Patriarchate of Peć

About this place

The Patriarchate of Peć is a 13th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery near the city of Peja in western Kosovo, at the mouth of the Rugova Gorge on the Pećka Bistrica river. It is part of the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built in the 13th century as the seat of the Serbian archbishops, enlarged in the 14th century, and in 1346 became the seat of the patriarchs of the Serbian church. The complex has four churches, three of them joined into one building, which is unique in medieval Serbian architecture. In its courtyard grows a black mulberry tree said to be about 750 years old. You see churches with red walls, arched windows and small domes standing among flower gardens and tall trees, with green mountain slopes behind that turn white with snow in winter. The façades show decoration in brick and stone, and the courtyard stays quiet and shaded in summer. Central Peja is about 2 km away in a straight line, and the Rugova Gorge about 4 km. Bring ID, as it may be checked at the entrance. The churches are places of worship, so dress modestly and take photos inside only with permission.