FIXING LANDMARKS, MENDING RELATIONSHIPS

Buildings aren't just structures that surround us. They are our souls, our histories, our shared memory.

With this in mind, this year on World Heritage Day, we're taking you on a tour of some of our restored sites in Cyprus and Kosovo*, where we're bringing communities together to restore public monuments.

As communities rediscover their rich past, their encounters are helping to bridge divisions, restoring a sense of common identity and through it, a sense of peace and trust.

CYPRUS

In 2009, with funding from the European Union, we began to work on a study of cultural heritage in Cyprus. That trip paved the way for many more years of fruitful work.

In the last 5 years alone, we've implemented 72 different initiatives, which include the conservation of churches, mosques and other landmark buildings.

Conservation projects across the island are led by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage - an advisory board composed of archaeologists, architects, art historians and town planners from both communities. Their initiatives have encouraged thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to get involved in promoting heritage around the island.

Take for example, Shakespeare's famous Othello tower, originally built in the 14th century. When it was restored in 2015, eight actors from the island’s two communities brought the play to life on site in front of an audience of 300 people.

The Greek Cypriot actors said they were overwhelmed with awe to be part of the project, more than 50 years since the last performance.

More recently, another major landmark - the Apostolos Andreas Monastery - got a much needed upgrade. For a long time, the monastery has been a place of pilgrimage for Cypriots. It's now also a beloved spot for many visiting the island.

Now, thanks to a restoration project led by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots, it is set to become a symbol of peace and co-operation.

Support to the committee is a cornerstone of the European Union's support to reconciliation and confidence building in Cyprus. Since 2012, their projects have received 11.7 million euros from the EU. Initiatives have also drawn support from other donors, including the Church of Cyprus and the EVKAF administration, amounting to more than 16 million euros in total.

BEYOND THE RESTORATION OF LANDMARKS

Of course, cultural heritage is not only about restoring life into buildings - it's also about breathing new life into communities.

That's why, UNDP has also undertaken community development, urban upgrading and infrastructure initiatives, for example inaugurating the first Maronite cultural centre in the northern part of the island, and upgrading various village coffee houses, among others.

KOSOVO

The history of religious tolerance and coexistence is centuries-long in Kosovo. Churches and mosques continue to coexist, often in the same physical spaces, with imams and priests conducting religious rites next to each other.

In the aftermath of conflict in the Balkans, it is clear that institutions must be capable of both preserving cultural heritage while also promoting a sense of shared history.

Last year, with generous support from the European Union, UNDP in Kosovo undertook a major initiative to help make that happen.

1 year, more than 1.5 million euros, 18 completed restoration works, 5 municipalities and 20 community engagement workshops later, things already look a lot more vibrant across Kosovo.

We owe that difference to the willingness of people on the ground to work together: municipal officials, communities, religious leaders, young people and the police worked as one team to make it happen.

Check out some higlights from our work across Kosovo.

Our work in Kamenicë/a municipality brought back to life a completely reconstructed town park, renovation of Haxhi Gani Sermaxhaj Mosque and upgrading of the SOC St. Nicholas Yard.

In Lipjan/Lipljane, we completed works in four cultural heritage sites, including the upgrading of the yard around the Town Mulla Sherif Ahmeti Mosque, renovation of the Serbian Orthodox Church St. Flora and Laura, and the reconstruction of the fence, upgrading of the Town Muslim Cemetery, and renovation of the Serbian Orthodox Cemetery Chapel.

In Ferizaj, we rehabilitated a complex of buildings - the Mulla Vesel Guta Mosque and SOC St. Uroš, the Bell Tower, and renovated the Catholic Church former Seat of the Diocese, which has been turned into a museum.

And that's not all. In Gjilan, we renovated the Sveti Nikola Serbian Orthodox church and rehabilitated the Town Muslim and orthodox cemetery. Finally, in Rahovec/Orahovac, we renovated and upgraded the Sokali Mosque and Serbian Orthodox Church – Assumption of Holy Virgin Mary and installed new lighting for the town museum and clock tower.

We also brought together 200 young people from all ethnic backgrounds to come up with new solutions to promote and protect their own public buildings.

One of the ideas they came up with was to make buildings more accessible to people living with disabilities.

Another 200 secondary school students from 20 schools took part in educational sessions with teachers to incorporate cultural heritage into school curriculum.