Abstract:
Cyprus, as the third biggest island in the north-eastern part of the
Mediterranean Sea, is situated in the cross-road of the east-west and north-south
navigation routes and it was ruled by many different conquors throughout
centuries. Through its long, rich, unique and turbulent history, it enjoys the
opportunity to house many remarkable remains of historical, architectural and
cultural heritage.
The main aim of this paper is to make a thorough investigation on the
cultural heritage values of the Northern part of Cyprus, which has been under
the rule of Turkish community since 1974, when the Island was divided into
two parts – Turks living in the North and Greeks living in the South. With this
aim in mind, the paper firstly will evaluate cultural heritage in terms of its
definition, various types, value and meaning in general. Since the main concern
is on the tangible cultural heritage, the discussion will be deeper on this type of
cultural heritage. Secondly, the paper will turn to North Cyprus, focusing on its
cultural heritage values. Then, the problems that these values are faced with will
be discussed and evaluated critically, with special reference to the existing
conservation approach covering also the legal basis and the role of public and
private sector in the conservation of tangible cultural heritage in North Cyprus.
It is believed that these evaluations set a concrete framework and basis for the
planning proposals and design solutions/guideliness for the conservation of cultural heritage in North Cyprus – which is the subject matter of another study,due to limitations. It should be noted that, this paper is not an overall research paper, yet it is more likely to be an observatory informative documentation on the cultural heritage values of North Cyprus. Yet still, it is intended that, the paper will/can act as a complete document which will mainly guide the policy makers in the country. The methodology followed in the preparation of the paper is based on the study of documents and site observations.
