The monastery complex consists of several churches, and during medieval and early modern times it was also used as mausoleum of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs.

The monastery is ecclesiastically administered by the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, but it has special (stavropegial) status, since it is under direct jurisdiction of the Serbian Patriarch whose title includes Archbishop of Peć.

[3] A morus nigra tree, 750 years old, is preserved in the monastery yard, called Šam-dud (sr), planted by Archbishop Sava II between 1263 and 1272.

[5] In 1253,[6] Arsenije I moved the Serbian Church seat from Žiča to Peć amid foreign invasion,[7][8][9] to a more secure location, closer to the centre of the country.

In 1459–63, after the death of Arsenije II, the patriarchate became vacant upon abolishment by the Ottoman Empire but was restored in 1557 during the reign of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

In 1737 the first Greek head of the Serbian Patriarchate was appointed after the intervention of Alexandros Mavrocordatos, who labeled the Serb leadership "untrustworthy".

In the following years the Phanariotes embarked on policy initiatives that led to the exclusion of Serbs in the succession of the patriarchate, which was eventually abolished in September 1766.

By the Treaty of London (1913) the region of Peja was officially awarded to Montenegro and the Monastery of Peć again became an episcopal seat.

[18] Bishop Gavrilo Dožić of Peć (future Serbian Patriarch) initiated works on monastery complex, but those efforts were halted due to the breakout of the First World War (1914) and subsequent Austro-Hungarian occupation of Montenegro, including Peja.

This protection continued through the years, with KFOR troops ensuring the site remained unharmed, particularly during periods of ethnic tension.

The three main churches with domes (Holy Apostles, St. Demetrius and Hodegetria) are connected with each other, linked by a joint monumental narthex.