$840,000 deal signed for church and mosque conservation project
WORK to protect a mosque in South Cyprus and the remains of a church in North Cyprus will be undertaken following the signing of an agreement between UN officials and a Switzerland-based foundation.
The International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH), whose headquarters are in Geneva, has teamed up with the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the auspices of the UN Office of the Special Adviser to the SecretaryGeneral on Cyprus for the conservation of two cultural heritage sites: St George of the Latins Church in Gazimağusa and Tuzla Mosque in Larnaca.
The conservation works will be carried out by the UNDP within the framework of the TCCH to “support peace and trust building in Cyprus”, a UNDP statement said.
An event was held at the Home for Cooperation in the island’s buffer zone to mark the signing of a grant for the amount of $840,335.29 from ALIPH to the UNDP for this project.
“This initiative marks the first partnership between ALIPH, TCCH and UNDP,” the UNDP statement said. “This project is co-funded by the European Union. The project builds on UNDP expertise in project implementation on cultural heritage in the island of Cyprus between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, which has resulted in the successful completion of over 100 completed projects across the island since 2010.
“The Tuzla Mosque, located in the old part of Larnaca, was originally a medieval church built on the foundations of a basilica, which was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman period.
“The church of Saint George of the Latins is the oldest Gothic architecture monument in [Gazimağusa’s] walled city and it was constructed with the intention to adapt gothic cathedral architecture to a traditional single-nave chapel existing in the region.
“The structural consolidating
Tuzla Mosque in Larnaca works in both structures will be addressed within the conservation works.”
TCCH members and representatives from ALIPH, the European Commission and the UNDP attended the event.
There were speeches by Jakhongir Khaydarov, Head of Office, UNDP Cyprus; Valéry Freland, ALIPH executive director; Sotos Ktoris, Greek Cypriot cochair of the TCCH; Ali Tuncay, Turkish Cypriot co-chair of the
TCCH; and Philippe Baudin-Auliac, senior political affairs officer in the Office of the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on Cyprus.
Mr Khaydarov said in his speech: “UNDP in Cyprus is very pleased to have partnered with an international foundation such as ALIPH, which shares our values when it comes to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage. We hope that in the future we continue to take on meaningful projects together.
“The conservation of shared heritage greatly supports the peace and confidence building process on the island of Cyprus.
“As UNDP, we are committed to ensuring the protection and preservation of cultural heritage to ensure that the island’s monuments can be enjoyed by future generations.
“Protecting this heritage is a key pillar in building a culture of peace, understanding, cooperation, and dialogue.”
Mr Freland said: “The symbolism of ALIPH’s first project in Cyprus is significant. Working with Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities to restore two important historical and remarkable sites embodies ALIPH’s mission: protecting heritage to build peace.”
Mr Ktoris said: “No doubt, the decision of the board of ALIPH goes beyond financial imperatives. It is deeply first and foremost a message to peace.
“ALIPH’s substantive support to the work of the [TCCH] not only empowers our efforts to ensure the protection and preservation of our cultural heritage so that, through shared responsibility, the island’s monuments can be enjoyed by future generations.
“But it also empowers our uninterrupted effort to promote intercultural understanding, reconciliation and mutual respect amongst Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”
Mr Tuncay said: “Cyprus is an island at the crossroads of three continents at the ‘furthermost West of East’ and ‘furthermost East of West’.
“All civilisations that have passed through our island, with a history that exceeds 10,000 years, have left their mark: Mycenaeans, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Lusignans, Venetians, Ottomans and many other civilisations left their mark all over the island.
“In short, all the monuments of these civilisations are our shared heritage and richness. As the members of the [TCCH], we acknowledge the responsibility and duty of preserving and sustaining this richness and hand them over to future generations.”
The UNDP added that the TCCH aims “not only to restore the monuments, but also to create an atmosphere for trust, mutual understanding and a culture of peace on the island of Cyprus” adding that “each conservation site is a reflection of the cultures behind it as well as an intersection of civilisations”.
It noted that the European Union is the “biggest supporter of the work” of the TCCH in Cyprus.