Author(s)

E. Limbouri

Abstract

The subject of this presentation is the restorations of the ancient monuments of Cyprus from the establishment of the Department of Antiquities in 1935 until the present day (2005), which was the theme of my dissertation. For a better understanding of the restorations, the time lap between 1935 and 2005 has been divided into four periods. The four periods have been specified according to the date-landmarks for the history of the island in general and for the operation of the Department of Antiquities in particular. The first period is a short chronicle of the restoration works in Cyprus until the establishment of the Department of Antiquities. Emphasis is being given to the last years of the 19th and the first years of the 20th century when the theories of restoration that were spread out in the United Kingdom affected the island which was, at that time, a British colony. The second period covers the interval 1935–1960, that is from the establishment of the Department of Antiquities by the Colonial Government until 1960 when Cyprus became independent. The third period covers the period 1960–1974, from the Independence until the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the fourth period extends from 1974 until 2005. In each period, we examine to see which were the monuments that were restored, if there were any tendencies in these restorations, and to what extent were the restorations on the monuments of Cyprus related to the principles and theories of restoration that existed in the same period in the rest of Europe as well as to those followed today. Keywords: Cyprus, restoration, monuments, Cyprus Department of Antiquities.

Keywords

Cyprus, restoration, monuments, Cyprus Department of Antiquities