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Orthodox monasteries in Kosova are Albanian heritage

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Orthodox monasteries in Kosova are Albanian heritage

Written by: Progon Kërçova

Translated by: Lona

©www.arberiaonline.com
©www.albpelasgian.com

Since 1844 when the chauvinistic Serbian platform called ‘Nacertanja’, has been introduced on
the first place, until now and the notorious Serbian propaganda has continuously aimed the
repudiation of the Albanian autochthony in Kosova and Macedonia. That is all been done with
the sole purpose, to legitimize their invasion plans on Albanian lands. It is exactly within this
total propagandistic war where the modern Serbian’s myths emerge on, claiming that Kosova is
the cradle of the Serbians and their culture.

Fig. 1. Albanian freedom-fighters (1912)

The Serbian propaganda having no arguments at all on its side to oppose the Illyrian identity of
the Albanian people (regarded from many as the oldest people in Balkans), has started the
offensive against Medieval History of the Albanians, aiming the diabolic purpose to fade and
possibly interrupt the Albanian historical continuation from Antiquity to Medieval Times.
Fig. 2. As we can see from the above map, the region which Serbian nationalist calls as Old
Serbia is inhabited massively by the Albanians. The Albanian compact regions start from Nish in
north and reach at Veles in south. (Distribution of Races in the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor
1910. Source: The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923).

Serbian propaganda and politics try to create the myth of how Kosovo has never been Albanian,
but Serbian, even though is known publicly that Slavs append to the migration that occurred later
in 7’th century AD to invade Illyrian lands and people. However, Illyrian-Thracian people even
though their territory narrowed, they still survived in Albanian lands today:

“Very much later there came the waves of Slavs and drove the Albanians, who were scattered
all over the Balkan Peninsula, to the western part of modern European Turkey, where they live
now” (1).

From 19’th century onwards all academic circles have accepted that Albanians are the oldest
people in Europe – direct sequential of Pelasgians (Illyrians, Thracians, Macedonians and
Epirots):

The Albanians are perhaps the oldest race in southeastern Europe and the people of today are
quite possibly descendants of the so-called Pelasgi, the early inhabitants of Greece and
neighboring countries (2).

A meaningful summary of the millennium odyssey of Albanians gives it so thorough Bernard

Newman:

“Albania is the youngest country of the Balkans, but its people are the oldest. They are
probably the descendants of the ancient Thracians and Illyrians; their language, despite
infusions of words from neighboring races, is quite unlike any other Balkan tongue. At one time
they occupied the whole of the Southern Balkans, and were a vigorous and dynamic people:
Alexander the Great is claimed to have been of Albanian origin. Gradually they were
encompassed in their present home, much as the Basques were crowded into their Biscayan
corner, by the tribes surging from the east; or as the remnants of the British tribes were pushed
westwards into the mountains of Wales” (3).

Serb propaganda tries to present the medieval Kosovo with Serb majority relying on Orthodox
churches and monasteries throughout Kosovo by featuring them as products of Serbian culture.
This myth so used from politicians in Belgrade has and is being served to Europe and West to
convince them that Kosovo is Serbian. In the following article we will present a thorough
summary based mainly on western literature in proving the Albanian character of these Orthodox
monuments. In light of these incontrovertible facts, we will prove how fragile is Serbian
propaganda to its myth promoted by Russia apparently made for political purposes.

Fig. 3. Serbian military hordes conquering Kosova

Serb propaganda has spread the myth of how the Albanians in Kosovo have come since 1690
with the help of the Ottoman Empire. For this, Serbian nationalism has invented the so-called
‘great exodus of Serbs’. What does the historical evidence say for this claim? Were there really
great ethnic-cleansing of Serbs and the start of Albanian colonization?

