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18 April was established in
1983 by UNESCO, as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, following a
proposal by the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). In
celebration of this important day, with the ultimate aim of raising public awareness
of the importance of culture, a different theme is promoted every year and
events are organized with the participation of citizens. This year, as the
entire planet continues to experience unprecedented conditions due to the
coronavirus pandemic, the organization of events will be limited to the
promotion of our cultural heritage, as it is preserved through monuments and
archaeological sites, by using technology and the internet.
This year’s theme for the
celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, entitled “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures”,
emphasizes the need to recognize the multiple significance and complex
character of our cultural heritage, in order to be a beacon for a complex,
diverse and promising future based on the timeless values of the past. As
demonstrated throughout the current pandemic crisis, we can effectively
address the serious challenges faced by modern societies, with our cultural
heritage as a compass. It is the belief of the Department of Antiquities that
the difficulties of today, can as a whole, be faced with more power and
confidence, through the knowledge of the past and the heritage of humankind.
Cyprus has a complex past, due
mainly to its important geographical location, as clearly portrayed through
the Cultural Heritage that is preserved to this day. As a bridge between the
West and the East and as evidenced through material culture dating to diverse
chronological periods , Cyprus has played a decisive role
over time in the transfer of people, objects and ideas between cultures. By
bequeathing this wealth, we must invest in the universal values represented
by our complex past, for solidarity and unity, at the state and transnational
level.
The Department of Antiquities,
within the framework of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, will
celebrate the connection between our Complex
past and Diverse
future, by organizing
an online concert which will be presented on Friday, April 16, 2021 at 19:00
via the social media accounts of the Department of Antiquities (YouTube and
Facebook). The online concert will present the multi-award winning and
internationally recognized Cypriot
band Monsieur Doumani at the archaeological site of Kourion.
Through this event the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the
original music of the band, in conjunction with the unique images of the
monuments and the natural landscape that comprise and surround this unique
and important archaeological site of the Lemesos District.
In addition, on the occasion of
the International Day for Monuments and Sites, the Department of Antiquities
announces to the general public the completion of maintenance and restoration
works of important monuments of modern culture in order to deliver them to
other institutions to be re-used.. This will bring about a real
connection between the past and the future. In particular, three such
monuments, which the Department of Antiquities has preserved and restored,
will be delivered to three public interest
organizations. These are (a) the Medieval Manor in Potamia, which will
be handed over to the University of Cyprus for the use of the Department of
Biological Sciences, (b) a traditional house in the village of Pera Oreinis,
which will be handed over to the Community Council for cultural activities
and (c) a building adjacent to the Silihtar Aqueduct in Lefkosia which will
be handed over to the National Commission of the International Council of
Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS Cyprus for use as its headquarters and offices.
The use of Ancient
Monuments for modern needs is one of the management policies implemented by
the Department of Antiquities. This aspect is highlighted in the context of
this year’s theme of the International Day for Monuments and Sites: Complex Pasts-Diverse Futures.
It is worth noting that the restoration of these monuments is only a part of
the large and diverse work of the Department of Antiquities in order to
manage, maintain, upgrade and highlight archaeological sites and monuments
throughout Cyprus, with the aim of preserving the various aspects of our
country’s past.
Finally, on the axis of these
activities, as well as the celebrations for the International Day for
Monuments and Sites for 2021, the Department of Antiquities, co-organizes,
together with ICOMOS Cyprus and other local bodies, the 5th
International Biennale of Architecture and Urban Restoration Brau5, which will also
be held online due to the current health security measures. The presentations
concerning Cyprus will be transmitted on Saturday, April 24, 2021, whilst
relevant information will be posted on the websites of the event and of the
Department of Antiquities.
EH/SCH
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