RESEARCH PROGRAMMES


Since its creation, the Centre has initiated various research programmes and projects in almost all areas of its activities, e.g. consultative studies for various communities and municipalities in order to record, protect, restore and enhance their natural and cultural heritage, creation of the atelier for conservation of art works, conservation of historic monuments, studies of archaeological sites, recording and archiving the natural and cultural heritage of Cyprus, publications, creation of museums, organisation of exhibitions, study and replanting of the denatured landscapes, organisation of educational seminars, series of lectures every semester, programmes for the training of graduate and post-graduate students and much more. It is worth noting separately three current major programmes which are:

EIKONOLOGION-ΕΙΚΟΝΟΛΟΓΙΟΝ which constitutes the digital archives of the natural and cultural heritage of Cyprus. It is now an international platform on which scholars and university people can upload their own iconographic material. It is a research instrument in the service of the international academic community and the wide public. EIKONOLOGION is also an important instrument for the management of the natural and cultural heritage of Cyprus and offers the opportunity to post-graduate students of UCY and other universities to acquire experience in this speciality. This project has been sponsored by The Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, Total Energies Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

FLORA CYPRIA-ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΧΛΩΡΙΣ which is the inventory of the traditional plants of Cyprus and Mediterranean. Its aim is to create the appropriate awareness and sensitiveness to the people of Cyprus and all Mediterraneans in oder to know and use in public and private landscaping these plants and avoid in this way the alteration of the traditional view of our historic centres, the built and natural landscapes by the contemporary invasion of the tropical and sub-tropical plants and not only. Within the framework of FLORA CYPRIA project, a series of virtual reality documents showing specific avenues of Nicosia virtually planted with traditional trees of Cyprus has been realised in such combinations as to ensure a harmonious design and chromatology. Specimens of these can be seen in the section PARADEISOS (The Garden of Traditional Mediterranean Flora). FLORA CYPRIA has been sponsored by The Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, Total Energies Foundation and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.

THEOPHRASTOS which is a project for the restoration of the denatured landscapes (study and replanting).

As aforesaid, the majority of these programmes and projects have been accomplished with BOOK PUBLICATIONS or articles in journals, or papers given at congresses. In the case of other projects, RESTORATION OF MONUMENTS has been realised, or MUSEUMS have been created or EXHIBITIONS held. Other programmes have concerned the RECORDING OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE, thus contributing to further completing the archives of the Centre and especially of the EIKONOLOGION and the MEDITERRANEAN FLORA (Inventory of the traditional flora of Cyprus and the Mediterranean), usable in LANDSCAPING
 

As far as the conservation of icons and other art works is concerned, a forthcoming BOOK will include all prominent pieces already treated in the Centre’s Department for Conservation during the last 30 years. On the conservation of the mural of St George at Paralimni, a volume was published in 2009 including a study of the Church of St George and its mural. An appendix at the end is dedicated to the written and photographic documentation of the conservation works. This book is entitled PARALIMNI. THE CHURCH OF AGIOS GEORGIOS

The participation of University students in the above programmes is always encouraged. Some of these projects are included within the framework of European Programmes.