In the historical period for which we are speaking for now on, the Albanians continued to
constitute the majority population in Kosovo. It is important to point out that in late 17’th
century Kosova has not been consider as part of Serbia. Furthermore, the renowned historian J.
Serb Dusan Popović writes:

‘We should point out the fact that Serbia, which at the time of the Austrian rule (1683-1690)
comprised proximately the territory of later Serbia of Miloš (1830), had around 70.000
Serbs, thus we can get a clear picture about the number of the people who had moved in 1699,
and to what extent that movement could have diminished the population of Old Serbia, Metohia,
Kosova and Shumadia’. (4)

Based on the account of this nationalist Serb historian, we conclude as following:

• that by the end of 17th century, ‘Serbia covered approximately the territory of Serbia at the
time of Miloš (1830);

• that by the end of 17th century Kosova and Dukagjini were not considered as territories of
Serbia;

• that objectively viewed, its impossible to have moved over 10,000 inhabitants from the territory
of Kosova, whereas at that time, as the current newspapers of Vienna acknowledged, about
20.000 to 30.000 inhabitants had moved from the whole territory of the Balkans, who by
their ethnic belonging were Orthodox Albanians, Vlachs, Bosnians, etc. It should be pointed
out that the people who moved from Kosova and Dukagjin at that time were not Serbs, but
Orthodox and Catholic Albanians and Vlachs, because there were no Serbs in Kosova and
Dukagjin at that time, from the point of view of nationality and ethnicity.

The well-known Serbian historian Jovan Tomić, who was a good expert on Serbian, Austrian and
Venetian matters, in 1913 concluded as following:

“This movement of population […] which is known in the history of the Serbian population by
the name ‘the great movement of the Serbian people to Hungary”, headed by patriarch Arsenije
III Çarnojeviq, has been dominated by a wrong thought which has been repeated from one book
to another [….]. Open any history of the Serbian population, you will find everywhere that
notably the movement of Serbian population occurred mostly in Serbian regions – the areas of
Prizren, Gjakova and Peja and that those regions were almost completely destroyed then. This is
a mistake that has to be corrected once and for ever. The fact presented in that way does not
indicate the truth. It is a wrong illusion which has not been studied sufficiently, but has managed
to last up to now. The source of that mistake lies in the written chronicles of Orthodox clergymen
[…]. Then, other records, contemporary events prove that many Serbs from those areas, after the
rude behavior of the Duke of Holstein, left the imperial army together with Catholic Albanians
and passed to the Turkish side before Turks crushed Austrians. And those Serbs had no need to
get away before the Turkish military, nor could they go under Austrian protection {…}.
Furthermore, the patriarch himself with his suit could hardly manage to get away because
Turkish military units arrived quickly after the Austrian army left, so that one cannot speak of a
massive population movement”. (5)
Fig. 4. This picture gives a scene of refugee waves from the so-called Seoba Srba (or the Great
Serb Migration). It has been painted by the famous Serbian painter, Paja Jovanović. In the first
plan can easily be seen at least six Albanians, whose white dress is evident. This important detail
refute the blatant myth that all of deported persons were Serbs. Actually, Patriarch Arsenije III
Čarnojević headed his flock, which consist mainly of Orthodox native Albanians from
Montenegro, Sandjak and Western Kosova.

In addition with this, it should be emphasized that some researchers (for example Frederick
Anscombe) maintain that the migrations never took place (or never in such a large scale), and
describe the events as a myth created to lay claim to the territory of Kosovo in the 19th century:

The Ottoman records, the only significant indigenous source available, make no mention
either of large-scale Serbian revolt in Kosovo or to an early case of ethnic cleansing by the
Ottomans that led to a mass migration by Serbs and the subsequent relocation of Albanians to
displace them. Far from being in turmoil in 1689–90, Kosovo was calmer than the
surrounding areas. The Ottomans did try to move population groups in some of them, but had
no need to do so in Kosovo itself. The great migration, like the events of the battle of Kosovo
Polje, is the stuff of legend rather than history. (6)

Whatever the number of expatriates has been during the Austro-Turkish war, remains an
undeniable fact that most expelled were Albanians, Vlachs and to some extent some Serbs. Even
in Catholic Encyclopedia, although with some flaws, it still admits to have been the Albanians
who were mostly expelled from their lands:

“When, in 1690, the Emperor Leopold I issued a proclamation declaring that he would protect
the religion and the political rights of all Slavonic peoples on the Balkan peninsula, and called
upon them to rise against the Turks, about 36,000 Servian and Albanian families, led by their
patriarch, emigrated from Servia. After Leopold had given them the desired guarantees they
crossed the Save and settled in Slavonia, in Syrmia, and in some of the Hungarian cities, where
their descendants now form a considerable portion of the population” (7).

