Contested Religious Heritage in the Balkans: The Medieval Monuments of Kosovo and Metohija

The topic of Kosovo is complex and delicate, with both domestic and international implications. The political situation in the country involves several interconnected factors, including Kosovo’s identity, its right to self-determination and its struggle for political independence from Serbia. Kosovo’s cultural identity is closely linked to its religious heritage, which includes kullas, monasteries, mosques and churches. However, only four Orthodox monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Monastery of Dečani, the Gračanica Monastery, the Patriarchate of Peć, the Cathedral dedicated to the Holy Virgin of Ljeviša. This decision raises questions about the recognition of paternity for the four medieval monuments and prompts a re-evaluation of the role of religious heritage in this recent institutional state-building process. When analysing the Outstanding Universal Value of the monasteries, it becomes clear that religious heritage is a focal point for divergent symbolical, political, cultural and religious factions. The presence of significant immaterial elements used to stress identity elements in the nomination dossier is also a determinant factor. This situation warrants further investigation and reconsideration of the role of disputed religious heritage in light of UNESCO’s decisions: UNESCO has never recognised a disputed religious site as belonging to a state even if it is located within the boundaries of an emerging and equally sovereign state like Kosovo. In this regard, the dynamics behind the nomination illustrate another paradoxical use of religious heritage. Religious heritage can serve not only as a tool to reinforce the political claims of conflicting states, but also as a deterrent to these claims, potentially weakening the institutional position of the state that lacks such global recognition.