Buffer zone to feature in conference on seven ‘most endangered’ heritage sites’

The buffer zone as a site of valuable and endangered heritage will feature prominently in a Europa Nostra conference to be hosted in Nicosia on 23-24 October.

Nicosia mayors from the north and south of the divide, Constantinos Yiorkadjis and Mehmet Harmanci, will be among the participants in a panel on the buffer zone, which was listed among the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe in 2013 by Europa Nostra, the pan-European federation of heritage NGO’s.

A central session of the conference aiming to mobilise efforts to save Europe’s most threatened monuments and heritage sites will be “The Buffer Zone in the Historic Centre of Nicosia”, examining the 1.5km long lifeless corridor which is home to beautiful mediaeval monuments, elegant neoclassical buildings and abandoned traditional workshops.  The entire buffer zone spans 180km across the island.

The buffer zone as a heritage site will also be showcased in a photography exhibition by the young Dutch photographer Roman Robroek.

Some 100 heritage players from 20 European countries, including decision-makers, professionals and volunteers, will participate in the conference, including Elizabeth Spehar, Special Representative of UN Secretary General and Chief of Mission of Unficyp.

In addition to the aim of drawing particular attention to the buffer zone, the conference will share the lessons learned since the launch of the ‘7 Most Endangered’ programme in 2013 and discuss the way forward, as well as present EU policies and actions taken for heritage at risk and various already existing funding schemes.

The main part of the conference will take place in the Centre of Visual Arts and Research in Nicosia (Cvar), a Grand Prix winner of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award 2017, while the afternoon of the last day will feature a visit to the Othello Tower and monuments restored by the bi-communal Committee on cultural heritage in Famagusta in the north.

 

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