Medieval Monuments in Kosovo

• Lack of legal status of the property
• Lack of legislative protection of buffer zones
• Lack of implementation of the Management Plan and of active management
• Difficulties to monitor the property due to political instability, post-conflict situation (visits under the Kosovo Stabilisation Force / United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (KFOR / UNMIK) escort and lack of guards and security)
• Unsatisfactory state of conservation and maintenance of the property

• Lack of legal status of the property
• Lack of legislative protection of buffer zones
• Lack of implementation of the Management Plan and of active management
• Difficulties to monitor the property due to political instability, post-conflict situation (visits under the Kosovo Stabilisation Force / United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (KFOR / UNMIK) escort and lack of guards and security)
• Unsatisfactory state of conservation and maintenance of the property

• Full and permanent protection of the property in a secure and stable political environment;
• Agreed medium-term plan for the restoration of wall paintings (including preventive conservation regime) and conservation and rehabilitation of the property;
• Implementation of the Management Plan, and full establishment of buffer zones and boundaries including their legal protection.

Urgent / short-term corrective measures:

1. Put in place appropriate guarding and security arrangements for the Church of the Virgin of Ljevisa;
2. Prepare a conservation status report including a condition survey for the wall paintings and the status of the conservation works and take temporary measures where there is an urgent need (for example the lead roof of the west bay of the nave of the Church of Virgin of Ljevisa, that was partly removed);
3. Prepare a risk preparedness study, in conformity with Paragraph 118 of the Operational Guidelines and with Decisions 28 COM 10B.4 and 30 COM 7.2.

 Long-term corrective measures:

1. Ensure the adequate long-term administrative, regulatory protection and management of the property, in conformity with Paragraph 97 of the Operational Guidelines;
2. Put in place strong protective regimes for the buffer zones;
3. Adequately delineate the boundaries (e.g. extend the boundaries of the Patriarchate of Pec to include more of its riverside-valley settings);
4. Prepare detailed state of conservation reports as a basis for adapted monitoring, preventative conservation measures, and specific conservation projects to reverse decline;
5. Ensure appropriate and timely implementation of the Management Plan.

Total amount granted: USD 2,798,348 in 2008-2014 following the Donors Conference for the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Kosovo, May 2005; USD 693,330 in 2008-2013 by the Italian Government; USD 76,335 in 2008-2013 by the Czech Government; USD 132,833 in 2008-2013 by the Greek Government; USD 2,010,000 in 2011-2014 by the Government of the Russian Federation and USD 45,000 in 2012-2013 by the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Note: The Secretariat was informed by UNESCO’s Legal Advisor in 2008 that the UNESCO Secretariat follows the practice of the United Nations, which considers that the Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) continues to be applicable to the territory of Kosovo until a final settlement is achieved.

At its 39th session (Bonn, 2015), the World Heritage Committee decided to adjourn the debate on the state of conservation of the property (Decision 39 COM 7A.42). The state of conservation report presented to the World Heritage Committee at its 39th session is available on the World Heritage Centre’s website at the following page: https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2015/whc15-39com-7A-en.pdf. The present report includes updated information.

On 29 January 2016, the Permanent Delegation of Serbia to UNESCO submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724/documents/. The report provides the following information:

• At the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery, damages to the lead roofs have been observed. Works to replace lead plates were undertaken in 2015 and have been planned by the National Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments to continue in 2016. The works shall be done with materials and techniques identical to the existing;
• To enhance the site presentation, a system of audio guides was installed at the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery, and is also planned for the three other components of the property. Moreover, information boards on the World Heritage status of the property have been installed;
• At the Gračanica Monastery, the need for conservation work of the frescoes has been identified. The overall project of frescoes protection began in 2012, has stopped in 2015 but is expected to be continued in 2016;
• At the Dečani Monastery, a former economic building located on the external side against the monastery fence wall is foreseen to be converted into a teahouse for visitors, without changes to the building’s size and exterior design.

The World Heritage Centre continues to closely monitor the situation through regular exchange of information with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, Venice. Concerning the security situation at the property, it should be noted that three components of the property are currently under the protection of Kosovo Police: the Gračanica Monastery, the Church of the Virgin of Ljeviša and the Patriarchate of Peć Monastery. The fourth component of the property, the Dečani Monastery, remains under protection of the NATO-led Kosovo Force, KFOR.