"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."
Rame Kapllan Nikci, 12 Jahre alt, sicherte die Kirche von Peja“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”
Mitglieder Des Kirchenrates von Decan, Blakaj, Vulaj, Lukaj
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Salih Rrusta, Vojvode vom Kloster in Decan"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)"
Ali Ljani, ein Vojvode der Familie von Salih Rrusta
Muhamet Ljani, ein weiterer Vojvode der Familie Salih Rrusta
Beke Zhuji from Rugova, "Beschützer" der Kirche in Peja"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."
Zhuje Veseli, ein albanischer Vojvode aus Rugova der die Kirche von Peja beschützt.
Das Kloster von Peja im letzten Jahrhundert
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Das sind Fresken in der Kirche, zu sehen das Begräbniss von Saint Sava und den vielen geistlichen an erster Reihe und im Hintergrund die Bevölkerung mit dem typischen Plis/qelesh der Albaner
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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”
letztes Jahrhundert, an einer Sonntagsmesse in Decan, das sind alles Albaner
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”