RAVAGED BY time, earthquakes and shoddy alterations, the 13th century Latin church of St Nicolas stood empty and crumbling in the heart of old Nicosia for almost fifty years.
Now the Bedestan, as the Ottomans called it, has regained much of its former glory and its place among the most important elements of architectural heritage of Nicosia.
The result is the culmination of five years of restoration in a joint programme paid for by the EU and the north’s EVKAF religious foundation, and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“This is the fruit of a great collective effort and superb collaboration,” Pierre Harze, head of the UNDP in Brussels told several hundred dignitaries and members of the public gathered under the church’s restored vaulted ceilings and Byzantine dome yesterday.
“It is an example of what people can achieve, despite the volatile context,” he said.
He added however that the real test of its success would be measured “by the subtle relationship between the building and the local community”.
For five years the Bedestan, or St Nicolas’ Church, as it was originally called by its Frankish builders, has remained under wraps as its gradual transformation took place. Then, just days ago, the green tarpaulin was removed to reveal how restorers had repaired walls, doors, floors, windows and ceilings, giving the building, for the first time in centuries, an integrity it has so long lacked.
According to the head of restoration Tiziana Zennaro, the EU provided €2 million for the project; a smaller amount was also put up by EVKAF, the foundation that has owned the building since the Ottomans confiscated it from Venetians in 1571.
At yesterday’s opening, Zennaro explained how the restoration had been carried out in phases, and how it had been conducted using “European-oriented techniques”. She also explained how the restoration of the building was not only important in the context of the building itself but for the rehabilitation of the Nicosia old town as a whole.
Although built as a church, St Nicolas became the Bedestan, a covered market, during the 300 years of Ottoman rule of Cyprus. Local historian Tuncer Bagiskan told the Cyprus Mail that for centuries, traders would bring their produce to sell there.
“Turkish, Greek and Armenian traders would come from the villages to sell their wares. Often they would stay in the nearby Han, or inn,” Bagiskan said, adding that the Bedestan was closed as a market in the 1930s when the new covered market was opened across the street. From then on the building was left to the elements.
Now that the restoration is complete, the Bedestan will not be returning to either of its former roles but will soon become the focus of cultural events in the area, hosting concerts, art exhibitions and conferences. It will also be open daily for visitors.
The importance of the restoration has not gone unnoticed globally either, and earlier this year the project was awarded the Europa Nostra Award for the research that led to the restoration.
