Section of the Venetian Walls of Nicosia collapses

An extensive section of the Guerini bastion in Turkish occupied northern Nicosia has collapsed. This latest incident follows the partial collapse of the curtain wall which occurred in the Ledra Palace area last March.

Part of the Guerini bastion in occupied Nicosia [Credit: Cyprus Mail]

"This continuing destruction testifies to the deplorable state of preservation of the Venetian Walls in the occupied part of the city of Nicosia after years of neglect on the part of the illegal regime in the north. This negligence towards the cultural heritage of our shared common cultural heritage can only be perceived as criminal", said the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus in a recent statement.

Greek Cypriot co-chairman of the Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage, Takis Hadjidemetriou, told CNA that together with UNDP representatives, they visited the site last week and decided to take urgent action to repair the section of the walls which had collapsed. For this, they adopted urgent measures which include a study and a report to be drafted and then a contractor hired to undertake the repairs by autumn.