Quick Facts
Biography
Pretash Zekaj Ulaj (1882-1962), known as Pretash Zeka, was an Albanian tribal leader in Kojë (Koći) (an Albanian-inhabited village in eastern Montenegro), and one of the heroes of the Battle of Deçiq, fought near Tuzi in 1911 between Albanian highlanders and the Ottoman troops of Shefket Turgut Pasha.
Life
Pretash was born in Kojë (Koći), an Albanian-inhabited village in eastern Montenegro, close to the border of Albania, the second oldest of the 12 sons of Zek Nika Ulaj. His brothers also helped defend their border town against advancing Turks and Slavs into the Albanian Malësia region.
Pretash was the leader of the Kojë brotherhood (of the village of Kojë), an Albanian enclave within the Kuči mountain of Montenegro. On April 6, 1911, the Malësor Warriors led by Ded Gjo Luli reached the top of the strategic peak of Deçiq at the Battle of Deçiq. Many died that day and the Ottomans were defeated.
About a year and a half later, the Albanian flag was risen officially in the southern town of Vlora.