Kosovo Ministry has banned construction on church grounds in the village of Gornji Strmac

The Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has banned construction work on a structure located in the yard of the Church of Saint Anne in the village of Gornji Strmac, in Zubin Potok.

The structure in question is a wooden gazebo that local residents had been using during visits to the church. It had been under construction for the past two months and was recently completed.

However, a week before the village prayer service, residents found the gazebo cordoned off with tape and a notice stating that construction work was prohibited.

The Church of Saint Anne was placed under protection by the Kosovo Ministry of Culture a year and a half ago, which alarmed the local residents – a development previously reported by Kosovo Online.

Some Albanian media outlets have referred to the church as Roman Catholic, while locals told Kosovo Online at the time that they fear further measures and provocations by the regime of Albin Kurti.

This church, which belongs to the Zubin Potok Church Municipality, is surrounded by dense forest and rugged terrain. Nevertheless, for centuries, residents of the Ibar Kolasin area have come to pray and practice religious traditions within its walls.