Filenews 11 November 2021
For the first time in Cyprus, ancient ruins, namely the Ancient Port of Kition in Larnaka, are virtually restored in three-dimensional form, even receiving international distinction from a Confederation of the Council of Europe.
In an announcement of the Larnaca Tourism Development and Promotion Company (ETAP) it is stated that "the Society and the Cyprus Youth Organization ONEK) were awarded for their joint work concerning the three-dimensional Virtual Restoration of the Ancient Port of Kition (3D Virtual Reconstruction). The international distinction was awarded by the International Confederation "The Phoenicians' Route" of the Council of Europe and specifically in the category "Innovative and creative enhancement of a cultural/ archaeological site".
The award was received in Sicily on behalf of the two Organizations by the President of the Confederation of The Phoenicians' Route Elena Tanou who handed it over to the Presidents of THE ONEK, the Etap of Larnaka and the Mayor of Larnaka, in a ceremony held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at the archaeological site of the Ancient Port of Kition.
According to the announcement "it is remarkable that for the first time in Cyprus ancient ruins are being virtually restored in three-dimensional form. This award is the culmination of a series of joint initiatives of the Larnaka ETAP and THE ONEK concerning digital upgrades of important monuments of the Larnaka Region, while the project concerns the three-dimensional virtual restoration of the ancient port of Kition in five chronological phases, from 900 BC to 300 BC.
It is noted that for the implementation of the project "the archaeological findings and studies of the French archaeological mission were exploited, in order to create a software program which in combination with the virtual reality equipment to enable the user to see three-dimensionally the ancient port and the surrounding area exactly as it was 2,500 thousand years ago".
It is, it is said, "a very interactive and innovative experience that takes the user back in time, giving him the opportunity to see the inclined ramps and the towing of the ships on them, the triremes, the sanctuary and the workshops that were around the port".
It is also important that "archaeological findings found in the archaeological site were incorporated in the three-dimensional video, so that the user can see them in the form of 360° and learn about them. It is noted that the international distinction coincides with the resumption of excavations - after the passage of many years - in the area of the ancient port, by the French archaeological mission, thus essentially triggering the gradual creation of the new Archaeological Park of Larnaka".
During the handover ceremony of the award, the President of the Larnaka Etap, Dinos Lefkaritis, stated that "the distinction honors our city and our country internationally, highlighting the modern way in which we present our rich history and culture".
The President of the Youth Organization Kleanthis Koutsoftas said that "this project and this important award are a tangible example of how technology can be used in collaboration with other scientific disciplines to offer innovative solutions and experiences".
On his part, the Mayor of Larnaka Andreas Vyras "praised the excellent result, stated that through such synergies we can create modern projects like this, which will attract not only tourists but locals to our archaeological sites".
The President of the International Confederation of Phoenicians' Route Elena Tanou "said proud of the cooperation developed by the Larnaka ETAP and THE ONEK and that they won this unique award which includes Cyprus in the path of the Phoenicians".
According to the announcement, "a special mention was made during the modest ceremony to the collaborators Sabin Fourier, Andreas Lordos and Odysseas Kontovourkis who offered their advisory services pro bono, to Dimitris Ktoridis and Anastasia Kakkouri for their great contribution, as well as to Peter Astzian who was among the initiators of the project. Warm thanks were expressed to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and larnaka Municipality for their continuous support to the Larnaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEL) as well as to the Department of Antiquities for their valuable guidance.
The video is available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Q_QSgNCvo&t=15s and Facebook https://fb.watch/98DL5DHFCR/ while in three-dimensional form with the special equipment can be seen in the area of Youth Makerspace Larnaka which is housed in the historic building of the former House of the Former Provincial House.
