Kosovo and Metohija represented, in the medieval ages, the center of the Serbian State and of the spiritual and cultural life of the Serbian people. Prizren was the Capital City of a number of kings and emperors, and Pec was the seat of the Serbian Patriarchate, proclaimed in 1346.

At Kosmet, there are almost two hundred churches and monasteries from that period (14th century). The most important among them are: The Church of the Holy Virgin Ljeviska, 1307, in Prizren, the Church of the Saint Archangels near Prishtina, the monasteries Visoki Decani, Gracanica, Banjska. The complex of the Serbian Patriarchate, consisting of a number of churches is situated in Pec; the most important among them are the Church of the Saint Apostles (1253) and the Church of Saint Demetrios (1324).

The Church of the Holy Virgin Ljeviska in Prizren, 14th century

Among the architectural monuments of the Turkish era, the most important are: the Fatih Mosque in Prishtina, the Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren, the Hadum Mosque in Djakovica, the Bajrakli Mosque in Pec, the Grave of the Sultan Murad and the Grave at Gazimestan.

In Kosmet, over 250 immovable cultural-historical monuments are protected by the state.

The Decani Monastery - The Icon of Christ Pantocrator, 16th century

The first manuscript books were created and the first libraries were established in those churches. There are over 400 libraries in the Province, with some 3 million books. The University Library in Prishtina has 360.000 books, three thousand being rare and ancient.

Painting was also developed mainly in the churches, and mainly as fresco painting. The oldest and greatest paintings are situated in the Church of the Saint Apostles in Pec (around 1260). The most important fresco paintings from the medieval ages are those in the monasteries of the Holy Virgin Ljeviska, Gracanica and Decani.

The bases of the popular oral literature started also during that time period, primarily the heroic ballads about the personalities and the historical events, for example about the Kosovo Battle in 1389.

Modern cultural institutions were established in Kosovo and Metohija after the Second World War: the National Theater of the Province, with Serbian and Albanian drama and ballet, the national Theater in Djakovica, the Kosovo Museum, the Kosovo Archives, the National and University Library, the Film Production House "Kosovo Film", the Cultural center of the Province, The Gallery of Art, the Folk Dance Group "Shota", "Venac", etc.

There exist, in Kosovo and Metohija over 370 amateur associations for art and culture, with several thousands active members. Amateur theaters exist in bigger places. The actors are educated at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Prishtina.

The Musical Art started also as Orthodox sacred music, and there exist scores - records of that music created by medieval composers. After the fall of the Serbian State, between the 15th and 19th centuries, the singing with gusle accompaniment was developed. Since the 19th century, the authors’ musical creativity started to develop. There are over 70 various festivals in the Province, at which the professional and amateur creativity of all nations and national communities are presented.

The Sinan-Pasha Mosque in Prizren, covered by lead taken from the Orthodox monastery Archangel

THE APPEAL OF FRANC WEBER FOR

THE PRESERVATION OF THE CULTURAL

HERITAGE OF KOSMET

The ecologist of world renown, Franc Weber launched, by the beginning of october, 1998, an SOS appeal for help to the leaders of the Great Powers, including the French President Jacques Chirac, in which he invited them "on behalf of civilized Europe" to prevent the "barbarian act" of bombing Kosovo and Metohija and to protect the cultural heritage of that southern Serbian province.

Weber, who is struggling during the last 30 years for the salvation of the natural and cultural-historical heritage all over the world, addressed the appeal against the possible air intervention of NATO at Kosmet to the American President Clinton, to the Russian President Yeltzin, to the French President Chirac, to the British Prime Minister Blair, to the leaving German Chancellor Kohl, to the Chinese President Djian Cemin and to the Italian Prime Minister Prodi. In his letter to the French President Chirac, entitled "NATO endangers the European cultural heritage in Kosovo", Weber reminds him that Kosmet, with 1800 Serbian-Byzantine medieval monuments, including the "beauties of architecture and art" like the Pec Patriarchate and Decani, represent "one of the biggest and most dense historical and cultural sites in the world".

