List of cultural monuments in Kosovo

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Cathedral and mosque in Ferizaj

This list lists designated cultural monuments in Kosovo . The 2015 list of protected cultural heritage of Kosovo includes more than 1,500 objects. The following list essentially contains a selection from UNESCO from 2003, which lists the monuments due to the disputed status of Kosovo under Serbia under international law .

Threat to cultural monuments

In 2004 the Church of Our Savior in Prizren was destroyed

In March 2003, UNESCO published a report on cultural heritage in Kosovo . She listed a number of buildings worth preserving, both of general and regional importance. At that time, UNESCO saw the architectural heritage of Kosovo in danger. Many buildings - especially Serbian Orthodox and Muslim sacred buildings - were destroyed by demolitions, arson and looting. According to the Kosovo Cultural Heritage Survey of Harvard University 1998/1999 more than 200 mosques and other Islamic buildings were destroyed by Serb forces. The Serbian Orthodox Church gives the number of churches badly damaged or destroyed by Albanians between May and October 1999 as 76. Between 1999 and 2004, 38 cultural objects (15 of which were classified as of outstanding importance) with protected status were destroyed, during the riots in Kosovo in 2004 another 18 cultural objects with protected status (6 of which were classified as of outstanding importance), so that after March 2004 a Total of 140 destroyed cultural monuments, churches and other sacred buildings was destroyed.

Selected cultural monuments

Serbian Orthodox sacred buildings

The Serbian sacred buildings are among the oldest architectural monuments in Kosovo. They date from the time of the medieval Serbian Empire and date back to the early 14th century.

UNESCO world heritage

The following buildings were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2006 as part of the World Heritage Site Medieval Monuments in Kosovo :

Other buildings of general importance

  • Archangel Monastery in Prizren: The monastery was built in the 14th century and contains the tomb of the Serbian King Stefan Dušan . The foundations can be seen at the excavation site. During the riots in March 2004, the monastery was looted andset on fire by a mob in thepresence of KFOR soldiers.
  • Banjska Monastery in Banjska near Zvečan : The monastery was built from 1312 to 1316 by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and originally contained his and other royal tombs.

Structures of regional importance

  • Virgin Church in Mushtisht ( Suhareka ): Built in 1315, it was the oldest surviving church, donated by a private founder, and decorated with wall paintings. In 1999 the church was blown up, so most of the artistically very valuable wall paintings were lost forever.
  • Monastery of the healers St. Cosmas and Damian in Zoçishta ( Rahovec ): The monastery was founded in the 14th century, the monastery church dates from around the same time, but was later rebuilt several times. The monastery was famous for its collection of books and icons. In June 1999 it was set on fire and destroyed. The small monastery was rebuilt in 2006/2007.
  • St. Uroš Monastery in Nerodima e Epërme ( Ferizaj ): In the 14th century the monastery was built over the grave of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš. Abandoned several times, it was rebuilt in the 19th century. Completely blown up in June 1999, only a remnant of the north face remains today.
  • Church and cemetery of St. George in Reçan (Suhareka): The church was built as a private foundation by an unknown Serbian nobleman in the 14th century. It was completely renovated in the 19th century. In June 1999 it was completely destroyed along with the surrounding cemetery.
  • Church of St. Nicholas in Kijeva ( Klina ): Built in the 16th century with wall paintings from the 17th century. In 1999 the church was blown up.
  • Monastery and Church of the Apparition in Dolac (Klina): Founded in the 14th century and renovated in the 16th century. The monastery church was decorated with frescoes from the 14th to the 17th century. The monastery was destroyed in August 1999 and the church was blown up.
  • Budisavci Monastery in Budisavc (Klina): The best preserved private foundation of a monastery in Kosovo dates from the early 14th century. After being damaged in the 15th century, the church was restored in 1568 and rebuilt in the 19th century. The frescoes date from the 16th century.
  • St. George's Cathedral in Prizren: Built in the second half of the 19th century, it was the seat of the Orthodox Bishop of Raszien and Prizren . The iconostasis dates back to 1720. During the March riots in 2004, the church was completely burned down, only the outer walls and the columns remain. Wall paintings, furniture, icons and other treasures were lost. The church was restored in 2006/2007.
  • St. Nicholas Cemetery Church in Gjurakovc ( Istog ): Built in the late 16th century, the church was richly decorated with frescoes. It had a valuable iconostasis and notable icons from the 16th century. In July 1999 it was completely destroyed along with the priest's house and the cemetery was devastated.
  • Basilica of St. Peter in Stari Trg ( Mitrovica ): For Saxon miners who worked in the nearby mines, this church was built in the 13th and 14th centuries and its interior was decorated with Byzantine frescoes. Abandoned from the 16th century, the church fell into disrepair over time. Today parts of the eastern apse are still standing , fragments of the frescoes can be seen.
  • Log cabin church of St. Jeremias in Goraždevac ( Peja ): Built around 1737/38 on the site of the town's cemetery. It is the only church of its kind in Kosovo. It was renovated in detail in 1968.
  • Building complex of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Tsar Uroš and the Mulla Veseli Mosque in Ferizaj: Church completed in 1933 and a mosque rebuilt after the Second World War right next to each other as a symbol of religious tolerance.

