Due to its strategic location, the island of Cyprus has hosted many civilizations throughout history. One of the most important periods of the island is the British Colonial Period (1878-1960). Many public and administrative buildings and structures were built during this period. One of the most important of investment of British Colonial Period is the ‘Cyprus Government Railway-CGR’ that constructed between Evrihu and Famagusta. The railway line began operating in 1905 and after operating for 46 years, stopped in 1951. After the closure of the railway line, buildings and structures related to CGR was abandoned and left to their fate. The importance of the CGR has a significant tangible and intangible value in terms of railway heritage. The main purpose of the study is to reveal the ‘heritage values in different meanings and dimensions’ in order to preserve railway heritage of Cyprus with the awareness that it is the common heritage of both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities. With the aim of achieving this goal, the study was carried out under two main sections as literature study and field study. In the study, a holistic approach was carried out in the light of the observations and documents obtained under the guidance of UNESCO. In the light of the heritage values put forward for the railway heritage of Cyprus, conservation proposals were developed. In addition, the study suggests that the heritage be preserved not only with its physical qualities but also as a part of the collective memory of Cyprus.
Dr. Kagan Gunce is professor at the Facult of Architecture at Eastern Mediterranean University. He is a full-time professor in the Faculty of Architecture at EMU. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Institute of Graduate Studies and Research at EMU. He was director of Housing Education, Research & Advisory Centre and he was the head of the Interior Architecture Department at EMU. His research interests include architectural theory, design, environmental psychology, and conservation. He has many academic awards, and his academic works have received many citations on the Web of Science platform.
Damla Misirlisoy is an associate professor who is specialised in the field of conservation and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings. She has a Bachelor degree in Architectural Program, a Master degree in Architectural Program, and Ph.D. in Architectural Conservation from Eastern Mediterranean University, Department of Architecture. After working in Eastern Mediterranean University for 4 years, she continued her PhD researches in Politecnico di Milano as a visiting scholar. She completed her PhD degree in 2016 and currently teaches at the European University of Lefke, Faculty of Architecture and Design. Her research interests include conservation, cultural heritage, and adaptive reuse.