The Monastery of Deçan and the Attempts to Appropriate It

Abstract

The Monastery of Deçan is a monument of cultural heritage in Deçan-Kosova. The monastery was built in the 14th century, and is listed at the UNESCO monuments list. The monastery of Deçan is considered one of the most important cultural and monumental building pertaining to the medieval period in Kosova and in the region in general. The paper deals especially with the historical aspect of its existence as well as its architectonic properties. The architecture of monastery of Deçan is characterized by Byzantine elements, but one can also observe Roman Italian elements in its architecture. The attempts to appropriate and assimilate the historical and cultural background that is characteristic to the monastery, and classify it as a Serbian monastery are numerous and often times lack sufficient scientific basis. The monastery of Deçan, with its Roman-Gothic architecture and its unique history enriches the cultural mosaic of cultural heritage in Kosova, and as such it is part of the culture of all Kosovars.