Prizren monastery razed Beta

Prizren monastery razed
Beta - March 18, 2004

BELGRADE -- Thursday – The monastery of St Michael the Archangel and the Church of the Mother of God in Prizren have been destroyed by fire in the rioting which broke out in the town yesterday.

Kosovo Coordination Centre official Branislav Krstic told journalists today that the churches of the Holy Saviour and St Djordje near Prizren have also been damaged by fire, together with the premises of the Prizren Diocese and Seminary.

Monks from the monastery were evacuated to a German military base, after which the building was razed, said Krstic, adding that the situation was still unclear because there are no Serbs remaining in Prizren to provide reliable information.

The headquarters of the Raska-Prizren Archdiocese, the nearby Gracanica Monastery is under heavy KFOR protection and is believed to be safe, he added.