Village Dodoši, Riječka nahija
The unusual and special quality of the Dodoši, settlement in Montenegro, is representative of the peculiarity and uniqueness of the beauty of Riječka Nahija. Dodoši is an old fishing village where nature stimulates and belongs to the magical and impressive Skadar Lake, where fishing and hunting are imperative. The distinctiveness of this village is also reflected in the position of households that practically rely on each other, creating a cascading connection, as well as the unusual construction of the houses and their “conversancy” of each other. What gives Dodoši a distinct charm is the bridge and the view of the Karatuna River with a refined refraction of light and dark green colors, which creates a perfect combination of warmth and splendor of this place.
The origin of the name Dodoši is mentioned in Turkish archives, in which the river Doša is mentioned as ste original name. The Turkish called it Karatuna, which translates as black river. In addition to Doša, the texts also mention Do Doša, as the most credible evidence of the origin of the name Dodoši. The specificity of Dodoši also reflects the identification with Sveti Stefan, attracting a huge number of tourists around the world. The intoxicating silence, the authentic construction of secluded houses, the beautiful panorama of Lake Skadar are just gems in the series. Dodoši is located on a promontory at the foot of Bobija, and the Karatuna river that passes through the village is one of the 40 springs that connect Veliko blato and malo blato, as one of the significant sources of water. One of the most striking types of fishing is present in the village of Dodoši, the so-called krapnjače, small boletus made of fishing rods, representing the way of hunting and in the basic translation it means enclosure. The names of the boletus are also known, one of them being Great Britain and Lord of Lords, indicating the uniqueness of this village in the tameness of Lake Skadar.
The village of Dodoši formally belonged to Montenegro before. However, after the victory at Grahovac in 1858., during the reign of Prince Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš and the establishment of an international agreement between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire, Dodoši were integrated into the composition of the state – the Principality of Montenegro. The interesting history of the village of Dodoši at the time of the drawing of the demarcation line between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire by the international commission in 1859/1860, when the border between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire was marked on Lake Skadar, resulted in Dodoši then finally getting their belonging to Montenegro. The significance of the historical data of the village of Dodoši includes the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built in the 19th century during the reign of an enviable and distinguished figure in the history of Montenegro, the founder of the church, Nikola Niko Pejović. (Source: Portal Analitika, mr Novak Adžić, 5.11.2022.)
The geographical position of the village of Dodoši includes the territorial affiliation of the Ceklin tribe in Riječka nahija and is located in the territory of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje. They came from an old Montenegrin settlement near Lake Skadar, which was repopulated after 1835. to 1840., primarily by residents of the old village of Salkovine near Žabljak on Lake Skadar, which Žabljak remained part of the Ottoman Empire for some time after that until its final liberation in 1878. In the vicinity of Dodoši, there are other pearls of Riječka Nahija: Bobija Prevlaka, Rijeka Crnojevića and Žabljak Crnojevića. According to the population census data from 2011., the number of inhabitants was 43 with 29 households. Moreover, many years ago, Dodoši had a specific boat line Žabljak-Dodoši-Rogami-Prevlaka-Rijeka, served for transport of pupils and passangers.
The fact that the famous Montenegrin film director Živko Nikolić filmed the scenes of his film “The Unseen Miracle”, with the main actress Savina Geršak, also shows how the beauty of the village of Dodoši has never left anyone indifferent. Dodoši is located at the end of the old country road and after 25 km from Podgorica, history records that it was inhabited only after the displacement of the village of Salkovina, a place that was considered a Uskok village and was located on the edge of Ceklinsko polje. It will be recorded that in the first seven houses of the village of Dodoši there were two houses of Ražnatović, and Vukotić, Gazivoda, Jovićević, Mihaljević, and a little later the families that today make up the households of this village, Bušković, Dajković, Pejović, Kraljević, Strugar, Kostić, Kažić, Pajović, Marković, Lopičić and Šofranac.
Dodoši is truly an unprecedented miracle with a huge number of enthusiastic visitors every year, and they represent a rare oasis of peace, which is not easy to find. It is believed that the Dodoši are by far the most beautiful natural phenomenon and sight, exuding the unique richness of the natural beauties of Montenegro and its magnificent emphasis.