GETTY COLLABORATION TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF PAPHOS MOSAICS

Cyprus Mail - 5 April 2019 - article by CNA News Service

The antiquities department is collaborating with the Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles to develop a comprehensive conservation and management plan for the World Heritage sites of Nea Paphos and the Tombs of the Kings it was announced on Friday.

The aim is to improve their future preservation and enhance the visitor experience.

The collaboration, which begun in 2018, involves mapping the sites, assessing the significance and condition of mosaics and architectural remains, and improving the management and presentation of the sites.

A meeting taking place this week focuses on the protection and presentation of the exceptional mosaics and other significant features of the Nea Paphos sites, the Press and Information Office said on Friday.

The meeting has brought together an international group of specialists, including architecture, engineering, environmental monitoring, hydrology, and experience with shelters in other World Heritage sites, to work with heritage professionals from the antiquities department and the Getty Conservation Institute.
The objective is to examine all factors ranging from the need to protect the archaeological remains, consider the natural values and environmental context, ensure the preservation of the mosaics, and enhance the interpretation, presentation and visitor experience.

The meeting is taking place on site, for an in-depth understanding of the context, the values and the challenges inherent in the process of shelter-design.
The site of Nea Paphos is the most visited archaeological site in Cyprus, and provides a unique natural landscape and cultural attraction.