Ottoman buildings

The monuments of Muslim- Ottoman architecture in Kosovo are mosques , hamams (bathhouses) and turrets (mausoleums).

  • Red Mosque in Peja : The building takes its name from the red bricks with which it was built in 1759/60. The mosque was largely destroyed in 1999.
  • Kurshumli Mosque (German Lead Mosque ) in Peja / Peć: The 16th century was first used in the era of Tito as a munitions depot and destroyed by an explosion. Since 1965 it was - rebuilt - a mosque. In 1999 it was burned down.
  • Bayrakli Mosque (al-Fāti mosque; German standard- bearer mosque ) in Peja: The mosque was built in the second half of the 15th century by Sultan Mehmet al-Fātih; Burned down in 1999 and restored after the war with Italian aid.
  • Llapit (Lap) Mosque in Pristina : The mosque, built in 1470, is one of the city's oldest monuments. It was destroyed by fire in 1999.
  • Sultan Mehmet II al-Fātih Mosque in Pristina: Built in 1460 by Sultan Mehmet II al-Fātih in the historic old town, it is one of the city's oldest architectural monuments. It contains decorative paintings from the 18th century.
  • Great Hammām (Great Bath House) in Pristina: Built at the end of the 15th century in the immediate vicinity of the Sultan Mehmet II al-Fātih Mosque. The building is one of the few surviving examples of Ottoman bathhouses in Kosovo.
  • Jasār- (Yašār) -Pascha Mosque in Pristina: The construction date is given as 1834, other sources give the 16th century as the start of construction. The mosque is used daily by the Muslim community.
  • Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren : The mosque was built by the vizier of Prizren, Sinan Pasha, in the center of the city at the beginning of the 17th century. The decorations inside are from the 19th century. The building is used as a mosque by the Muslim community.
  • Hammām Mehmet Pasha ( Mehmet Pasha Bathhouse) in Prizren: The 16th century bathhouse is considered one of the most outstanding examples of this type of building in the Balkans. Its architecture combines regional and oriental elements.
  • Hadum (Khadim) Mosquein Gjakova : The mosque was built at the end of the 16th century. Originally it formed a unique ensemble with schools and an Islamic library in the old town, which was destroyed in 1999.
  • Mosque in Deçan : The mosque was built at the end of the 15th century and partially destroyed in 1998. It has now been rebuilt with aid from Brunei .
  • Hammam des Ali Bey in Vushtrria : The building is one of the oldest Ottoman bathhouses.
  • Hammām (bath house) in Mitrovica : Built in the 18th century, the bath house is an example of oriental Ottoman architecture.
  • Türbe of Sultan Murad I in Mazgit near Obiliq ( Fushë Kosova ): The mausoleum in Ottoman style was built at the end of the 14th century. It contains a memorial to Sultan Murad I and the memorials of two pashas from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Secular buildings and ensembles

