Kisha e Shën Gjonit

Kisha e Shën Gjonit stands in Cerkolez, about ten kilometres from Istog and near Pejë. The church occupies the village’s old cemetery, beside a bell tower built in a similar style. Stone façades covered with lime mortar, marble details, and two brick rosettes shape its rural appearance. Its western portal is covered, while a transverse arch separates the nave from the narthex.

Its origins remain debated, with sources placing construction around 1355 or during the seventeenth century. The building is linked with Radosllav, also known as Jovan Murg, and records connect it with Novak and Vidosava. A seventeenth-century rebuilding preceded the preservation of manuscripts and eight icons associated with the old iconostasis. The manuscripts, written on parchment and paper, moved to Deçan Monastery in 1955.

Restoration between 1972 and 1974 preserved the church and its frescoes. The structure represents one of the last examples of the Vardar architectural school in a rural setting. Marble used in its flat sections came from the Pejë bathhouse. Two modest brick rosettes beside the covered portal provide the clearest detail to look for.