Nicosia, 13th July 2023 – The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are happy to announce that the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH) has completed the conservation works at the church of Agios Georgios in the Karpasia area.

This was marked by an event with the participation of the European Commission, UNDP and TCCH.

Ahead of the event, Kjartan Björnsson, Deputy Director and Head of the Cyprus Settlement Support Unit at the Directorate-General REFORM of the European Commission highlighted that “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 civilizations and as a symbol of cultural identity for future generations. The European Union will continue to support not only the restoration of the monuments, but also to promote peace and reconciliation amongst the communities in the island. "
"The completion of these conservation works marks a momentous achievement in our relentless dedication to safeguarding Cyprus' invaluable cultural heritage," remarked Mr. Jakhongir Khaydarov, Head of Office at UNDP Cyprus. He further expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the significance of preserving the church of Agios Georgios, “these projects vividly underscore the imperative of protecting our shared heritage for the prosperity of future generations."

Mr Ali Tuncay co-chair of TCCH stated that “Many civilizations 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 and are proud to be able to promote cooperation between the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots through such a valuable endeavor,” highlighting that “the TCCH has clearly demonstrated that a collaborative approach involving experts from both sides and de-politicizing the protection of cultural heritage can lead to positive results. I firmly believe that the more we cooperate, the more success stories will emerge”.

“Today’s gathering is another testament of our commitment to preserve and protect our cultural treasures all over Cyprus” stated Dr Sotos Ktoris co-chair of TCCH, adding that “The completion of the conservation works of Agios Georgios at Ardana/Ardahan church reflects the vision of the Technical Committee: to breathe new life into the monuments of all communities on the island without any distinction.Let us, therefore, strive to protect our shared cultural heritage, to value it, to learn from it,and to utilize it as a tool for peacebuilding” stressing that “because in the end, it is our shared heritage that reminds us of our common humanity, a truth that is paramount in our pursuit of peace.”

The church of 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.

Each conservation site is a reflection of the cultures behind it as well as an intersection of civilizations. Thanks to the cooperation of TCCH, UNDP and EU, the shared cultural heritage of the island continues to be preserved.

Since 2012, over 123 cultural heritage sites island-wide have been conserved, structurally supported, physically protected or restored by TCCH and UNDP with the support from the European Union with a total funding of €24.915 million. The TCCH has received a total of €35.6 million invested by several donors to implement the priorities of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage for the preservation of the island-wide cultural heritage of Cyprus.

For further information and media enquiries please contact UNDP at: 

Gulten Inan, Communications Assistant 
E-mail: gulten.inan@undp.org 
Tel: +357 99 061560/+905488684603 

Eleni Panayiotou, Communications Associate 
E-mail: eleni.panayiotou@undp.org 
Tel: +35799368879/+905488684602

European Union
The Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, based on Council Regulation 389/2006, aims at facilitating the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, with particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island, on improving contacts between the two communities and with the EU, and on preparation for the EU body of laws (also referred to as acquis communautaire).

For more information please visit: Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community (europa.eu)
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United Nations Development Programme
UNDP aims to contribute and support the peace-building process in Cyprus and to enhance cooperation between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriot by implementing a range of confidence building measures.

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