The most illustrative facts corresponding these expelling of Albanians is also offered by the
Hungarian researchers themselves, which throw light on a number of Albanian settlements on the
banks of the Danube or in different places of Hungary. Although today many of these
Albanians are assimilated, their existence proves the opposite of the claims that Serb
nationalist historians try to sell. The Albanians of Kosova, regardless of whether they were
Catholic, Orthodox or Muslim they took part actively in the Austrian imperial troops against the
Ottomans. Thanks to Albanians, the Austrian Army managed to arrive in Skopje. In his appeal
to the peoples of the Balkans, the Austrian Emperor Leopold I ranked the Albanians first.
Even the Albanian Archbishop of Skopje, Pjetër Bogdani gave unsparing support to the
insurgencys major anti-Ottoman:

“He contributed a force of 6000 Albanian soldiers to the Austrian army, which had arrived in
Prishtina, and accompanied it to capture Prizren” (8).

Austrian sources witness that Piccolomini (a renowned Austrian commander) was greeted
in Prizren by 6.000 Albanians and among them there were those who had been with the
Ottoman Empire by then, but on that occasion they took their oath for fidelity to the Austrian
emperor. Piccolomini was received in Prizren, the capital of Albania (zu Prizren, der Haupstatt
in Albanien) by the patriarch of Kelmends. In the sources of Vatican, it is said among other
things, that ‘the Archbishop Pjeter Bogdani followed with joy and progress of the imperial
military towards Shkup. His grandson, the monk Gjon Bogdani, said that Archbishop[ Pjeter had
gone personally to welcome General Picolomini and made him company to his birthplace,
Prizren. An anonymous of the time says that the Archbishop [Pjeter Bogdani) brought 6.000
Albanians to General Piccolomini so that the army of General increased to 20,000
Albanians that rose in a rebellion: from Prishtina 5.000 Albanians, from Peja 3.000 Albanians,
from Klina and Drenica 6.000 Albanians, from Prizren 6000 – 8000 Albanians, etc. The Jesuit
Wagner mentions that ‘patriarch Clementinorum’, i.e Archbishop Pjeter Bogdani made an
agreement with General Piccolomini concerning the contribution that Albanians would give
them.

Edwin Jacques, a connoisseur of Albanians Christianity throws light on the causes of the Kosova
Albanians, either for the expulsion or were forced to cooperate with the Turks. According to him,
Peace Treaty between the Habsburg and the Ottoman Empire left Albanians in a very awkward
position:

“The Turks met with serious defeat at Vienna in 1683, and the overthrow of Turkish role in
Hungary followed. This was the turning point in Turkish imperial fortunes. The Venetians saw
their opportunity. They declared war in 1684, capturing Albanian Preveza and undertaking the
conquest of Greece. Orthodox and Catholic Albanians alike followed sympathetically the
advance of the Venetian armies down the Balkan Peninsula under General Piccolomini. When
the army reached the region of Kosova the Christians at once took up arms against the Turks.
On the death of Piccolomini, however, his successor, the Duke of Holstein, acted altogether
differently toward his allies. When he tried to disarm the Albanian countryside the people turned
against him. He retaliated by burning their villages, and the alienation was complete. When the
Austrians later made peace with Turkey they failed to include any favorable stipulations for
their Albanian allies, who once again were exposed to the merciless revenge of the Turks” (9).

Given these undeniable historical facts, it appears that there is some exodus at 1690, but not the
Serbian as fake Serbian propaganda claims but Albanian. Albanians, as proved by a number of
Western sources, carried the heavy burden of uprisings - Albanians were one of the main allies
of Austrian offensives in Balkans against the Ottoman Empire.

