APPENDIX 56
Memorandum submitted by the Government
of Cyprus
Cyprus has a long and rich history going back
over 10,000 years, which has resulted in a rich cultural landscape
involving hundreds of sites scattered throughout the island representing
various historical periods, as well as the modern period. The
following information relates to the destruction and ruination
of the cultural heritage in the occupied part of Cyprus, as a
consequence of the 1974 Turkish military occupation.
1. ANCIENT MONUMENTS
In accordance with the Antiquities Law of Cyprus,
ancient monuments are divided into two categories. Monuments assigned
to the first category, Schedule A, are the property of the Government
and are managed by the Department of Antiquities. Monuments in
Schedule B are private property. Monuments in the occupied area
including those of extraordinary importance such as Enkomi, Salamis,
Soloi, Lampousa, Bellapais and the Monasteries of Apostolos Varnavas
and Apostolos Andreas were not accessible to the Department of
Antiquities. Out of a total of 197 Schedule A monuments, 76 are
in the occupied area, whereas for monuments of Schedule B, out
of a total of 974, 130 are in the occupied area. There are therefore,
206 ancient monuments situated in the occupied area. There are
reliable reports of abandoned archaeological sites, indifference,
large scale theft and looting, and damage. Notable examples are
the pulling down of the city walls at Vouni, looting at ancient
Enkomi and Salamis, and theft of statues. In some cases these
have come to light because of attempts to sell items, for example
the purchase in 1974 by the Government of Cyprus of a four wheeled
bronze Mycenean stand placed on sale in Frankfurt by Turkish antique
smugglers.
2. MUSEUMS
Three of the island's museums, the Famagusta
District Museum, the Kyrenia Shipwreck Museum and the Kyrenia
Folk Art Museum are in the occupied area. From the first gold
jewellery and pottery are missing, from the second antiquities
were stolen, and from the third all the silver objects were stolen.
3. ARCHAEOLOGICAL
MISSION STORES
The stores of two French missions, and Italian,
USA, French Canadian and British missions were located in the
occupied area, and all have been looted.
4. PRIVATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL
COLLECTIONS
There were 150 private archaeological collections
in the occupied area that were declared to the Department of Antiquities,
consisting of thousands of objects. The fate of these is unknown.
5. CHURCHES
In 1974 there were more than 520 Greek Orthodox
and Armenian churches in the occupied area. There is information
on the fate of 244 of these. From this information 100 were looted
or vandalized, 68 were converted to mosques, 14 are used by the
Turkish military, 11 are used as sheep pens/stables and one as
a barn. The loss in terms of structures (including a number of
churches pulled down), fittings and movable items, in particular
valuable icons, is enormous in terms of both cultural and monetary
value. As is the loss due to vandalism and the defacing of frescoes,
buildings and monuments, etc. The change in the use of buildings
of Christian worship is especially aggravating (ie mosques, Ayia
Anastasia church, the Armenian monastery of St Magar). As recently
as 14 January 1992 "police" from the subordinate local
authority removed two gold icons and other valuable items from
Apostolos Andreas Monastery.
6. ICONS
Most of the movable items in churches have been
stolen, removed or destroyed. Valuable icons, wall paintings or
fixtures of churches, all stolen, are found in art galleries or
other locations throughout the world. The 1997 arrest of one Turkish
smuggler in Germany of cultural property brought to light hundreds
of icons stolen from 46 churches in the occupied area. Overall,
however, it is estimated that over 15,000 icons are missing. Some
of these have been put up for sale by art dealers in Western Europe
and abroad, and innocent European buyers have fallen victim to
the smugglers.
7. CEMETERIES
Most of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Cemeteries
in the occupied area have been destroyed. Evidence is available
for 26 cemeteries that have been comprehensively destroyed.
8. LIBRARIES
In 1974 there were 107 public libraries in Cyprus,
of which 36 were in the occupied area. There were also 194 school
libraries in that area. In addition the mobile library of the
Ministry of Education was also located there. Most of these libraries
have been destroyed, as were many collections of rare books. From
time to time stolen or looted rare books appear for sale at auctions
in Western Europe.
9. PRIVATE ART
COLLECTIONS
There were a number of art galleries, collections
and studios in the occupied area, of which three art galleries,
10 art collections, four art studios co-operated with the Ministry
of Education. Numerous modern monuments were located in the occupied
area. While seven folk and other cultural societies were forcibly
displaced from their roots. Rare and valuable books, paintings
and other items have from time to time been put up for sale by
Western European art dealers.
10. RECOVERY
OF STOLEN
ITEMS
The Cyprus Police Force in co-operation with
the Department of Antiquities, the Church of Cyprus and collectors
of art treasures, have since 1974 constantly endeavoured to inform
Interpol, police forces of other countries, and the international
art market about items stolen or looted from the northern part
of Cyprus. There have been notable successes which resulted in
the recovery of icons and ancient earthenware from the UK in 1974,
ancient figurines (3000 BC) from auctioneers in London in 1976,
icons in the Netherlands in 1981, and a large number of icons,
mosaics and frescoes from Germany in 1997. One of the most notable
cases has been the recovery of mosaics (which one newspaper report
referred to as worth up to $20 million) taken from the Church
of Kanakaria in 1989, when an Indianapolis Court reaffirmed their
ownership by the Church of Cyprus and ordered a US art dealer
to return them to Cyprus. The authorities of Cyprus are constantly
trying to obtain possession of art works stolen from the occupied
area and currently in Europe, North America and Japan.
11. TURKISH RESPONSIBILITY
The Government of Turkey has been found by the
European Court of Human Rights as being responsible for violations
of human rights and other undesirable activities in the occupied
part of Cyprus. The systematic nature of the looting and stealing
that has taken place, and much of the vandalism, suggests that
Turkish official policy has directly or indirectly encouraged
much of the destruction, damage and stealing that has occurred.
Further damage has been caused by erosion and neglect. International
pressure has brought about some improvement in recent years, however,
the overall situation is far from satisfactory especially with
respect to theft, conversion to inappropriate use, development,
neglect, maintenance and repair.
Attached to this memorandum are the following
documents (not printed):
Government of Cyprus: "Kanakaria Mosaics—The
Trial" (1998).
Stella Mary Joannides, Senior Counsel of the
Republic of Cyrpus: The Cultural Heritage in the occupied part
of Cyprus.
Costas Apostolides: Destruction of the Cultural
Heritage of Cyprus (16/9/98).
Costas Apostolides: Bellapais: The Abbey, the
Church of Panayia Asproforousa and the Village (14/9/98).
Costas Apostolides: Sourp Magar: The Armenian
Monastery of Sourp Magar and its significance for the Armenian
Community in Cyprus (16/9/98).
Costas P Kyrris: The Church of Ayia Anastasia
in the town of Lapethos, Cyprus (1998).
United States District Court—Southern
District of Indiana, Indianapolis Division: Autocephalous Greek-Orthodox
Church of Cyprus and The Republic of Cyprus Vs Goldberg &
Feldman Fine Arts Inc and Peg Goldberg—Memorandum of Decision
and Order.
Decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States: Autocephanlous Greek-Orthodox Church of Cyprus and The
Republic of Cyprus Vs Goldberg & Feldman Fine Arts Inc and
Peg Goldberg (24/10/90).
May 2000
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