People who traced their origin to Berisha are also found in the coastal trading hubs of Dalmatia in the Middle Ages.

This process stopped in the wake of the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans in the 15th century and was followed by a strengthening of tribal and kinship ties in the region.

In the Ottoman period, brotherhoods (vllazni) from Puka settled in parts of Tropojë, some areas of Kosovo and Skopska Crna Gora in Macedonia.

The historical tribal area of the Berisha is located in the Pukë district, south of the Drin, west of Fierza, in northern Albania.

Berisha traditionally borders with Dushmani and Toplana to the west, Bugjoni to the north, Iballë to the east and Kabashi to the south.

Oral traditions and fragmentary stories were collected and interpreted by writers who travelled in the region in the 19th century about the early history of the Berisha tribe.

The grandfather of Kol Poga, Berisha's ancestor, Murr Dedi was also the progenitor of the Thaçi and Toplana tribes.

[2] In Koja e Kuçit, a Catholic Albanian tribe, sometimes classified as part of the wider Kuči region, the Pali brotherhood stems from Berisha and settled in that area around 1500.

[15] In December 1274, a treaty was signed between the Anjou governor Norjan de Toucy and Albanian nobles, recognising Charles the first as their overlord.

[18] Throughout Kosovo numerous toponyms can be found during the 14th century such as Berishin Dol, Berishtar, Berishofc, Berishtani, Berishane and Berishiç.

[21] In 1434 Paliç Berisha (Paulich Berich) is mentioned as a debtor in the books of a Ragusan merchant in Novo Brdo.

[24] In 1467, the Berisha Tribe (Berixasthorum) signed a contract with the Republic of Venice, where the representative of the tribe Helias Bossi was granted the flag of Saint Mark (Vadit pars quod sub nostra obedient ia accipiantur et mittatur eis Insigne sancti Marci in ...) as well as a Pellanda (Item Illustrissimis Helyas Induatur una veste veluti more suo).

[25] Marin Barleti in his book published in 1508, mentions two Berisha brothers as notable commanders of Skanderbeg.

In the siege of Svetigrad, Demetrius Berisha showed great courage when he saved the life of Skanderbeg who was wounded in midst of battle against the armies of Ballaban Pasha.