Page 473 - Kosovo Metohija Heritage

– Ljubiša Gvojić: Serbian spiritual heritage in Kosovo and Metohija, 1:300,000. Belgrade: information Service of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 2003. (40).
Methods
Maps in the atlas are analyzed from several aspects in order to determine the boundaries and territorial affilia- tion of Old Serbia with its primary core of Kosovo and Metohija in the historical, ethnic, cultural, geopolitical and national respect from the time of the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans, as well as its withdrawal. in this sense, the analysis carried out includes:
– Competences of authors and publishers (cartograph- ic centers, institutions),
– Motives of making and purpose of maps, as well as the time and place of publication of maps,
– Territorial grip of maps with the geographical posi- tion of Kosovo and Metohija on them,
– The theme of mapping, whether it is general geo- graphic or different thematic maps: ethnic, linguistic, re- ligious, confessional, political, military, etc.
– Classification of content by elements, thematic lay- ers and internal hierarchy,
– Dimension of maps with inset maps, sketches, etc.
– Composition of maps with more layers: a natural conception (hydrography and relief ), settlements, ethnic, linguistic, religious, confessional, state and administrative boundaries, toponyms, additional contents (panoramic drawings, emblems, flags, cartouches) and the like.
in addition to multilateral analysis of maps, their com- parison was also performed in spatial and temporal terms, through which the following can be determined:
– Similarities and differences in approach, motives and goals of mapping,
– Perspectives on territorial units shown on the maps from different angles: the continental (Central european and Southern european), coastal (Mediterranean, adri- atic, aegean, Black Sea), from the flow of major rivers (the Danube, the Sava, the Vardar, the Drim, the Bojana), the regional linking of countries, state status, provincial or lo- cal position, etc.
– Repetition of the contents of maps for the same ter- ritories over time with successive addition of new, retain- ing the previous cartographic layers,
– Correspondence of statistical numerical data with sign, graphic, cartographic representation,
– Stability of natural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, con- fessional, state and administrative borders,
– Preservation of macro-, meso-, and micro-toponyms in the territorial range of maps for the studied time pe- riod, etc.
– Constancy (or slow variability) of ethnic, linguistic, religious, confessional, cultural, political, military and oth- er relations between peoples and countries for the ob- served period.
european Maps
all maps in the atlas are analyzed in detail, which is in the form of short text put with every single map on a sep- arate atlas page, together with the original and translated title. Comparison of maps and the final synthesis of the established historical-geographical data, facts and con- clusions are presented in the wider text that is at the be- ginning of the atlas.
Results
The analysis and comparison of 40 atlas maps of the territory of Serbia and its Balkan and the Pannonian en- vironment, from the period 1513–1918, have shown that most of them have several historical layers: ancient, me- dieval, as well as a layer from the time of publication of the map. in ancient layer, the ancient Greek or provinces of the Roman empire are shown, in the medieval all old kingdoms, principalities, despotisms, duchies as well as their immediate areas that existed at that time in the Bal- kans, and in the modern layer it is mainly shown the cur- rent state of the presence of the Ottoman empire through division of the territories on dependent states, which paid to it a tribute, as well as their prefectures. On almost all maps, the most instructive is the middle-medieval layer.
On all the maps the territory is shown and the name of the old kingdom of Serbia inscribed (Zevia, Servia, Ser- viæ Regn., Servien, Das Konigreich Serwien, Serbie, Ser- bien) and Raška (Rascia, Rassa, Rasia, Rassia, Raxia, Ras- cien) and the Serbian empire, either in the wider or nar- rower territorial range. in the same line with the presen- tation of Serbia, other Serbian, Slovenian and other neigh- bouring countries are shown such as Bosnia (Bossina, Bosnia, Bosnien, Bosnie, Bosna) with Herzegovina of St. Sava (Herzegovina S. Saba, Herzegowina) or Duchy (Du- kat) of St. Sava (Dvc. S. Saba), Zeta (Zenta), Montenegro (Montenegro, Zrna Gora), S(k)lavonija (Sclavonia, Schi- avonia, Slavonien), Bulgaria (Bulgaria), Wallachia (Wala- chia, Walachei), Hungary (Hvngaria, Hungaria), Byzan- tium (Romania), Greece (Greacia) and the like. in addi- tion to these countries on these maps, the territories of certain countries are shown with the same significance which retained the ancient names, for example, Macedo- nia (Macedonia, Macedonien) or Dalmatia (Dalmatia, Dal- matien). On the maps, which cover a narrower territory, besides the name of Serbia, its particular areas are also inscribed, such as: Kosovo Polje (Campus merulae, Mer- linius Campus et Cassovius, Champ Merlin, Champ de merles, amselfeld) or Kosovo (Cassova provincia), Me- tohija (Metoja, la Métochie, Metochia) or Podrima (Po- drima, Podrima Provincia), then Toplica (Topliza), Sit- nica (Sitimza), etc. Name of albania does not appear on all maps in the atlas, and if it occurs not in the same rank with other countries, but more as an area within the ex- isting countries, notably Greece and Macedonia.
Geographic position and natural boundaries. Geo- graphical location of the old kingdom (empire) of Serbia,
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