Nationalistic politicians and priests in Serbia show off how the whole Kosovo Orthodox heritage
is cultural property of the Serb people! But how true is this?

According to Serbian historiography, the Serbian dynasty of Nemanjići invaded Kosova in the
the 12th century, and thus the Serbian rulers of this dynasty have allegedly built Serbian
churches and monasteries in Kosova. Because of this alleged reason they belong to them. The
question is what do historic facts say?

An Anonymous letter about Albanian origin of dynasty Stephan Nemany

According to an old Greek tradition and the annotations at the Hilendar, the Nemanjici
dynasty (of Nemanya), which ruled the medieval state of Kosova, was of Albanian origin
and belonged to the NIMANI (Nimanaj, Nemanaj) tribe. The Nimanis were originally
Catholic, i.e they belonged to the Albanian Church, who switched to Orthodoxy later (14th
century). Finally, when the Ottomans came, they accepted Islam.

1. The Greek administration has registred Niman-Neman = Nemanje as “Νημανη”. This is what
figures out in the Hilendar. The Greek letter “η” can be read in two ways. In the old etacist-
pronunciation “η” is pronounced as “e”, and the later in the itacistic – ‘η’ is pronounced as “I”.
The NIMANI tribe was written as “Νημανη”, whereas Stephen Nemanya as “Στεφαν Νημανη” =
Stephen Nimani. At the Hilendar, Stephen Nemanya was signed as ‘Στεφαν Νημανη” (Stefan
Nimani). Later on, the itacistic variant ‘NIMANI’ was adapted in Albanian which formerly was
pronounced as ‘NEMANE’. With the Slavicization of the name Nemane in the late Middle Ages
the variant Nemanya was adopted. This is what regards the origin of the name Nemanj (iqi). The
suffix –“ići” is obiviously a Slavic suffix for family names. Similarly, in the pre-war Yugoslavia,
they attached to our family names Slavic suffixes: -“ići”, -“vići”, -“ski”, -“ov”, etc.

2. The Nemanya dynasty ruled according to the Albanian customary law until 1354, when
Emperor Dushan passed his Code, which was full of Albanian customary law relics. The
aim of the Code was to limit the use of old Albanian customary law and to regulate the
legislation and the juridical life according to the Byzantine example. However, with the collapse
of the state of Nemanjići (Nemanya) in 1389, the population returned to their customs which
have been preserved among Albanians and the native Schismatics (Orthodox) in Kosova and
Dukagjini plain up to nowadays. Nimanaj (Nemanajt – Nemanići) were the first cousins of
the Albanian prince Dimiter (Demetrius principe Arbanensis), who is thought to have
established the Dukagjini dynasty in the environs of Peja. This is a second proof showing
that Nemanjći were of Albanian origin.

3. At the time of Nemanjić dynasty, jurisprudence was organized in the same way as it was
organized among Albanians in the Dukagjini plain up to recent times – by the council of
dignitaries (Alb. “pleqnia”). This is the third proof showing that the Nemanya, Nemanjići
dynasty had organized their jurisprudence according to the Albanian example.

4. At the beginning, Nemanya was not a ‘great zupan’ (a head of the tribal state), but was
called a ‘great dorëzan (a great guarantor) and later, influenced by the Greeks and the
Slavs, he received the title ‘great zupat’. As a ‘great dorëzan’, he had his own cavalry and
people, who were his nights and nobles and ruled through them. This is the fourth proof of
Nemanya’s (Nemani, Nimani) Albanian method of ruling in the mediaeval Rascia. Moreover,
Demitri, the prince of Albanians (Demetrius princips Arbanensis), who came originally from an
aristocrat Albanian family, and as mentioned earlier, was Nemanya’s cousin, after the fall of
Byzantine Empire (1204), had given a pledge to Ragusa municipality that he would live in peace
with Ragusians, and that Ragusians could come freely to his country without paying any taxes.
This oath taking was given by his men, who had Albanian names and titles, such as ‘stephanus’,
‘sundia’ (Alb. ‘sundues’ ruler), etc. (10)

