Cyprus’ Church of Saint Anne, located in the ancient city of Famagusta, has been restored, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Thursday. The city of Famagusta has been occupied by Turkish forces since 1974.
The church dates from the 4th century and was restored by experts from both the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities.
The bicommunal “Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage” announced that Saint Anne and Tanner’s Mosque, also in Famagusta, will be officially handed over to the authorities in a special ceremony on December 7.
Speaking to CNA, Takis Hadjidemetriou, the Greek Cypriot Head of the Technical Committee, noted that a religious service was held in Saint Anne in May 2016. The service was the first one held in almost five centuries. He added that the church is now completely renovated.
He said that Famagusta will certainly be included in the future restoration plans of the Technical Committee. There is a wealth of beautiful architecture in the old city, including churches, monuments and parts of the ancient city wall.
The church of St. Anne was built in what was known as the “Syrian Quarter” and was originally a Roman Catholic church. It was then given to the Maronite Catholics in the 14th century. It consists of a single nave with two bays, and groin vaults separated by transverse ribs.
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