The Holy Virgin Ljeviska - King Milutin, fresco painting, 1310-1313

MAP OF CULTURAL HISTORICAL MONUMENTS

Map of cultural-historical monuments in Kosovo and Metohija

THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN THE WORLD

Eminent fighter for the protection of the world heritage, Weber invites, in his letter to President Chirac, the Head of the French Republic to do everything possible, "on behalf of civilized Europe" to prevent the "barbarian act" of the possible air strikes in Kosmet.

"It is a fact that the bombing would mean, with the excuse of the prevention of humanitarian catastrophe, the endangering, if not the destruction of the cultural heritage of Kosovo", Weber says, warning also about the danger of "innumerable civilian victims" and the noxious consequences to the environment and the health of the population, as it happened in Bosnia after the NATO bombings."

‘Civilized Europe can not understand such an external interference into an internal conflict in a sovereign country", Weber explicitly states, and underlines that the "humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo can not be solved by fire and bloodshed in that province", i. e. that the conflict between Serbs and Albanians "can not be solved by bombing one side for the profit of the other."

Franc Weber visited, with a group of foreign journalists, Kosovo and Metohija, in June, and then addressed to the General Director of UNESCO, Federico Mayor, and to 626 deputies in the European Parliament individually, an appeal to grant to the cultural-historical monuments in Kosovo the status of world heritage. In that move for the peace in the Balkans, he assessed that the "granting of the status of world cultural heritage" could help "Serbs and Albanians, Christians and Moslems, to overcome the antagonisms of the past and to work on their reconciliation".

The Patriarchate of Pec - The House of Nemanjici, fresco painting

THE MONUMENTS OF EXCEPTIONAL IMPORTANCE
IN KOSOVO AND METOHIA

The Pec Patriarchate, a part of the Monastery Complex

Pec: The Pec Patriarchate, the Bajrakli Mosque

Decani: The Decani Monastery (Locane), the Log cabin of the Danilovici

Pristina: The Gracanica Monastery, Gazimestan - complex of monuments, Imperial Mosque, Ulpiana

Prizren: The Holy Virgin Ljeviska Church, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Kaljaja Fortress, the Turkish Bath, The Saint Nicholas’ Church, the Church of Saint Savior, The Monastery of the Holy Archangels (Bogosevci), The Saint Nicholas’ Church (Drajcici), the Saint Nicholas’ Church (Gornje Selo), the Saint George Church (Korisa), the Monastery and the Hermit’s Cell of Saint Peter Koriski (Musnikovo), the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Church of Saint Nicholas (Sredska) the Church of the Holy Virgin, the Church of Saint George.

Orahovac: Velika Hoca (an entire village with 13 Christian churches), The Church of Saint John, the Church of Saint Nicholas

Suva Reka: Musutiste, The Church of the Holy Virgin Odigitria (Recane), the Church of Saint George

Zvecan: the Banjska monastery, the Zvecan Fortress, the Sokolica Monastery

Istok: the Church of the Holy Virgin Hvostanska, the Gorioc Monastery (Istok), the Church of Saint Nicholas (Durakovac), the Church of Saint John (Crkolez)

Vucitrn: the Vojnovica Bridge, the Castle-Fortress

Klina: the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ (Budisavci), the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Monastery (Dobra Voda), the Church of the Presentation of the Holy Virgin (Dolac), The Church of Saint Petka (Drsnik), the Church of Saint Nicholas (Kijevo), the Church of Saint Nicholas (Mlecane), Gornja Crkva, the Church of the Saints Cosma and Damian (Cabici), the Church of Saint Nicholas

Kosovska Kamenica: the Church of the Holy Virgin (Vaganes), the Ubozac Monastery

Gnjilane: the Saint Barbara Church

Srbica: the Devic Monastery

Novo Brdo: the Novo Brdo Fortress

Lipljan: the Church of the Presentation of the Holy Virgin

Djakovica: The Terzijski Bridge, the Hadim Mosque

The Gracanica Monastery, 14th century