A Catholic church, built at the foot of a mountain with its entrance facing west, once belonged to the village of Koprivë in the Mitrovica municipality until before World War II. The residents of the area, primarily Albanian Muslims, regard this church as an integral part of their historical and cultural heritage.
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| Albanian Catholic churg in Mitrovica |
Following World War II, this church and the surrounding territory became part of the village of Shtërmc in the Zubin Potok municipality. However, local Serbs have been attempting to convert this Catholic church into an Orthodox one. This issue, according to historian Pajazit Hajzeri, began after World War II with the settlement of Serbian and Montenegrin colonists in the area.
"In recent years (the 1990s), when Kosovo was effectively occupied by Serbia, they took control of the church. They even built a school for the colonists living there. Today, the church stands abandoned. In 2008, they carried out some renovations," said Pajazit Hajzeri.
Recently, the Ministry of Culture has placed the church on the list of cultural heritage sites under temporary protection, along with 22 other sites. Hajzeri emphasizes the importance of the Ministry of Culture's involvement in preserving the church's original history and preventing its alteration by the Serbian Orthodox Church.
"The Ministry of Culture needs to visit the site, meet with the residents who regard this church as theirs, and ensure its history is not altered. We have many churches in Kosovo for which Serbia has created a different historical narrative. Knowing that it was an Illyrian-Arbërian church, they have made it into a Slavic one," said Hajzeri.
In support of protecting this church as an Albanian cultural heritage site, the village chief publicly voiced his concern a few months ago.
Among the 23 other monuments under temporary protection is the "Panda" café in Pejë, where six young Serbs were executed by Serbian authorities. This act was falsely attributed to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). This has been confirmed in recent years by the highest state officials of Serbia.