Along with members of the Chamber and the community, USAID Representative Alan Davis inaugurated the Library at a ribbon-cutting event

Appreciating and learning from the past should be part of any effort to build the future. As part of its efforts to improve local capacity in managing Cyprus’ cultural resources and in building a prosperous and peaceful future, USAID provided small grant assistance to the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Architects to create a “Cultural Heritage Conservation and Architectural Library” within their premises in the historical Nicosia neighborhood of Arab Ahmet. The Library will serve the Chambers’ members as well as the community at large, providing an invaluable resource for anyone interested in conservation issues and serving as a center for information exchange.

Along with members of the Chamber and the community, USAID Representative Alan Davis inaugurated the Library at a ribbon-cutting event on April 24, 2009. In addition to housing a collection of print and periodical media, the Library will provide access to internet-based resources in conservation and will serve as a repository of academic work by Cypriots in related fields and on relevant Cypriot themes.

Grant assistance for the Library was provided through the USAID-funded Supporting Activities that Value the Environment (SAVE) project. Like all U.S.-funded programs in Cyprus, SAVE is aimed at facilitating reunification of the island, including through better protection and management of the island’s natural and cultural resources.