VISOKI DEČANI MONASTERY ADDED TO UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST 22 YEARS AGO

BIJELJINA, JULY 1 /SRNA/ – The Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Dečani, dating back to the 14th century, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 2, 2004.

Construction of the monastery was begun by King Stefan Dečanski and completed by his son, Emperor Dušan. Along with the monasteries of Gračanica, the Patriarchate of Peć, and the Church of the Virgin of Ljeviš, it is one of the oldest, best-preserved and largest endowments of the Nemanjić dynasty. In his chrysobull, King Stefan Dečanski stated that Saint Sava had chosen the site for the construction of the church in Dečani, but died before the project could begin. Construction took place from 1326 to 1327 and from 1334 to 1335, while the frescoes were completed around 1348. The monastery is dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord /Spasovdan/, a feast depicted in the dome fresco known as Christ Pantocrator. The chief architect was the master builder Vito of Kotor, while the names of several other craftsmen have also been recorded. The monastery church is a five-aisled structure built in the Raška architectural style. Its design represents the culmination of the Raška school of medieval Serbian architecture, incorporating some of the most sophisticated solutions of the contemporary Romanesque-Gothic architecture of the Serbian Littoral. The monastery belongs to the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren of the Serbian Orthodox Church and is designated as an immovable cultural property of exceptional importance.