Press Releases

The Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, announces that on the 6^th of February 2021 the Medieval Castle of Pafos will be lit blue, for the celebration of sixty years from the inclusion of Cyprus in UNESCO, as a member state.

Through its lighting, the Department of Antiquities wishes to underline the need to protect our World Heritage, as well as the importance of this Organisation, in the fields of Culture, Education and Sciences. The inclusion of our country in UNESCO in 1961, upon the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, manifests the meaning of this decision, as it created the conditions for Cyprus to collaborate with the rest of the member states in important sectors that would contribute, and still do so, in the formation of our society and contemporary culture. In our days, sustainable development must build on the universal values that have been preserved through our heritage. This belief comprises the mission of UNESCO, while as a United Nations organisation, it represents the need to protect the human rights, peace and equality. In essence, the vision of the Department of Antiquities draws on this line of thought, as well.

Within this framework, the close relationship between the Department of Antiquities and UNESCO, through the years, is attested by the validation of conventions, and related activities, aiming at protecting cultural heritage. These include the1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which currently counts 194 member states. This Convention was validated by Cyprus in 1975, i.e. a year after the Turkish Invasion, thus reflecting the systematic efforts of the Republic of Cyprus and the Department of Antiquities for the protection and preservation of our cultural heritage.

The other two important UNESCO conventions, for the protection of cultural heritage, is the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, and its two Protocols. The Department of Antiquities, between 2007-2011 represented the Republic of Cyprus and was member of the Intergovernmental Commission of the Second Protocol of this Convention, while it also contributed in writing the guidelines for its implementation. Moreover, between 2015-2019, the Department of Antiquities was an elected member of the Convention’s Commission, while it has also served the 1970 Convention’s Commission as an elected member, until 2019. Furthermore, it has served as member of the Intergovernmental Commission for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin.

In this context, and having included three sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List – the archaeological sites of Nea Pafos (Kato Pafos and Tombs of the Kings) and Palaepafos in 1980, the ten Byzantine and Post-Byzantine painted churches in Troodos (nine churches were inscribed in 1985 and one in 2001), and the archaeological site of Choirokoitia in 1998 – the Department of Antiquities promotes activities relating to the management, conservation, research and presentation of these important monuments and their Outstanding Universal Value. At the same time, the Department of Antiquities has included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, a considerable number of archaeological and natural sites from across the island.

At the core of these endeavors is the need to provide for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Cyprus, so as growth is based on heritage values and traditions. The Department of Antiquities, through lighting the Medieval Castle of Pafos, wishes to raise awareness among society concerning the significance of both the cultural and natural heritage. It is our belief that for better days to come, it is vital to respect universal humanitarian values.

EH/SCH