Serbian Patriarchate of Peć (, ''Srpska patrijaršija u Peći''), or simply Peć Patriarchate (, ''Pećka patrijaršija''), was an
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; ) is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The status has been compared with t ...
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
Patriarchate
Patriarchate (, ; , ''patriarcheîon'') is an ecclesiological term in Christianity, referring to the office and jurisdiction of a patriarch.
According to Christian tradition, three patriarchates—Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria—were establi ...
that existed from 1346 to 1463, and then again from 1557 to 1766 with its seat in the
Patriarchal Monastery of Peć.
It had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Eastern Orthodox Christians in Serbian Lands and other western regions of
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...
. Primates of the Patriarchate were styled ''
Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch''.
Medieval Period (1346–1463)

Since 1219, the
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
in the medieval
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
was organized as an
autocephalous
Autocephaly (; ) is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. The status has been compared with t ...
Archbishopric seated at first in the
Monastery of Žiča and since the middle of the 13th century in the
Monastery of Peć. Political expansion of the Serbian medieval state culminated under the reign of King
Stefan Dušan
Stephen (honorific), Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан), also known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Силни; – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Emperor of th ...
(1331–1355), who conquered many western provinces of the declining
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
. Since 1334, the seat of the ancient
Archbishopric of Ohrid was under Serbian rule, and by the autumn of 1345 Serbian forces completed the conquest of northern Greece, including the city of
Serres
Serres ( ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northern Greece. The c ...
, capital of eastern Macedonia and the seat of an important Metropolitanate. To mark the occasion, Stefan Dušan was proclaimed
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
() on December 25, 1345 (
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
) in Serres.
Since it was customary for an emperor to be crowned by a patriarch, newly proclaimed Tsar Stefan Dušan decided to convoke a joint state and church assembly (''sabor'') that was held on April 16, 1346 (
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
) in the Serbian capital city of
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
. This assembly was attended by Serbian Archbishop
Joanikije II, Archbishop
Nicholas I of Ohrid, Patriarch
Simeon of Bulgaria and many other Hierarchs and Church dignitaries, including monastic leaders of
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism.
The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
. The assembly proclaimed the raising of the autocephalous Serbian Archbishopric to the rank of Patriarchate. The Archbishop of Peć was titled ''Serbian Patriarch'', and his seat at the
Monastery of Peć became the Patriarchal residence. On the same occasion, the newly proclaimed Serbian Patriarch
Joanikije solemnly crowned Stefan Dušan as
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
and
autocrat of
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
and
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
.
The proclamation of the Patriarchate resulted in raising main bishoprics to the rank of honorary metropolitanates, starting with the bishopric of the city of
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
that was raised to
Metropolitanate of Skopje. The Patriarchate took over supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction over
Mount Athos
Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism.
The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...
and many Greek eparchies in
Aegean Macedonia
Aegean Macedonia ('';'' ) is a term describing the region of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia in Northern Greece. It is currently mainly used in the North Macedonia, Republic of North Macedonia, including in the Irredentism, irredentist context of a ...
that were until then under the jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...
. The same process continued after the Serbian conquests of
Thessaly
Thessaly ( ; ; ancient Aeolic Greek#Thessalian, Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic regions of Greece, geographic and modern administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient Thessaly, a ...
,
Epirus
Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...
,
Aetolia
Aetolia () is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern regional unit of Aetolia-Acarnania.
Geography
The Achelous River separates Aetolia from Acarnania to the west; on ...
and
Acarnania
Acarnania () is a region of west-central Greece that lies along the Ionian Sea, west of Aetolia, with the Achelous River for a boundary, and north of the gulf of Calydon, which is the entrance to the Gulf of Corinth. Today it forms the western part ...
in 1347 and 1348. In the same time, the
Ohrid Archbishopric remained autocephalous, recognizing the honorary primacy of the new Serbian Patriarchate.
