11/12/13

Completion of the conservation project of Panayia Church in Trahoni




An official ceremony was held today to mark the completion of the conservation project of the Church of Panayia in the occupied village of Trahoni, Kythrea. The church constitutes one of the first completed projects of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH), set up in April 2008 for the maintenance, preservation, physical protection and restoration of the immovable cultural heritage of Cyprus.




The conservation works of the Church of Panayia were implemented, within 2013, by the United Nations Development Programme – Partnership for the Future (UNDP-PFF) in cooperation with the TCCH, and were fully funded by the European Union as part of its support to the TCCH’s emergency measures and conservation projects.

The ceremony was held at the site of the church in the occupied village and was attended, inter alia, by the two Heads and the members of the TCCH, UNDP-PFF staff, EU representatives, Ambassadors of EU member states to Cyprus, as well as dozens of people.

Speaking during the ceremony the Greek Cypriot Head of the TCCH, Mr Takis Hadjidemetriou, thanked all those who worked collectively for the completion of the project, noting that “the work of preservation of our cultural heritage needs the coordination and cooperation of a complex network of international organizations”. “Our humble work of saving and preserving Cyprus’ cultural heritage becomes part of a global system of principles and values which intimately relate to peace and civilization both at local and international level”, Mr Hadjidemetriou added.

On his part the Turkish Cypriot Head of the TCCH, Mr Ali Tuncay, said the completion of the project constitutes one the first results of five years of intense discussions and work in the framework of the Committee. He added that the most important achievement of the TCCH is the establishment of trust between its members. He also expressed the view that cultural heritage is not just about ‘stones and buildings’, but it can be an essential tool for conflict resolution and confidence building.

Also addressing the ceremony were the project manager on behalf of the UNDP-PFF, Ms Tiziana Zennaro, and the European Commission representative and Head of Unit of the EU Task Force, Ms Alessandra Viezzer.

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