The Cathedral (Episcopal) Church of St George in Prizren is a large-scale three-aisled basilica with a central dome and western bell tower built in the second half of the 19th century in the historic heart of Prizren as the cathedral seat of the Diocese of Raška and Prizren. In the May 2009 catalogue of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC), two separate numbered entries point to the exact same archival URL: item #04 (Episcopal Church of St. George) and item #14 (Episcopal Residence Prizren). This consolidated dossier documents the complex and distinguishes the Cathedral, the Parish House, and the Episcopal Residence.
Historical and Architectural Significance
Constructed in the second half of the 19th century (begun in 1856 and completed in 1887), the Episcopal Church of St George was erected in the center of Prizren immediately adjacent to the medieval single-aisled Old Church of St George — Runović's Church from the 14th–16th centuries (which stands in the same courtyard and is documented separately in the RIC catalogue as site #07). As described in the archived RIC dossier, the cathedral is a large-scale three-aisled basilica with a central dome and a bell tower added later (in the early 20th century) over the western facade. Prior to March 2004, the cathedral sheltered rich liturgical and artistic treasures, including a collection of medieval and post-Byzantine icons, manuscripts, and a carved wooden iconostasis brought from the demolished Church of the Holy Trinity in Đakovica after the First World War.
Clarifying RIC Catalogue Entries #04 and #14 and the Complex Buildings: In the archived May 2009 RIC catalogue, which lists 35 numbered entries compared to the 34 Serbian Orthodox religious sites defined in the Commission's official mandate, both item 04 EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE. Prizren and item 14 EPISCOPAL RESIDENCE Prizren link to the identical file path: . The HTML page itself carries the heading 04 EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE. Prizren, and no separate HTML file for item #14 exists in the pre-2011 archive index.
To read the historical reconstruction records accurately, three distinct structures associated with the episcopal complex in Prizren must be distinguished: (1) the Episcopal (Cathedral) Church of St George itself (the 19th-century three-aisled basilica), (2) the Parish House (parohijski dom) within the cathedral courtyard, which was demolished in 2005 as an unstable fire-damaged structure and reconstructed in 2007–2008 under RIC tender 43000-07-015-5-2-1, and (3) the Episcopal Residence (Bishop's Palace / Vladičanski dvor) in Prizren, listed as catalogue item #14 pointing to this URL and addressed in broader international reconstruction frameworks (such as European Agency for Reconstruction and OSCE reports) concerning priority Prizren sites.
Destruction and Recorded Damage (March 2004)
During the March 2004 riots (17–18 March 2004), the Cathedral Church of St George and its courtyard buildings suffered catastrophic destruction. According to the 2004-Damage Assessment section of the archived RIC dossier, the cathedral was completely burned down, its roof collapsed, and the interior was entirely gutted, leaving only the exterior perimeter walls standing.
Both the central dome and the western bell tower collapsed during the fire and explosions. The interior furnishings, historical iconostasis, and wall decorations were completely destroyed, the marble floor was extensively damaged by falling masonry and heat, and the interior and exterior stonework was damaged and heavily soiled by smoke. The parish house in the compound was so severely damaged that it was assessed as structurally unstable and had to be demolished during the 2005 site clearance.
Reconstruction and Conservation Works (2005–2009)
Reconstructing the Cathedral Church of St George was one of the largest structural engineering projects undertaken by the RIC, requiring the installation of new pillar foundations, steel columns, stone vaults, a new dome, belfry, and lead roof within the surviving perimeter walls, alongside the complete rebuilding of the parish house. The table below details all documented phases from 2005 through April/May 2009.
| Year | Completed Works and Interventions | Stage Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Clearance of the church and site; mounting of provisional scaffolding and temporary weather protection over the tops of the perimeter walls; demolition of the parish house due to structural instability; installation of temporary perimeter hoardings. | Completed |
| 2006 | Clearance and demolition of damaged elements; construction of foundations for new internal pillars (yielding archaeological finds reported in October 2006); erection of steel pillars and roof structure; stone cleaning and repairs; construction of new stone vaults and dome; installation of lead roof covering, joinery, and electrical installations. | Completed |
| 2007–2008 | Completion of the reconstruction of the dome and belfry to the church; full reconstruction of the parish house; commencement of internal plasterwork; electrical installations and internal repairs (including laying the marble floor). | Completed |
| April 2009 (update) | Internal repairs and marble flooring under contract 43000-07-020-5-2-1 completed; project for the second phase of internal repairs, bells, and entrance porch prepared for tender. | Completed |
| 2009 (dossier) | Landscape and drainage design; new iconostasis; archaeological assessment. | Planned |
Synthesizing the four primary RIC archival sources—the site dossier (), the 2005–2007 tender lists, the Public Information log (), and the April 2009 Current Activities report—provides a complete technical timeline of the cathedral's recovery. After rubble removal, wall-top protection, and the demolition of the unstable parish house in 2005 (tender #4), the RIC launched major structural reconstruction in 2006 under contract 43000-06-002-5-1-1 (Reconstruction works in St George Cathedral. Prizren). During excavations for the new internal pillar foundations in autumn 2006, archaeological remains were uncovered, prompting the RIC press release of 12 October 2006 titled Archaeological finds at St George on .
