▁The ▁city ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁religious ▁center ▁of ▁medieval ▁Ser bia ▁under ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Emperor ▁Stefan ▁Du š an , ▁who ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁in ▁ 1 3 4 6 . ▁It ▁retained ▁this ▁status ▁until ▁ 1 7 6 6 , ▁when ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Patri arch ate ▁of ▁Pe ć ▁was ▁abol ished . ▁Today , ▁Pe ć ▁holds ▁the ▁memory ▁of ▁old ▁Ser bian ▁Patri arch ate . ▁The ▁city ▁and ▁its ▁surrounding ▁area ▁are ▁still ▁rever ed ▁by ▁ad her ents ▁of ▁Ser bian ▁Orth odox y ; ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Patri arch al ▁Mon aster y ▁of ▁Pe ć , ▁which ▁is ▁an ▁easy ▁walk ▁from ▁the ▁city ▁center ▁and ▁consists ▁of ▁four ▁fres co - decor ated ▁churches , ▁a ▁library , ▁and ▁a ▁tre as ury . ▁The ▁ 1 4 th ▁century ▁Vis oki ▁De č ani ▁monaster y , ▁a ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site , ▁lies ▁about ▁ ▁south , ▁in ▁nearby ▁De ç an . ▁ ▁Ott oman ▁era ▁ ▁Pe ja ▁came ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁rule ▁after ▁its ▁capture ▁in ▁ 1 4 5 5 . ▁In ▁Turkish , ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁ İ pe k . ▁The ▁town ▁became ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁San jak ▁of ▁ İ pe k ▁( or ▁D uk ag jin ), ▁govern ed ▁by ▁Mah mut ▁P asha ▁D uk ag j ini ▁as ▁its ▁first ▁san jak