Selakovic writes to UNESCO's Azoulay over malicious designations of Serbian heritage as Albanian

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic strongly condemned the fact Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo-Metohija, including churches and monasteries, has been maliciously designated as Albanian on Albanian-language Google maps.

In a letter to UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, Selakovic noted that it was his absolute duty to make an appeal and draw to her attention - and the attention of international experts and the wider international public - the "immediate and grave threat looming over Kosovo-Metohija, over Serbian cultural heritage that is universally important to entire humanity," the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

"It (the heritage) is mainly holy sites dating back from as early as the Middle Ages that are endowments and the resting places of Serbian kings, saints and their remains, as well as, at the same time, living temples of the Serbian Orthodox Church," the statement said.

The temples, such as the Patriarchate of Pec, the Church of the Mother of God of Ljevis, the Gracanica and Banjska monasteries and many other holy sites, "practically all temples of the Serbian nation and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo-Metohija," represent the core of the spirituality of the Serbian nation and the pillar of its comprehensive history and identity, Selakovic wrote in the letter.

"After decades of burning, razing and desecration - due to which the Serbian cultural heritage has been on the list of endangered cultural heritage for 20 years now, it may seem as though the reason (for writing this letter) is a less drastic one. However, it only seems so," he warned.

"From its burdensome history, the Serbian nation has learned that attempts to take its cultural treasure herald much more grave events," the letter notes.