Between 2006 and 2008, contractors erected steel columns, rebuilt the stone vaults, central dome, and western belfry, installed the lead roof, and reconstructed the parish house under dedicated tender 43000-07-015-5-2-1. Concurrently, joint contract 43000-07-020-5-2-1 (covering the Episcopal Church of St George, St Nicholas — Tutić's Church, and St Kyriake in Prizren) addressed interior works. The April 2009 Current Activities update (under code RIC04) confirms that contract 43000-07-020-5-2-1 was finished, featuring four photograph captions of the newly laid marble floor, altar area, and western gallery view, and announces that the project for the second phase of internal repairs, bells, and porch had been prepared for tender.
Conservation Context and Monument Condition
At the April/May 2009 cutoff of the historical RIC website, the structural shell, stone vaults, dome, belfry, lead roof, marble floor, first phase of internal repairs, and the parish house of the Cathedral of St George were completed. The second phase of internal repairs (including bells and entrance porch), landscaping and drainage works, the new iconostasis, and further archaeological assessment remained in the status of tender preparation or programmed 2009 interventions.
Later institutional sources—including the May 2010 Council of Europe report, OSCE monitoring reports, UNMIK statements (May 2011), and Diocese of Raška-Prizren communiqués—document the subsequent completion of the cathedral complex and the return of the episcopal see to Prizren. In accordance with our editorial standards, the 2009 RIC archival record is presented within its verified chronological boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do RIC catalogue entries #04 and #14 both point to the same URL ?
In the archived May 2009 RIC catalogue, which contains 35 numbered lines rather than 34, both '04 EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE. Prizren' and '14 EPISCOPAL RESIDENCE Prizren' are hyperlinked to. Together with item #28 (the Atelier of Agim Çavdarbasha), this duplicate link explains the difference between the 35 numbered lines on the website and the 34 Serbian Orthodox religious sites in the official RIC mandate.
What is the difference between the Episcopal Church of St George (#04) and the Old Church of St George — Runović (#07)?
Both churches stand within the same cathedral compound in central Prizren, but they are distinct historical structures with separate RIC dossiers: the Episcopal Church of St George (#04) is the large 19th-century three-aisled cathedral basilica with a dome and belfry, whereas the Old Church of St George — Runović's Church (#07) is the small 14th–16th-century single-aisled church standing immediately beside it.
What happened to the Parish House in the St George Cathedral compound after March 2004?
According to the archived RIC dossier, the parish house was so badly damaged in March 2004 that it had to be demolished during the 2005 protective interventions due to structural instability ('Demolition of the parish house due to it being an unstable structure'); it was subsequently rebuilt in 2007–2008 under RIC tender 43000-07-015-5-2-1.
What does the April 2009 'Current Activities' report state regarding St George Cathedral?
Under entry RIC04, the April 2009 Current Activities page confirms that internal repairs (including the new marble floor) under joint contract 43000-07-020-5-2-1 were finished, and states that a project for the second phase of internal repairs, bells, and entrance porch had been prepared for tender.
Were archaeological remains found during the reconstruction of St George Cathedral?
Yes. The archived Public Information page lists a press release dated 12 October 2006 titled 'Archaeological finds at St George' during the 2006 foundation and structural works, and the site dossier includes 'Archaeological assessment' among the further interventions programmed for 2009.
Sources and Further Reading
- EU/CoE Support to the Promotion of Cultural Diversity in Kosovo (PCDK) & Previous Reconstruction Action — Council of Europe (Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage) (2010–2014) · Source document ↗
- Report Submitted by UNMIK Pursuant to Article 2.2 of the Agreement Between UNMIK and the Council of Europe Related to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC/SR/II(2009)002) — Council of Europe / UNMIK (31. maj 2010.) · Source document ↗
- OSCE Mission in Kosovo Report on Cultural Heritage Protection and Reconstruction Process (Document 74597) — OSCE Mission in Kosovo (2008–2010) · Source document ↗
- UNMIK SRSG visits His Grace Bishop Teodosije in Gračanica Monastery — United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) (31. maj 2011.) · Source document ↗
- Episkopi Atanasije i Teodosije primili šefa UNMIK-a i komandanta KFOR-a u manastiru Gračanica — Diocese of Raška and Prizren (Serbian Orthodox Church) (2. mart 2010.) · Source document ↗
- RIC Archival Page: Current Activities / Trenutne aktivnosti — Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC) — archival snapshot (april 2009.)
