For Whom the Bell Tolls? Towards a Flexible Concept of Authenticity for Religious Heritage Buildings in Political Conflict Zones – Case of Northern Cyprus

Abstract

This article discusses the possibility of developing an understanding of the concept of authenticity through the understanding of authenticity in architectural terms, specifically religious heritage buildings in areas of political conflict. Although authenticity has been a continuous subject of debate in the field of heritage studies, however, we argue that difficulties in coming to terms with its application in areas of conflict are still persistent. The study uses the case study of the Agios Synesios Church in North Cyprus, built around the Twelfth century, and is still in use by the Greek Cypriot minorities who continued to live on the island following its division in 1974 and the forced displacement of both Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities to either part of the island. Based on observation of the church and its surrounding context, the research shows that coming to terms with authenticity is problematic for the church since the prolongation of the Greek Cypriot way of life has been compromised due to political fluctuations. The argument suggests that once the authenticity of a religious building is assessed as a heritage asset, a flexible concept of authenticity is essential to consider in areas of political conflicts especially when its original context no longer exists.