The Cyprus Institute is featured in UNESCO’s recent announcement for the completion of the Management Plan for the archaeological site of Choirokoitia. The project is led by the Department of Antiquities, with the collaboration of CyI and the French Archaeological mission excavating at the site. The Plan’s preparation was funded by UNESCO’s Participation Programme (2010-2011) and will be presented on the 18th of April in Choirokoitia during the celebrations marking the 40th Anniversary of the signing of the Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The event will be organized in cooperation with the Community Council and the Youth Centre of Choirokoitia.

The specific project belongs to a much wider collaborative initiative of the Department of Antiquities and CyI’s Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC) for the study and preparation of Management Plans for all World Heritage sites and monuments in Cyprus.  Choirokoitia comprises the first such action, with the painted churches in Troodos and the archaeological sites of Paphos following soon after. The effort is of great importance for the protection of Cypriot cultural heritage in the midst of the current global economic crisis and the challenges it presents for research in this thematic area. According to international developments and the directions of UNESCO, the close protection of the broader physical environment (rural or urban) of archaeological sites and monuments is a priority for their successful management. In this context, the collaborative effort of the Department of Antiquities and The Cyprus Institute has great significance as it attempts to revise the concept and public perception of what constitutes an archaeological site and a monument.

The Cyprus Institute’s engagement with the project reaffirms its commitment in the study and preservation of the archaeological heritage of Cyprus.  CyI’s participation is led by Dr. Nikolas Bakirtzis with the contribution of Ms. Christina Roditou and Mr. Ropertos Georgiou. CyI holds a scientific advisory and coordinating role and will provide support on various scientific, technological and multimedia applications relevant to the study and documentation of Cypriot World Heritage Sites.