Historiography of Ibarski Kolašin (area of Zubin Potok)

The area of Ibarski Kolašin extends north from the Bukovička river, a tributary of the Ibar, Mokra Mountain and the old town of Zvečan to the south. It encompasses the upper basin of the Ibar and Raska rivers and reaches up to the Golija Mountain in the north. This area was part of old Raška, the center of medieval Serbia, the state of the Nemanjić dynasty, from which, as political and state power strengthened, its borders further expanded.

Preserved cultural monuments, Petrova church, and Đurđevi Stupovi, the old town of Ras, the Sopoćani monastery, and others, are testimonies to the great creative achievements of Serbian medieval statehood in the field of culture and art.

Ibarski Kolašin is located in the upper course of the Ibar river, from its exit from the Ribarić gorge almost to Kosovska Mitrovica itself. To the west, it is bordered by Mokra Mountain, which separates it from Metohija, and to the east by Rogozna Mountain. Ibarski Kolašin encompasses about forty villages inhabited by the Serbian population, and in a broader sense, this geographical term also implies Rogozna Mountain.

As it is almost uninhabited, in a narrower sense, Ibarski Kolašin is considered to be the described territory without that mountain. The Serbian population of Ibarski Kolašin settled in the 18th century, as evidenced by the names of the villages. According to legend, the deserted Ibarski Kolašin was settled by four brothers, Jakša, Vlaško, Matko, and Đusa, and from their descendants, large families were formed, Jakšići, Vlaškovići, Matkovići, and Đusići, who still live in this area today.

During the Turkish rule, the people of Kolašin enjoyed a certain autonomy which was reflected in the institution of a prince from the ranks of the local population, who had administrative and judicial powers. During the 19th century, Kolašin was divided into four principalities, each having its prince, and at the head of the whole Kolašin there was also a prince.

Today, Ibarski Kolašin (area of Zubin Potok) still represents a purely Serbian oasis, albeit with a slightly smaller number of villages because a part of the villages was submerged due to the construction of a dam in the village of Gazivode. The resulting lake stretches about twenty kilometres in length.