I’ve written about Prizren in Kosovo before after a brief visit in the summer, but I managed to visit for a longer time recently and have a look at some of the archaeology and old churches that dominate the ancient town. One such religious centre I visited was the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, which was built in 1870 by Dario Bucciarelli, the Archbishop of Skopje. The fresco above the altar in the Cathedral displays four angels underneath an all-seeing eye set within a triangle, which represents geometry and is a common symbol within Freemasonry. Angels are obviously a common feature in Christian art, but with the all-seeing eye above them, I couldn’t help being reminded of the four angels that are featured for example in the Elus Coen rituals and the lesser banishing ritual.

Though the cathedral is only late nineteenth century, there was an archaeological excavation being undertaken outside, and a series of walls had been discovered that pre-dated the cathedral. Various pieces of pottery and brick were embedded in the wall, which was made up of various types of local stone.

There are many religious buildings in Prizren; such as the church of Saint Nicholas, which dates to the 14th century, the Sinan Pascha Mosque built in 1600, having been discussed in a previous blog post here, and the Halveti Tekke, established in the late 16th century. The Halveti Tekke was particularly interesting to me as the Tekke itself reminded me somewhat of a lodge room; the Master sat in the eastern part of the room, and there was seating at either side of the room. The walls were adorned with passages from the Quran, and the room had an ambient feeling, a feeling that was perfect for meditation and prayer.