An overview of the restoration of monuments and listed buildings in Cyprus from antiquity until the twenty-first century

Abstract

The problem of architectural conservation is almost as old as the history of mankind. Rehabilitation of the existing building stock raises questions such as: what is important to be preserved? Should the renovation imitate or deviate from the original design? How important is the preservation of the original use and which new uses are desirable? In Cyprus, the restoration of old buildings seems to follow the international prevailing trends, diachronically. The various successive rulers led to the creation of its multicultural architectural diversity and simultaneously affected the philosophy followed in maintaining monuments. The industrial revolution and urbanization changed the attitude towards cultural heritage since the relationship between people and traditional environment was disturbed. Gradually, perceptions began to converge and the concept of architectural heritage was expanded to include all architectural and environmental aspects. The recent development of tourism combined with modern globalization resulted in a sharp turn towards the architecture of the past and the overestimating of its value since it is recognized as an important part of the island's identity and individuality. This change of attitude leads towards new discussions regarding the hierarchy of the different values of existing buildings involving matters of authenticity, rehabilitation, and intervention.

Keywords:

• Conservation
• Restoration
• Preservation
• Reconstruction
• Vernacular architecture
• Monuments
• Listed buildings
• Venice Charter