Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos had the opportunity on Tuesday to inspect the works that have either been completed or are underway and aim to highlight the cultural value of the ecclesiastical monuments of Agioi Iliofotoi, Agioi Barnabas and Hilarion and Agios Kassianos, accompanied by Dr. Marina Solomidou – Ieronymidou and officials of the Department of Antiquities.
In his statements during the visit, Karousos stressed that “we must protect and highlight our ecclesiastical monuments as an integral part of our culture and history.”
“The protection and preservation of our cultural heritage is a debt to future generations and the preservation of religiousness as a characteristic of Hellenism,” he stressed.
According to an official statement, the church of Agioi Iliofotoi, which dates back to the 18th century and had a total works cost of €33,022.91, is located in the abandoned Turkish Cypriot village of Agioi Iliofotoi in the Nicosia district and was erected in front of a tomb, which today forms part of its western part and is believed to belong to the Alaman monks who lived in the area in the 7th century and were known as Agioi Iliofotoi.
At this stage, according to the statement, the Department of Antiquities is carrying out work at the monument to remove and restore the buttress on the north side of the church, remove and install a new pebbled floor around the perimeter of the church, work on upward moisture management and rainwater drainage, and minor work on the floor of the sanctuary.
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works approved to the Church Committee a sum of €65,000 for costs.
In addition, it is said that in the period 2021-2022, the Department of Antiquities completed the maintenance and restoration work on the small one-room chapel of Agios Antonios, also located in the community of Peristerona.
Comprehensive conservation/restoration works have been carried out on the monument, internally, externally, as well as landscaping of the courtyard area. Due to serious structural problems that the monument was facing, the Department of Antiquities proceeded to dismantle and fully restore the roof. The total cost for the completion of the project amounted to €112,290 and was fully subsidized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works.
In the summer of 2022, the Department of Antiquities carried out work to upgrade the electrical installation of the temple, install air conditioning and landscaping and lighting of the courtyard.
The total cost for the works, amounting to €30,062, was approved by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and was covered by the Department of Antiquities’ budget.
Source: Cyprus News Agency