Fig. 5. Saint Symeon (Stefan Nemanja), fresco from an orthodox church in Prizren (1307—
1309). The tribe of Nemanja were close cousins of the Albanian prince Dimiter (Demetrius
principe Arbanensis), who is thought to have established the Dukagjini dynasty in the evirons of
Peja. Nemanja was born around the year 1113 AD in Ribnica, Zeta, in the vicinity of present day
Podgorica, capital of Montenegro. At the Medieval period, Zeta principality was inhabited
mostly by native Albanians who retained their old Illyrian identity. This cast some light on
narrow relations of Zeta and the rest of Albania: during all the time, Zeta was closely related
with Northern Albania and for some period was even incorporated into Albania.

The Ottoman sources about Albanian origin of population of Deçani, Lloqani and
Carabreg (1617)
The Sublime Porte (the Ottoman Governemnt) through its acts had solved all social, economic,
political, cultural and religious affairs of Deçani Monastery and of its officials; had appointed
prestigious Albanians as voivodes (guardians and protectors) of the Monastery, had appointed
Albanians to work in the property of the Monastery, etc. In the Ottoman defters of 15th and 16th
century, Albanians were also registered by their national names: Arbanas, Alban and Arnavud. In
the Kosova plain, for instance, Albanians, among others, are also mentioned by the family name
Arbanas (1455): Radica Arbanas, Gerdash Arbanas, Rasku Arbanas, Petru Arbanas,
Bogdan Arbanas,, Todor Arbanas, Branislav Arbanas, Radihna Arbanas, Radac Arbanas,
Mihail Arbanas, Nikolla Arbanas, Dimitrij Arbanas, Branki Arbanas, Milosh Arbanas,
Kin Arbanas, Andrij Arbanas, Marku Arbanas, Vikoslav Arbanas, Vladko Arbanas,
Danko Arbanas, Radi Arbanas, Gjon Arbanas, etc.

In the Dukagjini plain, however, Albanians are mentioned with the family names Arbanas
(1485): Nikola Arbanas (inhabitant from Peja and from the village of Rudnik too), Drag Arbanas
(inhabitant of Prizren), Nenad Arbanas, Miha Arbanas (inhabitants of Peja district). (11)

Fig.6. Original photo from Monastery of Deçan. A group of Albanians standing in front of
monastery, which was considered as their own spiritual temple.

These data are clear evidence of majority onomastic Albanian in Kosovo during the late middle
Ages. All tests indicate that there has been no massive arrival of Albanians to modify this
ethnic structure of Kosovo. Consequently, all Orthodox churches and monasteries were
either built or used by Christian Albanians. Solid evidence about the Albanian presence at the
Deçan Monastery is in abundance. Edith Durham notes that:

“Stefan Urosh III, when founding the monastery at Dechani, gives it in 1330 many villages and
katuns of Vlahs and Albanians between the Lim and White Drin …” (12).
Christian Albanians have always considered Orthodox temples like theirs. Throughout
time they have used them as places of prayer. Serbian propaganda often describes Albanians
as destructive to churches and monasteries, while the truth is quite different. Albanians were
precisely those who retained their Christian legacy at all times.

Fig. 7. Avdil the Old from Llaushë (the Albanian region of Drenicë) was a well-known guard of
Monastery of Deviç.

Fig. 8. A frescoe with Albanian components.

This is illustrated even the fact that the High Porte itself, but also the clergy of the Orthodox
churches and monasteries had entrusted the security of temples to Albanians who had faithfully
preserved them:

“Kosovo Albanians did not always hate the Church of the Serbs. Well into the nineteenth
century, when both peoples lived under Ottoman rule, the mainly Muslim Albanians revered
several Serbian shrines. The Albanian clans surrounding Dećani monastery, in the far west,
famously guarded the building for generations. Other churches had a similar following among
both Muslims and Christians as places where women could be healed and ensure a successful
childbirth” (13).

