DeÄani

DeÄani or DeÃ§ani (Albanian) or DeÄani/Ð"ÐµÑ‡Ð°Ð½Ð¸ (Serbian) is a town in eastern Kosovo, widely known for the Visoki DeÄani monastery of the Serb Orthodox Church.

The monastery is situated in the western part of the UN administered Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia. It was built between 1327 and 1335 by the Serbian medieval king, St. Stephen of Decani, and was dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The monastery is situated in the valley of the Bistrica river surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Prokletije mountain range. It is regarded as the largest and best preserved medieval monastery in Kosovo. During its turbulent history the monastery was an important spiritual center renowned for its artistic and intellectual activities. Although the monastery buildings suffered damage from the Turkish occupation, the church has been completely preserved complete with its 14th century fresco paintings. Today a young brotherhood of 30 brethren lives in the monastery maintaining the traditions of the past: religious services, icon painting, wood carving, book publishing and is also active in the missionary work. The beautiful monastic services are served according to the typicon of Mount Athos.

In 2004, UNESCO listed the monastery on the World Heritage List, citing its frescoes as "one of the most valued examples of the so-called Palaeologan renaissance in Byzantine painting" and "a valuable record of the life in the 14th century".