Since proclamation of the Patriarchate was performed without consent of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, various canonical and political questions were raised. Supported by the Byzantine government, Patriarch
Callistus I of Constantinople issued an act of condemnation and excommunication of Tsar Stefan Dušan and Serbian Patriarch Joanikije in 1350. That act created a rift between the Byzantine and Serbian churches, but not on dogmatic grounds, since the dispute was limited to the questions of ecclesiastical order and jurisdiction. Patriarch Joanikije died in 1354, and his successor Patriarch
Sava IV (1354–1375) faced new challenges in 1371, when Turks defeated the Serbian army in the
Battle of Marica and started their expansion into Serbian lands. Since they were facing the common enemy, the Serbian and Byzantine governments and church leaders reached an agreement in 1375. The act of excommunication was revoked and the Serbian Church was recognized as a Patriarchate, under the condition of returning all eparchies in contested southern regions to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
After the famous inconclusive
Battle of Kosovo in 1389 and the subsequent battles of the Ottoman Turks against Serbia which consecutively defeated. Serbia became a
tributary state
A tributary state is a pre-modern state in a particular type of subordinate relationship to a more powerful state which involved the sending of a regular token of submission, or tribute, to the superior power (the suzerain). This token often ...
to the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, and the Serbian Patriarchate was also affected by general social decline, since Ottoman Turks continued their expansion and raids into Serbian lands, devastating many monasteries and churches. The city of
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
was taken by Turks in 1392, and all other southern regions were taken in 1395. That led to the gradual retreat of the jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate in the south and expansion of the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Ohrid. In 1455, the city of
Peć
Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova (region), Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the ...
fell into Turkish hands. Soon after that, the Serbian capital of
Smederevo
Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, ...
also fell in 1459, marking the end of the main Serbian medieval state. Patriarch
Arsenije II died in 1463, and the Serbian Patriarchate sank into the period of decline.
Medieval eparchies of the Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
*
Eparchy of Belgrade, also known as Eparchy of
Mačva
Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; ) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava (river), Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is nam ...
*
Eparchy of Braničevo, also known as
Eparchy of Smederevo
*
Eparchy of Budimlja, in the region of upper
Polimlje
*
Eparchy of Dabar, in the region of lower
Polimlje
*
Eparchy of Debar, in the valley of
Black Drin
The Black Drin, or Black Drim (; ) is a river in North Macedonia and Albania. It flows out of Lake Ohrid in Struga, North Macedonia. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . After flowing through North Macedonia for , the ...
* Eparchy of
Drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
(contested with Patriarchate of Constantinople)
*
Eparchy of Hum, also known as Eparchy of
Lim
* Eparchy of
Hvosno, in the region of northern
Metohija
Metohija (), also known in Albanian as Dukagjini, (, ) is a large drainage basin, basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2024 ce ...
* Eparchy of
Melnik (contested with Patriarchate of Constantinople)
* Eparchy of
Moravica, also known as Eparchy of
Arilje or Eparchy of
Gradac
*
Eparchy of Lipljan
Eparchy of Lipljan, later known as the Eparchy of Gračanica or the Eparchy of Novo Brdo () is one of the former historical Eastern Orthodox eparchies of Serbian Orthodox located in the central parts of Kosovo region. It is now part of Eparch ...
, also known as
Eparchy of Gračanica or
Eparchy of Novo Brdo
*
Eparchy of Polog, also known as
Eparchy of Tetovo
*
Eparchy of Prizren, in the region of southern
Metohija
Metohija (), also known in Albanian as Dukagjini, (, ) is a large drainage basin, basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2024 ce ...
*
Eparchy of Ras, also known as
Eparchy of Raška
* Eparchy of
Serres
Serres ( ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northern Greece. The c ...
(contested with Patriarchate of Constantinople)
*
Eparchy of Skopje, ranked as first among eparchies
*
Eparchy of Toplica, also known as Eparchy of
Bela Crkva
* Eparchy of
Velbužd, also known as Eparchy of
Banja
*
Eparchy of Zeta, also known as
Eparchy of Cetinje
* Eparchy of
Zletovo, also known as Eparchy of
Lesnovo
Vacancy Period (1463–1557)

In the second half of the 15th century, the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
gradually conquered all Serbian lands, starting with the
Serbian Despotate in 1459, followed by the conquest of the
Bosnian Kingdom in 1463,
Herzegovina
Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical Regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia (reg ...
in 1482, and
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
in 1496. All eparchies of the Serbian Patriarchate were devastated during Turkish raids, and many monasteries and churches were plundered and destroyed. Because of that, the period was remembered as "The Great Desolation" (ser. великое запустение). Although some Christian Serbs converted to
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
after the Turkish conquest, the vast majority continued their adherence to the Serbian Orthodox Church. On the other hand, the structure of the Serbian Patriarchate was deeply disrupted. After the death of Patriarch
Arsenije II in 1463, the question of succession was opened. Since sources are silent, historians concluded that the period of vacancy was prolonged, resulting in ''de facto'' abolition of the Patriarchal office.