Fig. 9. A group of Albanians dancing in front of Graçanicë Monastery. This original photo is
taken at the beginning of XX century. This clear evidence strengthen even more the fact that all
monasteries in Kosova were held by Orthodox Christian Albanians, who later got Serbianized.

Albanians considered it an honor to preserve their monasteries and churches:

“At Peć, as at nearby Dećani and elsewhere, the Albanian tribesmen agreed to consider it an
honor to guard the Christian holy places, and to appoint one of their number as the chieftain
(vojvoda, which also means Duke)… Ramë Nikçi is the latest in this long line of Albanian
Muslim vojvodë of the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate” (14).
Fig. 10. Ramë Kapllan Nikçi, 12 years old, serving as armed guard in Church of Pejë.

In a number of other important Orthodox monasteries in Kosova (Deçan, Deviç and the
patrarchate of Peja) protection was formalized in the institution of the so-called manastirske
vojvode (Serbian) or vojvodat e kishës (Albanian), i.e. monastery ‘dukes’ or guards. They were
provided by powerful Muslim Albanian clans who posted one of their members in the
monastery to guard it against outside attacks, and in return they received payments or
certain privileges. This has probably saved these sanctuaries from destruction, especially in
times of war and upheaval.

Fig. 11. Bekë Zhuji from Rugovë, an another guard or vojvod of Patriarchat of Pejë
Sometimes these guards also provided pilgrims who traveled to the shrine with protection against
bandits. The main study of this phenomenon was done by the Albanian ethnologist Mark
Krasniqi (Krasniqi 1958). In the patriarchate of Peja relations with the monastery vojvoda
were broken off in the beginning of the 1980s, whereas in Deçan this institution continued
to exist until 1991, when the Albanian guard resigned for political reasons (Djurićić 1994:
690-1) (15).

Fig.12. This original photo showing some members of Council of Church of Peja. Although
many of surnames sound Slavic because of their endings, they are in fact, Albanian. If we drop
the suffixes, we get a clear picture: Blakić > Blakaj; Lukić > Lukaj, Vulić > Vulaj. Four of them
wore the traditional white cap of Albanians.

Not only Christian Albanians but also the Muslim has always turned to the churches and
monasteries as places where they found solutions to their everyday concerns.
Fig. 13. Zhujë Veseli, an Albanian vojvod from Rugovë, guarding the Patriarchate of Pejë.

According to researchers Gerlachlus Duijzings gives a clear picture of how the Albanians until
later did pilgrimage in their Orthodox churches. Therefore we give a full passage from the
chapter: ‘Zoćiste: the end of a ‘mixed’ pilgrimage’ of Duijzings :

“In July 1991 I went to visit another shrine in Zoçishtë, a small Serb-Albanian village some 4
km. south-east of Orahovec. Just outside the village, on a hilltop, is a medieval Serbian
Orthodox monastery (fourteenth –century or earlier), a shrine which has the reputation of being
particularly helpful in cases of eye disease and mental and psychosomatic disorders. The church
is called Sveti Vraçi (the Holy Healers) after its patron saints Kuzman and Damnjan. The church
is (like Graçanica) situated in the middle of the porta, but (unlike it) consists only of a low and
very sober single-asiled building. I wanted to visit this shrine because, until the late 1980’s,
many Muslim Albanians from Zoçishtë as well as from nearby Orahovac would go to the
Zoçishtë monastery to join the festivities accompanying the sabor, which takes place every
year on July 14. The story goes that before the Albanian protests of 1989, which were violently
suppressed in Orahovac, Albanian pilgrims were even more numerous here than Serbs, and in
a more distant past local Albanians had once joined with the Serb inhabitants of the village in
helping the priest defend himself against external Albanian attackers (Kostiç 1928: 55-
6). However, as a result of the tense political situation, Albanians have recently stopped
visiting the monastery and the growing distrust between Albanians and Serbs brought this
‘mixed’ pilgrimage to an end” (16).
Fig. 14. Salih Rrusta, an old vojvodë of Monastery of Deçan

Fig. 15. Ali Lljani, a vojvod from the family of Salih Rrusta.

