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At the eastern end of the Rugova Gorge, where the Bistrica River flows into the Dukagjini Plain, is the Peć Patriarchate, the spiritual seat of the Serbian nation and also the mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs. The monastery complex includes four churches, of which the first church, dedicated to the Apostles, was built at the beginning of the 13th century by Archbishop Arsenije I. In 1291, the Serbian church seat moved permanently to the Peć Monastery. In 1324 the Church of St. Demetrius was built and in 1337 the Church of the Holy Mother of God Hodegetria and the Church of St. Nicholas followed. In 1346, the Archbishop of Peć was elevated to Patriarch by King Dušan, making the Serbian Orthodox Church fully autocephalous (independent). Under threat from the Ottomans, the monastery was abandoned in 1463, but in 1557 the Patriarchate of Peć was restored by Grand Vizier Mehmet Sokolli. Many of the current frescoes were painted in the 17th century, including by the famous painters Georgije Mitrofanović and Radul. From the beginning of the 18th century, the influence of the Phanariotes (influential Greek Orthodox families) increased and after Serbs were excluded from the office of patriarch, the Patriarchate of Peć was dissolved in 1766. It was not until 1913 that an archiepiscopal see returned to the monastery. After WWI and the formation of the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, the Serbian Patriarchate is renewed and the primatial seat returns to the Monastery of Peć. The monastery has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2006. Unfortunately, due to the current political climate, the monastery has to be protected by KFOR troops or the Kosovo Police. Nevertheless, the monastery is a beautiful historical and cultural destination.
