An interactive educational programme on shared heritage in Cyprus, which is the product of the collaboration between the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage (TCCH) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), was officially launched on Friday during an event at the Home for Cooperation, in the Nicosia buffer zone.
Khaydarov, “A significant step in fostering understanding, connection, and unity among the youth of this island.”
Funded by the United States Department of State and the EU, and implemented by the UNDP, the project showcases TCCH efforts for cultural heritage preservation and restoration in Cyprus, through an innovative web-based learning environment. Its aim is to introduce the cultural heritage of Cyprus, raise awareness, highlight shared cultural elements, and emphasise the importance of their protection.
The programme, which is intended for children 12-15 years old, operates on an interactive platform that features two virtual characters, Ali and Maria, who tour around Cyprus on a bus, visiting cultural sites and monuments. The tour includes religious monuments, archaeological sites, fortifications, and secular monuments and applies both in formal and non-formal education.
3D models of sites and monuments, and interactive quizzes
Some of the objectives of the programme are to provide interactive educational modules, to promote shared heritage among the younger generations in Cyprus, to raise awareness for the protection of the island’s cultural heritage and offer an interactive learning environment that will allow students to explore Cyprus’ cultural heritage. Some of the virtual tools, which aim to facilitate teachers to present creative classes to their students, are 3D models of sites and monuments, virtual reality, animation videos, and interactive quizzes. The platform also features a teachers’ corner, which includes lesson plans.
Khaydarov, “This marks a crucial step in bringing our youth closer to the shared history of Cyprus”
Head of UNDP in Cyprus, Jakhongir Khaydarov, noted in his address at the event that the launch of the program “marks a crucial step in bringing our youth closer to the shared history of Cyprus” and underlined the role of education as both a key to preservation of heritage, and a vital tool for peace. He added that this is a “significant step in fostering understanding, connection, and unity among the youth of this island.”
Khaydarov expressed his gratitude towards all the contributors for their input and support for the implementation of the program. He particularly thanked the co-chairs of the TCCH, Ali Tuncay and Sotos Ktoris, as well as the educational experts Marios Antoniou and Uğur Dağlı, for their work on the project. Concluding, he addressed the youth of Cyprus, saying that their curiosity, passion, and hope for a united future inspire initiatives like this one.
“While we acknowledge that the island’s cultural heritage binds us together, it is equally important to recognize and respect the unique characteristics of every community in Cyprus,” Sotos Ktoris, Greek Cypriot co-chair of the TCCH, noted in his address. He explained that the programme not only provides a tool to the youth to explore the history and significance of key monuments, but also “encourages them to recognize that protecting our shared heritage is essential – not just as a link to our past, but as a cornerstone for peace and reconciliation.”
Khaydarov, “through our work, we can act as a bridge that promotes trust, mutual respect and understanding between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”
He expressed his gratitude to the contributors and concluded by saying that “the completion of this educational platform serves as one more reminder that through our cooperation and common vision, we, can ensure that the rich history of Cyprus is preserved and that, through our work, we can act as a bridge that promotes trust, mutual respect and understanding between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.”
Ali Tuncay, Cypriot co-chair of the TCCH, spoke of the importance of culture heritage preservation in Cyprus and the need to ensure that these efforts are both impactful and sustainable for future generations. He said that education must play a central role in this effort and underlined the need for more programmes that “encourage young people to explore and appreciate history, culture and traditions of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.” Tuncay noted that the programme must also focus on the cultural and emotional significance of the sites, to promote mutual understanding and respect.
“By investing in this educational approach, we are not only preserving our cultural heritage, but also paving the way for a more peaceful and collaborative future,” he noted, concluding that this effort is “laying foundations for future trust, understanding and cooperation.”
Fisher, “cultural heritage teaches us our past, shows us who we are today, and inspires our future”
US Ambassador in Cyprus, Julie Fisher, spoke of UNDP’s significant role in peacebuilding since 2001, by encouraging dialogue and collaborations. She also noted the TCCH’s work since 2008, which increased dialogue and social engagement and prioritised the preservation of cultural heritage and monuments.
She said that cultural heritage “teaches our past, shows us who we are today, and inspires our future” and noted its connective and unifying role. Preservation requires collaboration, she said and added that such an effort is “an investment in understanding ourselves and each other.”
Fisher underlined that the collaboration between Cyprus and the US stands for decades and notes that this programme is one of the examples that bother countries to put their shared values in action. She also spoke of the collaboration between the two countries, in order to tackle trafficking of Cypriot antiquities and artefacts. The Ambassador mentioned that the projects received a 100.000-dollar grant and expressed her hope “that the project will be one that will contribute to building trust, fostering confidence and bringing youth closer to their shared heritage and to each other.”
Simosas, “the EU has allocated 32.4 mln euro to restore and preserve more than 150 monuments since 2012.”
Stefan Simosas, Head of Cooperation for the Cyprus Settlement Support of the European Commission, noted EU’S longstanding support for the restoration and preservation of the cultural heritage in Cyprus. In fact, he said that since 2012, the EU has allocated 32.4 mln euro to restore and preserve more than 150 monuments. He also noted the EU’s interest in the digitization of cultural heritage, as a way to preserve history and identity.
Simosas added that digitalization has a particular educational value for younger generations. “Digital tools, gamification, and virtual experiences allow young people from divided communities to explore their shared heritage together, fostering mutual understanding and connection,” he said. Concluding, he thanked the TCCH and the UNDP for the implementation of the programme and expressed his wish that teachers and children will actively engage with the platform.
The platform that hosts the programme is found on https://iep.cyprusdigitalheritage.com.
