The Patriarchate of Pejë
The Patriarchate of Pejë stands beside the Peja Bistrica, at the entrance to Rugova Gorge in Kosovo. Three interconnected churches form a medieval monastic complex with domes, stone walls, and a monumental narthex. Byzantine forms meet regional craftsmanship from western Kosovo and northern Montenegro, creating an architectural setting shaped by several workshops.
Construction began in the thirteenth century and continued through later building phases. The churches served as a spiritual centre for the Orthodox Church and as a mausoleum for Serbian archbishops and patriarchs. Frescoes from different eras preserve the complex’s long religious tradition, while periods of abandonment, restoration, and changing authority left further marks. Ottoman-era protection involved regional communities, including Albanian families at certain times, rather than one permanent group.
Restoration work revealed previously unknown frescoes inside the complex. A black mulberry tree in the courtyard is traditionally linked to Archbishop Sava II and is said to be 750 years old.
- City
- Peja
- Content updated
Take this page with you
The myTuur app is free, and once you are standing at a spot its story starts by itself.
Spots like this one are the stops myTuur strings into tours through Peja. In the app, each story begins where you stand: walk up to a spot and it starts, read it on screen or listen as you go, then follow the route to the next one.
What is myTuur?
myTuur is a free city-guide app. Its tours are built from spots, and each spot carries a story that starts when you get there, to read or to listen to as you like.