The monastery, along with the Church of St Stephen, was built between 1313 and 1317, founded by Serbian King Stefan Milutin, one of the most powerful rulers of his time and of the Nemanjić dynasty.

[5] The monumental building with its church, library, monks' quarters and "imperial palace" began to fall into disrepair very early.

St Stephen's, almost totally destroyed, was turned into a mosque in the 19th century and served as such until World War I.

[9] On 24 September 2023, the monastery was stormed by a group of 30 armed Serbs who engaged in a violent confrontation with Kosovo Police and barricaded themselves inside, after a Kosovan officer was ambushed and killed hours earlier.

[10][11] After hours, the Kosovo Forces successfully entered the monastery and apprehended the Serb militants ultimately bringing an end to the tense situation.