Karavas officials condemn destruction of cultural heritage

The municipality of Karavas condemned on Monday what it called the systematic destruction of historic buildings, calling on the international community to “assume its responsibilities”.

In a statement, the municipality expressed outrage at the ongoing demolition of historic buildings in the coastal town in the island’s north.

Such illegal actions, it said, deliberately target the “historical memory, the cultural heritage and the identity of our country”.

The municipality said it has just learned of the demolition of a manor house in Karavas belonging to Grigoris Hadjilambrou, a former town mayor (1908 to 1926).

“This is no isolated incident,” the statement added, citing two other examples of old buildings having been demolished.

“It is a conscious attempt at altering and erasing the historic presence of the legitimate residents of Karavas.”

The municipality said even local Turkish Cypriots are protesting “these destructive actions”.

It went on to call on the United Nations, the European Union and international organisations to “immediately and tangibly assume their responsibilities, to put a definitive halt to this cultural plunder and the destruction of our historic heritage”.

The municipality vowed that “until the day we return to our homes and our land…we shall not be silent, we shall not forget”.

On its website, the municipality lists a number of buildings and sites that have been left derelict. These include the parish church of Saint George, the archaeological site of Lambousa, and the Karavas cemetery.