In the same time, the jurisdiction of the
Archbishopric of Ohrid continued to expand towards northern Serbian eparchies until it took over the entire territory of the Serbian Patriarchate. That situation was not acceptable for Serbian church leaders who wanted to restore previous Church order. Shortly after the Turkish conquest of
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
in 1521 and victory in the
Battle of Mohacs in 1526, Serbian Metropolitan
Pavle of Smederevo made a series of attempts to restore the Serbian Patriarchate, and for a short time managed to seize the throne of
Peć
Peja or Peć, ), is the fifth most populous city in Kosovo and serves as the seat of the Peja Municipality and the District of Peja. It is located in the Rugova (region), Rugova region on the eastern section of the Accursed Mountains along the ...
, proclaiming himself to be the new Archbishop of Peć and
Serbian Patriarch. By 1541, his movement was crushed by joint forces of the Archbishopric of Ohrid and the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In spite of that, Serbian Church leaders continued to hope for a new chance to renew their old Patriarchate.
Early Modern Period (1557–1766)

Serbian Patriarchate of Peć was restored in 1557 due to the mediation of some highly influential dignitaries in Turkish Court. During the second half of the reign of Turkish Sultan
Suleiman I (1520–1566), one of the most notable Ottoman statesmen was
pasha
Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...
Mehmed Sokolović, who served as one of the
Vizier
A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
s since 1555 and later became
Grand Vizier
Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
(1565–1579). By birth, he was an Orthodox Serb, taken from his family as a boy under the rule of
Devşirme
Devshirme (, usually translated as "child levy" or "blood tax", , .) was the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman practice of Conscription, forcibly recruiting soldiers and bureaucrats from among the children of their Balkan Christian subjects and raising th ...
and converted into Islam. In spite of that, he later restored ties with his family, and in 1557 his cousin
Makarije, one of the Serbian Orthodox bishops, was elected the new Serbian Patriarch of Peć.
The full restoration of the old Patriarchate was of great importance for the Orthodox Serbs because it enabled them to reorganize and improve their spiritual and cultural life under the Ottoman rule. Territorial jurisdiction of the Patriarchate was expanded towards northern and western regions, with more than 40 eparchies, from
Skopje
Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
to the south, to the
Eparchy of Buda to the north. Among new eparchies in western and northern regions were: the
Eparchy of Požega in lower Slavonia, the
Eparchy of Bačka between
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
and
Tisza
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa (see below) is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. It was once called "the most Hungarian river" because it used to flow entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national bo ...
, and the eparchies of
Vršac
Vršac ( sr-Cyrl, Вршац, ) is a city in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2022, the city urban area had a population of 31,946, while the city administrative area had 45,462 inhabitants. It is located in the geographical ...
and
Temesvár in the region of
Banat
Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
. One of the largest eparchies by territory was the
Eparchy of Dabar-Bosnia, which had jurisdiction from the region of upper
Drina
The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long river in the Balkans, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Al ...
throughout central and western
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, up to the borders of
Venetian Dalmatia
Venetian Dalmatia () refers to the territories of Dalmatia under the rule of the Republic of Venice, mainly from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Dalmatia was first sold to Venice in 1409 but Venetian Dalmatia was not fully consolidated until 1420, ...
and the Habsburg
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier (; sh-Cyrl-Latn, Војна крајина, Vojna krajina, sh-Cyrl-Latn, Војна граница, Vojna granica, label=none; ; ) was a borderland of the Habsburg monarchy and later the Austrian and Austro-Hungari ...
. The newly restored Serbian Patriarchate also included some eparchies in western Bulgaria. The basic title of its primate was ''Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch'', although extended patriarchal titles sometimes included not only Serbs, but also Bulgarians, and various regions in western parts of the
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...
.
According to British historian Frederick Anscombe, there was "no ethnic monopoly on appointment to supposedly national church positions" in the Patriarchate of Peć and the Archbishopric of Ohrid during the Ottoman era, due to the substantial expansion of their boundaries compared to the medieval period. He also added that, for this reason, those ecclesiastical institutions were supposed to have "no ethnic nature at that time, neither formally, nor in practice".
