The Armenian Church of Famagusta and the Complexity of Cypriot Heritage: Prayers Long Silent (Mediterranean Perspectives)

Annotation This book explores seven centuries of change in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean world through the rise and fall of Famagusta's medieval Armenian Church. An examination of the complex and its art escorts the reader from the era of the Crusades in Lusignan Cyprus, through the rise and fall of the Venetian, Ottoman and British Empires, to the political stasis of the present day. The Armenian church was a home for displaced villagers during the post-independence era, became a military storage facility post-1974 and eventually fell into abandonment once again. This study represents a pioneering history of the Armenian community in Famagusta and a probing analysis of the art and architecture it left behind. It is also a permanent record of the long-term engagement and commitment of Nanyang Technological University Singapore, the World Monuments Fund, and the Famagusta Municipality to protect this precious site, under extremely challenging circumstances This Book Explores Seven Centuries Of Changing Fortunes For Cyprus Through The Famagusta Region And Examines The Eastern Mediterranean World Through The Lens Of The Armenian Church As A ?constant?. An Examination Of The Society Through Art, Architecture, Archives, And ?hard Sciences? Escorts The Reader From The Era Of The Crusades, Through The Rise And Fall Of Empires, To The Political Stasis Of The Present Day. From The Wealth And Influence Of The French Lusignans, Via The Artistry And Military Ingenuity Of Venetian Renaissance, Followed By The Silence Of Three Centuries Of Ottoman Rule Then Incorporation Into British Empire, The Book Examines Seven Centuries Of Change In The Eastern Mediterranean And On The Island Of Cyprus. Recently, As Late As The 1970s, The Armenian Church Even Became Home For Displaced Villagers During The Inter-ethnic Problems That Plagued The Post-independence Era And Led In Turn To The Turkish Intervention Of 1974, After Which It Became A Military Storage Facility And Eventually Fell Into Abandonment. Through An Analysis Of This Society, This Book Represents A First History Into The Armenian Community From The 14th Century To Present And A Probing Analysis Into The Art And Architecture It Left Behind. Foreword: Famagusta And The World Monuments Watch: Responding To A Call For Action -- Introduction: The Armenian Church Project: Heritage Welfare In An Unrecognized State / Michael J.k. Walsh -- Famagusta: A Lifeline For The Kingdom Of Cilician Armenia / Nicholas Coureas -- The Armenian Monastic Complex Of St. Mary, Famagusta / Dickran Kouymjian -- The Painted Program Of The Armenian Church In Light Of Recent Discoveries / Michele Baccui -- On The Interpretation Of The Crosses Carved On The External Walls Of The Armenian Church In Famagusta / Gohar Grigoryan -- The Achitecture Of The Armenian Church And Convent / Thomas Kaffenberger -- The Armenian Church Of Famagusta: Some Testimonies (late Nineteenth-early Twentieth Centuries) / Lucie Bonato -- Endangered Cultural Heritage In Unrecognized States / Alessandro Chechi -- Armenians And The Christian Society Of Famagusta: Evidence From Spatial Analysis / Tomasz Borowski --^ Ground Penetrating Radar And Mapping The Monastery Complex / Francisco M. Fernandes -- In-situ Investigation And Stability Analysis Of The Armenian Church In Famagusta / Andrés Burgos Braga, Paulo B. Lourenço, Nuno Mendes, And João M. Pereira -- Conserving The Fourteenth-century Wall Paintings Of The Armenian Church In Famagusta / Werner Schmid -- Scientific Examinations Of The Armenian Church Wall Paintings In Famagusta / Rocco Mazzeo, Giorgia Sciutto, Irene Bonacini, And Silvia Prati -- Teaching The Heritage Of Others And Making It Ours: The Power Of Cultural Heritage Education / Gül Inanç And Julie H. Liew -- Emerging Computer Technologies For Cultural Heritage: The Armenian Church, Famagusta / Dan Frodsham And Duncan Rowland -- The Application Of Virtual Reality Technology To Heritage Conservation In Famagusta's Armenian Church / Yuan Yi And Ender Jiang Shutao --^ Toward A Complexity Framework For Heritage Futures: Famagusta, Its Armenian Church And Shift / Andrea Nanetti And Siew Ann Cheong -- Afterword / Sharon Evelyn Little -- Appendix 1: Laser Imaging In The Armenian Church / Bora Sayin And Banu Sayin. Michael J.k. Walsh, Editor. This Volume Of Essays Is Largely The Outcome Of The Conference Reconsidering Cultural Heritage In An Unrecognised State : The Armenian Church, Famagusta Hosted By The Trans-mediterranean Studies Research Center, Institute Of Art History, And In Collaboration With The Institute Of Advanced Study In Humanities At The University Of Bern, Switzerland, In January 8, 2015.--page Xi. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii Introduction: The Armenian Church Project: Heritage Welfare in an Unrecognized State....Pages 1-40 Front Matter....Pages 41-41 Famagusta: A Lifeline for the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia....Pages 43-60 The Armenian Monastic Complex of St. Mary, Famagusta....Pages 61-97 The Painted Program of the Armenian Church in Light of Recent Discoveries....Pages 99-124 On the Interpretation of the Crosses Carved on the External Walls of the Armenian Church in Famagusta....Pages 125-141 The Architecture of the Armenian Church and Convent....Pages 143-167 The Armenian Church of Famagusta: Some Testimonies (Late Nineteenth–Early Twentieth Centuries)....Pages 169-183 Front Matter....Pages 185-185 Endangered Cultural Heritage in Unrecognized States....Pages 187-203 Armenians and the Christian Society of Famagusta: Evidence from Spatial Analysis....Pages 205-224 Ground Penetrating Radar and Mapping the Monastery Complex....Pages 225-230 In-situ Investigation and Stability Analysis of the Armenian Church in Famagusta....Pages 231-243 Conserving the Fourteenth-Century Wall Paintings of the Armenian Church in Famagusta....Pages 245-267 Scientific Examinations of the Armenian Church Wall Paintings in Famagusta....Pages 269-283 Teaching the Heritage of “Others” and Making It “Ours”: The Power of Cultural Heritage Education....Pages 285-299 Emerging Computer Technologies for Cultural Heritage: The Armenian Church, Famagusta....Pages 301-312 The Application of Virtual Reality Technology to Heritage Conservation in Famagusta’s Armenian Church....Pages 313-323 Front Matter....Pages 325-325 Toward a Complexity Framework for Heritage Futures: Famagusta, its Armenian Church and SHIFT....Pages 327-355 Afterword....Pages 357-359 Back Matter....Pages 361-369