Church of St. Premta (Levisha Church)

The Church of St. Premta (Levisha Church), located in the Historic District of Prizren, was rebuilt in 1306-07. It is assumed that the foundations of the early Paleo-Christian church (V-VIth century) and later the Byzantine basilica (IXth century) were built on the foundations of a Pagan temple (before our era) dedicated to Prema or Premta, the Illyrian goddess of fertility and childbirth. After the conquest of Prizren by the Ottoman Empire in 1455-59, it was converted into a mosque and named Friday Mosque, a name that is still used by locals today. With the First Balkan War in 1912, the mosque was again converted into a church. The minaret was demolished in 1923. In 1948, it was placed under protection by Law No. 352. Based on its historical, artistic, social and spiritual values, the Church of St. Premta (Levisha Church), a cultural heritage property, was declared under eternal protection by the Kosovo Cultural Heritage Council in 2016.