Agios Christostomos
The church of Agios Christostomos was located in military area until 7 or 8 years ago. The Bogaz region where it stands was for many years, from 1963 to 1974 the middle point of severe fights. Most probably the status of the church was better before all this started. Looking at its exterior, there is not a big problem but when you look inside you can really see the negligence and the absolute destruction of unique frescoes:
Clearly for Turkish Cypriots this church is not felt as their heritage or their responsability. Agios Christostomos lies in the region where fightings among Greek and Turkish Cypriots in the ’60’s and ’70’s were most fierce. And that memory is alive, it appears, maybe also because there has always been few recognition for the problems of Turkish Cypriots. I made two other photographs here of recent graphitis:
The picture on the left is clear I guess, the one on the right has, if you look carefully, yellow graphiti mentioning ‘Hamitköy’. Hamitköy was the village where hundreds of refugees had to stay for over ten years in sheds and tents. They ran from Omorphita that was 80% Turkish and attacked by EOKA troops during christmas 1963. There was looting and killing and until today 150 persons are missing. It is significant that ‘Hamitköy’ is painted as a graphiti on a church.
Many Turkish Cypriots see the Greek Cypriot Church as the great inspirator of anti-Turkish feelings on the Greek side. For example at the moment Greek Cyprus has an electricity problem. Turkish Cyprus helps them out. The Greek Cypriot Government has accepted that, but the Greek Cypriot Church has heavily criticized this acceptance, as in their views anything from the North of Cyprus must be boycotted.
However unique the frescoes are, they will not be saved as long as this kind of discussions continue. Where people fight, heritage is suffering.
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