Cultural Heritage under Permanent Protection () is the designation given to cultural heritage assets that have been formally placed under permanent protection by the institutions responsible for cultural heritage in the Republic of Kosovo. The status is established under Law No. 02/L-88 on Cultural Heritage and associated secondary legislation.

The permanent-protection system covers cultural heritage belonging to the categories of architectural, archaeological, movable and spiritual heritage. The legislation also recognizes as part of cultural heritage framework.

As of February 2026, the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage reported that 93 cultural heritage assets held permanent-protection status in Kosovo.

Legal framework

The legal basis for the protection of cultural heritage in Kosovo is Law No. 02/L-88 on Cultural Heritage, promulgated on 1 July 2008. The law establishes procedures for the inventory, documentation, assessment, selection, protection, conservation, restoration, administration and presentation of cultural heritage.

The law distinguishes between temporary and permanent protection. Cultural heritage identified through the inventory process may initially be placed under temporary protection. Assets proposed for permanent protection are assessed according to legally established criteria and submitted to the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage (KCCH) for review.

Under Article 4 of the law, the Council reviews proposed assets and determines wether they should be included in the list of cultural heritage under permanent protection. The decision is subsequently signed by the responsible minister, at which point permanent protection enters into force. The law further provides the list is open to the public.

The law also requires protected assets to be registered with the Kosovo cadastral and geodetic authorities and provides publication of their inclusion in the Official Gazette.

Categories

Kosovo's cultural heritage legislation recognizes several principal categories.

Architectural heritage

Architectural heritage forms part of Kosovo's immovable cultural heritage. It includes monuments, ensembles or groups of buildings and architectural conservation areas.

The legislation provides specific protection for architectural monuments and their constituent elements. Architectural heritage under temporary or permanent protection is subject to a protected zone, while interventions affecting it's integrity or values generally require written approval from the competent institution.

Archaeological heritage

Archaeological heritage includes immovable and movable archaeological remains, including monuments, settlements, structures and stratigraphic compositions.

Archaeological sites may be subject to special protective and preventive measures.

Cultural landscapes

The Cultural Heritage Law defines cultural landscapes as areas whose character results from the interaction of natural and/or human factors and which form part of the cultural and natural heritage of communities.

Cultural landscapes may therefore be included among assets receiving permanent protection.

Movable heritage

Movable cultural heritage consists of objects distinguished by historical, archaeological, artistic, scientific, spiritual or other cultural values.

Spiritual heritage

Spiritual cultural heritage includes forms of cultural expression associated with traditions and customs, including language, festivals, rites, dances, music, songs and artistic expression.

Designation procedure

The procedure for permanent protection begins with identification, inventory and documentation of cultural heritage assets. The competent institutions assess the values of an asset and determine wether it meets the criteria for protection.

Assets proposed for permanent protection are submitted to the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage (KCCH). The council may review, adapt, approve or reject proposals in accordance with the applicable legislation. Following the council's decision, the responsible minister signs the decision placing the asset on the list of cultural heritage under permanent protection. The permanent-protection status then enters into force.

The current procedure is further regulated by Regulation No. 02/2024 on the Assessment and Designation of Cultural Heritage under Permanent Protection adopted by the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage (KCCH) and published on 26 July 2024.

Protection measures

Permanent-protection status places legal restrictions on interventions that could damage the cultural values or integrity of a protected asset. The Cultural Heritage Law requires written authorization for interventions affecting protected heritage and allows competent institutions to order the suspension of unauthorized works.

Conservation and restoration projects must receive written approval from the competent institution and are carried out under institutional supervision. Conservation and restoration activities are generally undertaken by competent institutions or by individuals and legal entities licensed by the responsible ministry. Owners, possessors and users of protected cultural heritage are required to take care of its protection. The law also provides mechanisms for state intervention where a protected asset is at risk of deliberate damage or destruction or where an owner or possessor fails to adequately protect it.

The law provides financial and fiscal measures for protected cultural heritage, including funding from the Kosovo budget and other domestic and international sources. Cultural heritage under temporary or permanent protection is also exempt from property tax under the conditions established by the law.

List of protected assets

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism publishes official lists of cultural heritage under permanent protection through the Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo (OGRK). The Official Gazette lists permanent-protection lists among the ministry's published acts, including lists published in May and August 2025.

The list includes assets from different regions of Kosovo and includes architectural monuments, archaeological sites, ensembles and cultural landscapes.

+KeySites in the Special Protected Area status.BoldLaw on the Historic Center of Prizren.

Monument/Ensemble

Number in the Register. Image Monument Period District Municipality/City Status / Protection Unique number Reference 1 Our Lady of Ljeviš* Late Antiquity, Middle Ages Prizren Prizren 69/2016 (LSPZ) 1974 2 Monastery of Deçan* Middle Ages Peja Deçan 69/2016 (LSPZ) 3106 3 Monastery of Graçanica* Middle Ages Prishtina Graçanicë 69/2016 (LSPZ) 390

Archaeological Site/Reservation

Number in the Register. Image Monument Period District Municipality/City Status / Protection Unique number Reference 4 Castle "Old tower" Middle Ages Mitrovica Vushtrri 69/2016 2852 5 Harilaq Castle Eneolit, Bronze Age, The Iron Age, Late Antiquity Prishtina Fushë Kosovë 69/2016 707 6 Municipum Ulpiana- Justiniana Secunda Prehistory, Roman, Late Antiquity Graçanicë 69/2016 2120 7 Archaeological site "Qyteza" Roman Peja Klinë 69/2016 3029 8 Prizren Castle Late Bronze Age, Late Antiquity, Middle Ages until 1912 Prizren Prizren 69/2016 1967 9 Archaeological site "Great Field and Mound" Prehistory / Iron Age Gjilan Viti 69/2016 2750 10 The fortified town in Veleç – Shashkoc Late Antiquity, Middle Ages Prishtina Prishtina 69/2016 3095 11 Korisha Castle Bronze Age, Hellenistic, Late Antiquity, Middle Ages Prizren Prizren 69/2016 2946 12 Castle of Late Antiquity in Keqekollë Late Antiquity Prishtina Prishtina 69/2016 3682 13 Archaeological site "Vendenis" Roman, Late Antiquity Podujevë 124/2023 2121 14 Ruins of the Latin/Catholic Saxon Church "Saint Peter" Middle Ages Mitrovica Leposavić 200/2023 6 15 Illyrian Tomb in Gjinoc Prehistory Prizren Suharekë 35/2024 3436 16 Tuma in Shpenadi 7th–1st century BC Prizren 35/2024 4829 17 Late Antiquity Castle in Topanicë Late Antiquity Gjilan Kamenicë 35/2024 1197 18 Multilayer Site in Hisar Prehistory Prizren Suharekë 35/2024 2996

Architectural Heritage: Monument/Ensemble