While unfolding authentic pictures of Orthodox monasteries of Pejë and Deçan can be observed
the presence of Albanians everywhere, even church council. Monastery of Pejë consisted of
Orthodox Albanians.
Fig. 16. A crowd of Albanians in the environments of monastery of Peja.

Also, the church frescoes and icons can be observed clearly in these monasteries typical elements
of Albanian clothing especially ‘Plis’ (the traditional skull-cap of Albanians). This is a clear
indicator of the Albanian Orthodox believers belonging to these monuments.
Fig. 17. Overleaf the cadaver of Archbishop Sava (1174-1234) are Albanians who bore white
Plis (Brimless cap)
Fig. 18. Muhamet Ljani, a vojvodë from the family of Salih Rrusta.

Nadžija Gajić-Sikirić in her book Memories from Bosnia during its trip through western Kosovo
notes:

“We stopped in Prizren, spent the night in Dečani, and visited the famous Dečani Monastery. It
was interesting to see many women entering the church dressed in the Albanian national
costumes, in the female shalwars. I am not sure if they were Muslims, but I thought that Serb
and Montenegro women did not have such costumes. Maybe they were the Orthodox Albanian
women, although I thought that Albanians were mostly of Muslims and Catholic religion” (17).

Fig. 19. The monastery of Peja. Usual meeting of Albanians.

Completing the summary of this well-informed of neutral resources hoping that western
democratic world will be aware of the danger that the Serb propaganda which has spread
ignorance, irrationality and falsehood. The democratic world must recognize the truth. It should
not allow to outrage history and civilization of the Albanians as the oldest people in Europe. The
future cannot be built on foundations of lies spread by Serbian politics and churches propaganda.
Even the renowned Serbian propagandist, Dobrica Cosic has recognized that:

A lie, trait of our patriotism We lie to deceive ourselves, to console others, we lie for mercy, we
lie to fight fear, to encourage ourselves, to hide our and somebody elses misery. We lie for love
and honesty. We lie because of freedom. Lying is a trait of our patriotism and the proof of our
innate intelligence. We lie creatively, imaginatively and inventively. Deobe (Divisions) 1961.
Volume I, page 135.

Let Serbs delude themselves in any way: creative, imaginative or inventor. But let this be in their
fictional literature. So the democratic world to be aware of sick Serbian fiction fixation!

Footnotes
(1) Royal Gould Wilder, The Missionary review of the world: Volume 34, (C.S. Robinson & co.,
printers, 1911 ) p. 849
(2) Henry Rushton Fairclough, Warming both hands (Stanford university press, 1941), p. 366
(3) Bernard Newman, Balkan background (the Macmillan company, 1945), p. 231
(4) Skënder Rizaj, The Falsifications of Serbian Historiography (Prishtinë, 2006), p. 92
(5) Rizaj, pp. 84-85
(6) Frederick F. Anscombe, The Ottoman empire in recent international politics II: the case of
Kosovo (The International History Review 28), p. 792
(7) Charles George Herbermannm, The Catholic encyclopedia (Encyclopedia Press, 1913), p.
733
(8) Robert Elsie, Historical dictionary of Kosova (Scarecrow Press, Inc. 2004), p. 28
(9) Edwin E. Jacques, The Albanians: an ethnic history from prehistoric times to the present
(McFarland, 1995), p. 245
(10) Rizaj, pp. 81-82
(11) Rizaj, p. 84
(12) Mary Edith Durham, Some tribal origins, laws and customs of the Balkans (George Allen &
Unwin, 1928), p.
(13) Marcus Tanner, The tablet, (Tablet Pub. Co., 2004), p. 8
(14) Reports service, Volumes 12-15 (American Universities Field Staff, 1965), p. 18
(15) Gerlachlus Duijzings, Religion and the politics of identity in Kosovo (C. Hurst & Co.
Publishers, 2000), p. 72
(16) Duijzings, pp. 71-73
(17) Nadžija Gajić-Sikirić, Memories from Bosnia (Lulu.com, 2009), p. 165

Categories : Uncategorized

 Alb

Congratulation, great article, very well presented,organized and detailed with photos and
citations from some good writer historians from western civilization.

