 185,937 | 11.23 |
| Tivat Municipality | 14,031 | 5.10 |
| Budva Municipality | 19,218 | 3.40 |
| Herceg Novi Municipality | 30,864 | 2.01 |
| Kotor Municipality | 22,601 | 1.66 |
| Danilovgrad Municipality | 18,472 | 1.41 |
| Nikšić Municipality | 72,443 | 1.39 |
| Cetinje Municipality | 16,657 | 0.76 |
| Šavnik Municipality | 2,070 | 0.58 |
| Kolašin Municipality | 8,380 | 0.55 |
| Mojkovac Municipality | 8,622 | 0.29 |
| Andrijevica Municipality | 5,071 | 0.16 |
| Žabljak Municipality | 3,569 | 0.14 |
| Plužine Municipality | 3,246 | 0.00 |
| Montenegro | 620,029 | 19.11% |

## Gallery

* Sultan Murat II mosque in Rožaje
* Kučanska Mosque in Rožaje
* Mosque in Pljevlja
* Sailors' Mosque in Ulcinj