Old bridge in Vushtrria
  • Tower houses (Kullas) in Deçan: The Kullas are fortress-like houses for large families. They are considered typical examples of Albanian architecture. Many of the original 2000 kullas in Kosovo were destroyed in 1998/99. The region's kullas date from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.
  • Hysni Koshi tower house in Gjakova: The building, built in the 19th century, is located in the historic part of the city on the Great Market. It was destroyed in 1999.
  • Velika Hoča (Rahovec): Velika Hoča is a historical wine-growing place whose beginnings go back to the 12th century. Churches, winery buildings and vineyards form an ensemble that is unique in Kosovo; they are considered an outstanding example of a regional Kosovar-Serbian settlement. As a result of the armed conflict, many houses are abandoned and derelict.
  • Novo Brdo Fortress in Novo Brdo: Already in the fourth century BC There was an ancient settlement here. At the end of the 13th century the construction of a large fortress began. The place is mentioned for the first time in 1326, at that time it is a center of trade and mining in the Serbian Empire. After 1689 the population emigrated and the city became less important.
  • Kalaja Fortress in Prizren: The fortified square was first built in the 6th century BC. Mentioned again in the 11th century AD. In the medieval Serbian Empire there was a fortress there. In 1912 the citadel and the buildings were blown up and abandoned. In the fortress area finds from the Neolithic and Illyrian epochs.
  • Serbian quarter Podkaljaja / Mahalla in Prizren: The former Serbian quarter is picturesquely situated on a hill above Prizren between fortress and river. The first destruction began immediately after the KFOR invasion. During the March 2004 riots, it was set on fire and largely destroyed.
  • Old Bridge in Vushtrria: The first five arches of the oldest stone bridge in Kosovo were built in Byzantine times. Because the river changed its course, the bridge no longer has any function.
  • Gerber Bridge at Gjakova: Ottoman stone bridge with seven arches from the 18th century over the Erenik.
  • Schneider Bridge near Gjakova: Ottoman stone bridge with eleven arches from the 18th century over the Erenik, based on a previous building from the 15th century.
  • Archaeological excavation site Ulpiana in Gračanica : Roman-Byzantine finds, some finds from the Iron Age . Since the 7th century BC Ulpiana was first mentioned as a city in the 2nd century AD. After an earthquake in 518, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I rebuilt the city under the name Justiniana Secunda.
  • Gazimestan near Obilić / Obiliq: Memorial site of the blackbird field battle
  • Ethnographic Museum in Gjakova, urban residential building from the early 19th century
  • Emin Gjiku Ethnological Park in Pristina: The ensemble of three main buildings is considered one of the best examples of regional urban architecture in Kosovo. The exhibition inside documents the traditional life of the Kosovar Albanians.

Web links

Commons : Cultural Monuments in Kosovo  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Decision No. 116/2015 of October 9, 2015 of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Republic of Kosovo. (PDF) October 9, 2015, accessed November 13, 2016 (Albanian).
  2. ↑ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/&order=country#alphaS
  3. ^ Cultural Heritage in South-East Europe: Kosovo. (PDF) SEE edition featuring UNESCO mission in Kosovo and extensive field visits outside Pristina. In: unesco.org. UNESCO Office in Venice, March 2003, accessed November 13, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Andrew Herscher, Andras Riedlmayer: Architectural Heritage in Kosovo: A Post-War Report. (PDF) In: US / ICOMOS Newsletter 4 (July-August 2000). July 2000, accessed November 13, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Dragan Kojadinović (ed.): March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija, March 17-19, 2004: with a survey of destroyed and endangered Christian cultural heritage. Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrad 2004, ISBN 86-85235-00-6 , p. 19th f .
  6. ↑ Slobodan Curcic: Memorandum regarding destruction of Serbian monuments in Kosovo (March 29, 2004) ( Memento of February 15, 2013 on WebCite ), ERP KIM Info-Service, ERP KiM Newsletter, by Slobodan Curcic, April 1, 2004 ( The partial destroyed image ( memento from February 15, 2013 on WebCite ).
  7. ↑ Holy Virgin of Ljeviška ( Memento from February 10, 2013 on WebCite ), Center for Protection of Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija - MNEMOSYNE, archived from the original on February 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ Dragan Kojadinović (ed.): March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija, March 17-19, 2004: with a survey of destroyed and endangered Christian cultural heritage. Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrad 2004, ISBN 86-85235-00-6 , p. 35 .
  9. ↑ Monastery of Holy Archangels ( Memento from February 10, 2013 on WebCite ), Center for Protection of Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija - MNEMOSYNE, archived from the original on February 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ Dragan Kojadinović (ed.): March pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija, March 17-19, 2004: with a survey of destroyed and endangered Christian cultural heritage. Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrad 2004, ISBN 86-85235-00-6 , p. 37-39 .