Monasteries of Kosovo and Metohija

  In this post I will present you most imoprtant Serbian orthodox monasteries and churches of Kosovo and Metohija.

The region of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija is comprised of two basins. The eastern basin got its name from the bird kos (blackbird) – Kosovo, while the western part of the territory was covered in metoh – properties owned by the Serbian Orthodox Church, hence the name Metohija.Four properties in Kosovo and Metohija have been entered in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List under the common name Mediaeval Monuments in Kosovo: Dečani monastery (entered separately in 2004), the monasteries of the Patriarchate of Peć and Gračanica, as well as the Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš (2006).

Gracanica Monastery

It is situated in the village of Gracanica, 5 km. from Pristina, the administrative centre of Kosovo and Metohija region. Gracanica was constructed on the ruins of an older 13th-century church of the Theotokos, which was built on the ruins of a 6th-century early Christian three-naved basilica. The architectural composition of Gracanica represents the peak of Serbian architecture in the spirit of Byzantine tradition. The present treasury stores a number of valuable icons from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, as well as several significant manuscripts and liturgical objects.The Gračanica Monastery is one of King Milutin's last monumental endowments.The paintings of Gračanica rank highest among the achievements of Milutin's period, characterized by influences of the Byzantine splendiferous and luxurious style called the Paleologan Renaissance.

                                                                Gracanica Monastery 

Visoki Decani Monastery

Visoki Decani Monastery is located about 2 kilometres from the town of Decani.It was built between 1327 and 1335 by the Serbian medieval king St. Stephen of Decani and was dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The monastery is settled in the picturesque valley of the Bistrica river surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Prokletije mountain range It is the largest and best preserved medieval monastery in Serbia. During its turbulent history the Monastery was an important spiritual centre with developed artistic and intellectual activities. Its cathedral is the biggest medieval church in the Balkans which contains the largest preserved monument of Byzantine fresco-painting.In 2004, UNESCO listed the monastery on the World Heritage List, citing its frescoes as "one of the most valued examples of the so-called Palaeologan renaissance in Byzantine painting" and "a valuable record of the life in the 14th century".

                                                        

Visoki Decani Monastery

The Patriarchate of Pec

The Monastery of the Patriarchate of Pec is located at the very entrance of the Rugova gorge near Pec. The complex of the Pec churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs.There are four churches within the monastery, built one against the other such that they now form a single whole. The oldest is the Church of the Holy Apostles, raised in the 13thcentury, its benefactor the second Serbian archbishopArsenije I.The Patriarchate of Peć monastery has been entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List under the common name of Mediaeval Monuments in Kosovo (Serbia). As of 2006 it has also been entered into the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger because of the unstable security situation currently prevailing in Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, which is currently under the administration of UNMIK (the UN Interim Administration Mission) The monastery can only be visited under the military escort of KFOR troops.

                                                      

The Patriarchate of Pec

The Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevis in Prizren

Bogorodica Ljeviska Cathedral is the main official diocesan church of Prizren Orthodox Serb Bishops and is considered by Orthodox Serbs as a pride of the royal city of Prizren. With its sublime architecture and fresco art it remains a living witness of the centuries old Serb Christian Orthodox presence in the city of Prizren.Remains of the older church buildings are under the foundations of the present church.The original church was destroyed at the end of the 12th century, when Stefan Nemanja occupied Prizren.

                                       The Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevis in Prizren