 Slobo.

For fucks sakes, this is bullshit and you know it, the albanians are there because your
Turkish brothers shipped you in long after it was Serb territory and it remains Serb
territory. but now youve got it you can traffic children and sell drugs and export Jihadism
and body parts and God knows what else the only consolation is that Kosovo is a shithole
of a place and youre stuck there where you belong.

 ida

Explain why the Albanians desecrated, looted, burned and blew up so many Orthodox
churches and monasteries if it was their heritage?
Theres even a photo from the 2004 riots of an Albanian urinating around the entrance to a
 monastery in Prizren.
Also even the historical mosques in Kosovo were built by Turks, not Albanians.

 Ujkan Lloshka

ida you are apparently so ignorant because your acknowledge on March upheaval is not
correct. Not all orthodox monasteries were damaged during March riots; only a few
churches (which were relatively new, I mean were built by Milloshevic regime) were
superficially damaged. But the rest of churches were not touched, because Albanians
considered as their own heritage. If Albanians want to destroy any orthodox church, they
would did so. But they never attack orthodox churches; instead Albanians are known to
preserve those churches by guarding and kept safely. Even Serbian monks trusted to
Albanians. It is only Serb and Russian propaganda which is attempting to crate a fake
picture on Orthodox churches allegedly in risk of Albanian attacks. It is more than
obvious that Serbia do not care about these monasteries; all what Serbia wants is to get
more political aids from outside, and by doing so to weak as much as possible the
independence of Kosova. Even local serbs of Kosova are disgusted by the interference of
Serbian policy into their life; day by day most of them are keen to be loyal to the state of
Kosova and Albanians in general.

 http://histoiredesserbes.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html kreksi

For Slobo;
The Serbs have the run property for the first time Kosovo in 1217 and left in 1389 total=
172 years of ocupation the churches and monasteries were built by native screen since the
fourth century it was the Serbs qund further down on the edge mother of Azov in their
cradle of their culture
For 172 years ocupation Serbs in Kosovo has nothing to say that I Pance
much noise for nothing ..! Their huistoire is so short in Kosovo autentic their memory

 ali

If Serbs claim the heritage of Car Dushan, then they must pay for the crimes that
medieval serbs have done against albanians,

They must not claim churches, that they occupied at one time in medieval, and then to
occupy them again, but they must pay for this medieval occupation,

Albanians want satisfaction, for Car Dushan killed albanians, and destroyed albanian
christianism

 Kuqigez

Kosovos old churches are Albanian? Thats right if you cant dynamite it, shiptarize it.
 Why did these churches need special protection even in the Ottomasn empire unlike
elsewhere in the Balkans? Obviously Albanian thugs were appointed as guards against
other Albanian thugs. In March 2004 mostly newer churches were destroyed but also
some old ones. Other old churches were saved thanks to KFOR dealing more or less
successfully with the organized Shiptar mob throughout Kosovo that day. There isnt one
single inscription in these churches that is somehow connected to Albanians or is written
in Albanian. In fact there was no Albania prior to 1912. All talk to the contrary is nothing
but Shiptar bullshit. There are no Albanian Orthodox Christians in Kosovo.

 Babaloku

Keep the good work up!

 bleri

bravo kto jan fakte kto fakte duhet mi prezantu sa ma shpesh po ashtu ne nje fshat te
suharekes ku serbet thojn se asht kisha e vjeter 600 vite asht gjall akoma nji plak qe ka
punu ne ndertimin e kishes ku si i vogel i ka ndihmu babes se vetg ne ndertim te saj i cili
thot se nese kjo kish i ka 600 vjet atij i bjen mi pas 700 pershendetje

 Sea

cuti jarane vi ste fdosli u XII vek , a albanci su ovde pre 5000 godina jarane cuti i nemoj
da galamis