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Rural Bicommunal Community Center Inaugurated
with Launch of Landmark Mosaics Book
October 6, 2009
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The launch of the book, Basilica at Soli Cyprus: A Survey of Buildings and Mosaics, was the inaugural event of the Cultural and Environmental Center of the Bishopric of Morphou in Peristerona Village |
The launch of the book, Basilica at Soli Cyprus: A Survey of Buildings and Mosaics, was the inaugural event of the Cultural and Environmental Center of the Bishopric of Morphou in Peristerona Village. The event on October 6, 2009, included U.S. Ambassador Frank Urbancic, the Bishop of Morphou Neophytos, USAID Representative Alan Davis and several community leaders. It celebrated not only the publication of a unique book on the USAID-funded work at the mosaics of Soli, but also the refurbishment of a historic building in the center of this once-mixed village. Restored with funding from the USAID-funded UNDP Action for Cooperation and Trust program, the Center is ideally located near one of the main checkpoints between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and will host various cultural groups as well as serve as a venue for bicommunal events that emphasize the commonality of interests between the two sides.
Bishopric of Morphou Cultural and Environmental Center
The Center in Peristerona Village is a two-story urban-type building built in 1914 and donated to the Bishopric of Morphou in 2000. The building sits in the center of Peristerona between the 12th century church and a 19th century mosque that contains elements that date back to the medieval period.
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Basilica at Soli
Soli is a significant archaeological site that attracts a regular stream of international visitors and scholars. The ancient city of Soli was one of the ten city-kingdoms of Cyprus and human activity at the site can be dated to the sixth century BC with nearby settlements dating as far back as the eleventh century BC. Soli has religious significance to Christians as the site where Saint Mark is said to have baptized the revered Cypriot Saint Auxibius, Soli’s first Bishop, around AD57. The Basilica itself is thought to be one of the earliest of its kind in Cyprus and is exceptional due to its size and surviving Roman mosaics.
Because of its significance, USAID, through its Supporting Activities that Value the Environment (SAVE) project, became involved with the Soli site. Extensive work has been possible there in large part due to support from the Bishop of Morfou. SAVE’s work has included the engagement of international experts to assess and evaluate the mosaics and their condition; to clean and stabilize them; to photograph and otherwise document the site; to address the water problems that are a source of ongoing erosion and decay; and to design the Walkway to keep visitors from walking on the mosaics and taking pieces of them away. All of these activities have been used as opportunities to train and otherwise build local capacity.
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The Basilica at Soli Cyprus: A Survey of Buildings and Mosaics
This book was produced to document SAVE’s work at the site and to ensure that it becomes part of the international scholarship on Cyprus’ cultural heritage. This volume was authored by David Neal, a British mosaics expert who has documented all of the Roman mosaics in the UK and had also worked at Soli previously.
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