Since I love things Serbian and a strong Orthodox Christian, let me share something about the Theotokos icon on my altar. Yes, it is a Serbian Orthodox icon. The name of the icon is: "Bathing of the Christ."
Where does it come from? Simple.... Let me take everyone on a history lesson.
Our Lady of Ljeviš (Serbian: Богородица Љевишка/Bogorodica Ljeviška) is a 14th-century Serbian Orthodox church in the town of Prizren, located in southern Kosovo. It was converted to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and then back into a church in the early 20th century.
The construction of the church was commissioned in 1306–9 by Serbian King Stefan Milutin. It was built on the site of the ruins of an earlier Byzantine church, whose original name Metera Eleousa was preserved in Slavic as Bogorodica Ljeviška.
In 1990 Serbia designated it a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance, and on 13 July 2006, it was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site (named Medieval Monuments in Kosovo), which, as a whole, was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Church was guarded by KFOR after June 1999. However, it was heavily damaged by arson during the 2004 unrest in Kosovo. Around 35 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries have been destroyed or damaged, usually by arson, including medieval holy sites.
A group of experts sponsored by Serbia has visited the church on several occasions to assess the damage, but no concrete steps have been taken. The church is subject to constant looting -- even construction material, specifically lead, have repeatedly been stolen from the roof.
Like all churches and monasteries in Kosovo, it was badly damaged during the 2004 attacks(1999 it wasn't attack) and the icon itself was almost burned.
If I have the money and Kosovo will be returned to Serbia, I hope to send money and help restore the countless churches and monasteries there, including the said icon. Only God knows when time will come for it.
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