Cultural Heritage Interpretation: Proposals for Medieval Churches in Famagusta Walled City, North Cyprus

Abstract

Interpretation has recently become a more focused topic in the cultural heritage conservation field, due to the increasing concern about the involvement of the stakeholders and the social pillar of sustainability. As the enhancement of participation of the stakeholders in the conservation processes can be achieved by increasing their awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage sites, interpretation has a considerable role in this process. This research aims to search for methods for developing interpretation approaches for cultural heritage sites through the assessment of the responses of the stakeholders. Therefore, the Medieval churches of Famagusta Walled City have been chosen as the case study for this research. Assessment of the responses of the stakeholders is accepted as a tool for developing a better interpretation of the cultural heritage buildings, preventing them from further neglect or possible extinction. This research proposes the advancement of interpretive approaches for similar undervalued and underappreciated sites.