The European Union has allocated €466,400 to support the environmental conservation of cultural heritage sites in the city of Famagusta, reaffirming its commitment to protecting Cyprus’s shared cultural heritage.
According to a European Commission press release, specialized vehicles, machinery, and equipment were handed over to the local community under a supply contract from October 2025 to January 2026. This targeted investment aims to address a key gap in cultural heritage conservation: limited capacity for scheduled maintenance following restoration work.
This initiative This project is a continuation of more than a decade of work by the Technical Committee for Cultural Heritage (TCCH) in Famagusta. Since 2015, the Committee has restored iconic landmarks in the area , including the Othello Tower, sections of the city walls, several bastions and gates, churches and mosques in the historic center, and important archaeological sites such as Salamis, Kampanopetra, and Agios Epiphanios .
The resources provided will strengthen local capacity to carry out preventative work such as vegetation removal or emergency response, thereby promoting a more ecological approach to the management of cultural heritage sites.
Since 2012, the EU has allocated €32.5 million for heritage conservation under the EU Assistance Programme for the Turkish Cypriot Community. This initiative links restoration with long-term care, strengthening responsibility for historic residential properties and monuments in the context of the island’s division, 37% of which remains occupied since 1974.