However, it is a fact that the patriarchs of Peć were usually Serbs (except in times of crises in Serbian-Turkish relations) and were formal successors of Saint Sava, the first Serbian archbishop, retaining the title of patriarchs “of all Serbs”.
Furthermore, for Christian Serbs in Ottoman Empire, the renewed Serbian Patriarchate was a religious and national symbol that substituted for their long-lost state. Therefore, the Patriarchate could not stand aside of political events and some of its leaders participated in local uprisings against Turkish rule. In the time of Serbian Patriarch
Jovan Kantul (1592–1614), the Ottoman Turks took the remains of first Serbian Archbishop
Saint Sava from the monastery of
Mileševa to the
Vračar hill in
Belgrade
Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, where they were burned by
Sinan Pasha on a stake to intimidate the Serbs in the time of the
Banat Uprising (1594). The present-day
Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade was later built on the place where his remains were burned.
The turning point in the history of the Serbian Patriarchate was marked by the events of the
Austro-Turkish war (1683–1699)
The Great Turkish War () or The Last Crusade, also called in Ottoman sources The Disaster Years (), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Poland-Lithuania, Venice, Russi ...
. During the war years, relations between Muslims and Christians in European provinces of the Turkish Empire were greatly radicalized. As a result of Turkish oppression, destruction of monasteries and violence against the non-Muslim civilian population,
Serbian Christians and their church leaders headed by Serbian Patriarch
Arsenije III sided with Austrians in 1689 and again in 1737 under Serbian Patriarch
Arsenije IV. In the following punitive campaigns, Turkish armies conducted many atrocities against local Christian populations in Serbian regions, resulting in
Great Migrations of the Serbs.
Since northern parts of the Patriarchate came under the rule of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...
during the war (1683–1699), Serbian eparchies in those regions were reorganized into the autonomous
Metropolitanate of Krušedol (1708) that remained under supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchate. In 1713, the seat of the Metropolitanate was moved to
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci ( sr-Cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka Districtautonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danube, from Novi Sad. According to the 202 ...
. In 1718, by the
Treaty of Požarevac, some northern and central regions of
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
were ceded by the Ottomans to the Habsburgs, and in those territories an autonomous Metropolitanate of Belgrade was established, remaining under supreme jurisdiction of Serbian patriarch
Mojsije Rajović. In 1731, sees of Karlovci and Belgrade were united, under metropolitan
Vićentije Jovanović, but already in 1739, by the
Treaty of Belgrade, all Habsburg parts of Serbia were returned to the Ottoman rule, and thus under direct jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarchs in Peć.
Consequent Serbian uprisings against the Turks and involvement of Serbian Patriarchs in anti-Ottoman activities, led to the political incrimination of the Patriarchate in the eyes of the Turkish political elite. Instead of Serbian bishops, Turkish authorities favored politically more reliable Greek bishops who were promoted to Serbian eparchies and even to the Patriarchal throne in Peć. In the same time, after 1752 a series of internal conflicts arose among leading figures in the Serbian Patriarchate, resulting in constant fights between Serbian and Greek pretenders to the Patriarchal throne. The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć collapsed in 1766, when it was abolished by the Turkish Sultan
Mustafa III (1757–1774). The entire territory of the Serbian Patriarchate under Ottoman rule was placed under the jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...
. The throne of Peć was suppressed and eleven remaining Serbian eparchies were transferred to the throne of Constantinople.
Those eparchies were:
*
Eparchy of Belgrade,
*
Eparchy of Dabar-Bosnia,
*
Eparchy of Herzegovina,
* Eparchy of
Kyustendil,
*
Eparchy of Niš,
*
Eparchy of Prizren,
*
Eparchy of Raška,
* Eparchy of
Samokov
Samokov ( ) List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in Samokov Valley between the mountain ranges of Rila, Vitosha and Sredna Gora, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia. Due ...
,
*
Eparchy of Skopje,
* Eparchy of
Užice,
*
Eparchy of Zvornik.
See also
*
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodox Church#Constit ...
*
List of heads of Serbian Orthodox Church
References
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External links
Official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serbian Patriarchate of Peć
Patriarchate of Peć
History of the Serbian Orthodox Church