It is known that King Millutin, in 1307, appropriated the cathedral church of Saint Premte (Serbs call it Bogorodica Levishka) in Prizren, which was the seat of the Bishopric of Prizren. The Church of St. Friday was built on the temple of the Roman period and the basilicas of the 1019th-XNUMXth centuries. It was the seat of the Bishop of Prizren which dates back to XNUMX.
Saint Premtes Church in Prizren is one of the important monuments of Kosovo's cultural heritage treasure. It is located on the basis of the former Trinity church of the XI and XII centuries and those before. The church acquired its present shape through the reconstruction of the Serbian king, Milutin (1307), who changed its name, dedicating it to the ascension of Our Lady to heaven. In the 1912th century, it was transformed into a mosque and returned to a church again, in XNUMX, writes Edi Shukriu, in the "Church of Saint Prendes Prizren", writes KOHA.
The Church of St. Friday that belongs not only to Serbs
Different opinions were given about the church of St. Premte before the archaeological research of 1950-1952. Thus, F. Mesenel wrote that the church belongs to an old church of the Byzantine period.
Architect Dj. Boshkovic, asserting the presence of the old Trianiate church at the time of King Milutin, offered two versions about the former state of the church in relation to construction activities in the XIV century. First, King Milutin found the Byzantine church completely ruined and rebuilt it, and that King Milutin rebuilt the Byzantine church from the old foundation, while other parts were added during the half of the XNUMXth century, writes Shukriu. This church bears several different names that were used in different times and languages throughout the life of the church, which are: Albanian: Saint Prenda, Saint Prena/Sheneprena, Saint Premtja, Greek church; Serbian: Sveta Petka, Sveta Bogorodica, Levishka; Turkish: Juma Jamia. The different names of Saint Premtes church are simultaneously an expression of its antiquity and the cultural layers of the sacral object, always preserving the basic name of the church, Saint Prenda-Shen Premtja. The existence of the previous church is also evidenced by the inscription placed in the eastern part of the church, which reads "...renew from the foundations Kral Stefan Uroshi, the son-in-law of the Greek king, kir Andronikos Paleologus".
Acquisition by the Serbs of the medieval arboreal monuments in Kosovo
The archeological and architectural research was done by the researcher S. Nenadovic during the years 1950-1952. He has established three phases of construction: the early Byzantine basilica, the Byzantine basilica of the XIII century and the rebuilt church of 1306/07. In the card of Stefan Deçan it is said: "The Church of Saint Prena (Saint Friday) has existed since the times of the ancient kings", Shukriu quotes. The researcher S. Nenadović, who led the work on its restoration and conservation over the years, according to Shukri, emphasizing the presence of the oldest fragments and monuments of early Christianity, says: "...we must predict that this church was probably built on a even older temple, because research has not been developed to the extent that we can be sure that under this old church there are no even older foundations". Also, J. Jastrebov confirms the fact that this monastery "is from the pre-Serbian era". Regarding the reconstruction of Saint Friday's Church on the foundations of a pagan temple, it should be noted that Archbishop Danilo calls King Milut "the builder and restorer of fallen and ruined temples". The fact about the existence of the previous church is also the inscription on which it is written. "...it was renewed from the ground up by King Stefan Uroshi...".
Serbia "protects" churches and monasteries in Kosovo with one-sided interpretation
According to the archaeological and historical research by researcher E. Shukriu, it is proven that the development of Saint Premtes Church in Prizren had nine stages of development, establishing that this temple existed even before the Roman period until today. During the Ottoman rule, in 1756, the church was converted into a mosque. From this time, the sacral building of St. Friday was called the Fatih Sultan Mehmed mosque. It was preserved in the people under the name Juma Xhamia (Friday Mosque). In 1912, after the entry of the Serbian army into Prizren, the mosque was again transformed into a church.
