Conservation works at the church of Agios Georgios in Turkish-occupied Karpasia have been completed by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH).
The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded the restoration.
Kjartan Björnsson of the European Commission said: “These sites represent the rich cultural heritage of Cyprus, and it is everyone’s duty to ensure its preservation as a sign of respect for past civilisations and a symbol of cultural identity for future generations.”
The European Union, he added, “will continue to support not only the restoration of the monuments but also to promote peace and reconciliation amongst the communities in the island. “
Jakhongir Khaydarov, Head of Office at UNDP Cyprus, said: “The completion of these conservation works marks a momentous achievement in our relentless dedication to safeguarding Cyprus’ invaluable cultural heritage.
“These projects vividly underscore the imperative of protecting our shared heritage for the prosperity of future generations.”
Ali Tuncay, co-chair of TCCH, said, “Many civilisations have passed through the island of Cyprus; we acknowledge the responsibility of preserving and sustaining this richness of these civilisations so it can be handed over to future generations.”
He added: “The TCCH has clearly demonstrated that a collaborative approach involving experts from both sides and de-politicising the protection of cultural heritage can lead to positive results”.
Dr Sotos Ktoris, co-chair of TCCH, said: “It is another testament to our commitment to preserve and protect our cultural treasures all over Cyprus.”
“Let us, therefore, strive to protect our shared cultural heritage, value it, learn from it, and utilise it as a tool for peacebuilding.”
Agios Georgios was built in the late 19th century and is a typical vaulted church structure of that period.
It was built with stone walls, some parts of irregular shape stone structures and other parts with dressed stone.
In the mid-20th century, a women’s gallery of reinforced concrete was built in the west part.
Since 2012, over 123 cultural heritage sites islandwide have been conserved, structurally supported, physically protected or restored by TCCH and UNDP with support from the EU with total funding of €24.915 mln.
The TCCH has received €35.6 mln invested from several donors to implement the priorities of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Cyprus.
