Journal articles on the topic 'Architecture, Medieval – Cyprus – Nicosia'

This study focuses on the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre [NiMAC] in Nicosia, one of the prominent historical industrial buildings in Cyprus, which has been re-functionalized as an art centre. The overall goal of this study is to examine and clarify the human experience of the NiMAC building as part of one’s lifeworld. The main argument of the research is that proposing an effective research design for examining how a person distinguishes the components of a re-used building is possible by human responses to architecture rather than focusing on the physical aesthetics of it. Hence, the purpose of the study is to make a multi-sensory analysis to grasp how a person develops an emotional attitude in the re-functioned space which can be the core assessment of the adaptive re-use purposes. In this context, this research basically explores the main research question which is about what spatial experiences the NiMAC building is offering to people after it is re-functioned when space is experienced in a multisensory approach. Methodologically, this research design is basically created by the hybrid use of first-person, existential, and hermeneutic tactics of the phenomenological approach.

The formation of the historical city texture of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, began during the Lusignan Period. St. Sophia Cathedral and St. Catherine Church, which have an important place in the formation of the texture, are two of the few works of art still surviving today. Being a period of destruction for the city, in general, The Venetian Period provided the city walls to Nicosia which still surround the historical texture. The Ottoman Period brought a change to the historical city texture and Islamic culture and Turkish Architectural construction style replaced the Christian cultures. A number of architectural works from this period, still existing within the walled city of Nicosia, provided a great contribution to the formation and development of the present day texture, as well as for its sustainability. The British Period is one which brought novelty to the city texture of Nicosia. With demolition of historical works and changes in the street and square dimensions, British Colonial Architecture displays the traces of the recent past. The administrative buildings constructed in place of the demolished Lusignan Palace, still serve at present. With the beginning of the Period of the Republic in 1960, Nicosia underwent a fast process of development as an important capital in the Middle East. The traditional visuality in the city texture left its place to contemporary constructions and formations. The inter-communal conflicts, which started in 1964 on the other hand, negatively affected the formation and development of the city texture, and there was a period of stagnation until the 70s. The new developments observed since the 70s and the insufficiency of precautions to protect historical texture, caused a deterioration the city texture. With the position of an open-air museum, Nicosia with its history of over twenty-five centuries has a very rich historical city texture with the legacies of various cultures which reigned over Cyprus and is sustainable in the present, and is therefore an important cultural and touristic center Keywords: Cyprus, Nicosia, Historical City Texture, Walled City, Sustainability.

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The present study illustrates the results of an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Mediterranean Laboratory of Survey and Diagnostics for Architecture (RDA) of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAR) of the University of Catania in Italy and the Andreas Pittas Laboratories for Art Characterisation (APAC) of the Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center (STARC) of the Cyprus Institute in Cyprus. The research focused on the application of an H-BIM approach in the study of a Mediterranean iconic heritage asset, the St. John Cathedral of Nicosia, built in 1662 on the remains of a monastery from the 15th century. The adopted methodology has provided the framework for a dynamic investigation, constantly evolving along several dimensions: historical, geometric spatial, architectural-constructive identification and mapping of degrade, interpretation of degenerative causes and design proposals.</p>

This study investigates the symbolic attributes of power relations within the built environment of the walled city of Nicosia and contributes to the interpretation of generated meaning. The fundamental aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive explanation and description of how power as a socially constructed phenomenon aids in defining the language of the city and architecture. Studies of the built environment in relation to power discourse are a continuous process, and due to the subjectivity of interpretations, this study adopted the epistemological stance of constructivism. Based on deductive reasoning, this study hypothesises that power aids in defining the language and imageability of the city, and the results have verified the propositions. The case study of this research was diachronically analysed and focused on the socially-constructed symbolic meaning generation, within the framework of interpretivism. In order to analyse the city, a conceptual approach was developed. Two main approaches that support the research hypothesis were established: the language of the city; and imageability of the city. The imageability of the city was based on the five elements of the city, published in 1960. However, due to the context of this research, three of the elements that fully supported the research aim and objectives were selected, namely, landmark, district and path. The two main conceptual approaches were tied to power relations within the built environment based on the theoretical frameworks of: Markus; Dovey; and Njoh. In conclusion, the walled city of Nicosia exhibits symbols of ‘power over’ such as segregation, seduction, manipulation, and authority. The results have verified the proposition that power aids in defining the language and imageability of a city, thereby transforming the city and its inhabitants.

The holiness of sacred spaces is expressed through the creative synthesis and performance of different symbolic or iconic elements. This article concentrates on the medieval church of Ayios Iakovos in Nicosia, Cyprus. Dedicated to Saint James the Persian, the church became, by the 1600s, a shared shrine for Christians of different denominations (Orthodox, Maronites, and Latins) and Muslims. The aim of this article is to investigate in an interdisciplinary way the formation, adaptation, and negotiation of insular religious identities in relation to Ayios Iakovos’ hierotopy, official and popular religious practices, and the appropriation of Byzantine culture. The components in the creation of this sacred space reflect long-term contact between Cyprus and Greater Syria, constructing an inclusive religious environment with its own insular characteristics. It will be argued that these characteristics were shaped by global, regional, and local developments, including trade, pilgrimage, war, and environmental changes. Being in dialogue with recent scholarship on mixed sacred sites, this case study stresses the importance of interconnectivity and mobility in the creation of shared places of worship. It also shows that phenomena of religious co-existence and syncretism do not always result in homogenisation but maintain distinct group identities.

This study aims to investigate the natural lighting performance in indoor and semi-open spaces of urban vernacular architecture in the Mediterranean region. In vernacular architecture, natural lighting was the main source of light available and was largely achieved through the central courtyard. In this framework, an in-depth lighting performance analysis was carried out in a typical and representative traditional urban complex in the walled city of Nicosia, Cyprus. In-situ lighting measurements, as well as software simulations, were employed in order to assess the lighting performance of the building complex. The study has shown that lighting levels of semi-open and indoor spaces on the first floor are sufficient; whereas, the dense urban fabric, and the introverted character of vernacular architecture, create certain limitations to the lighting levels in indoor spaces of the ground floor. On the other hand, the positive impact of the inner courtyard to the lighting levels of semi-open and indoor spaces has been verified.

The medieval Armenian church of Famagusta, Cyprus, lying in the northwestern or Syrian quarter of the city (Fig. 1), provides a case study through which to raise issues concerning the historical conservation of Famagusta's cultural heritage.2 This article surveys aspects of the building's history, its conservation record, and proposes how it might play a role in any future plans to vitalize the historical centre of the city. The structure may, if utilized in concert with the other historical structures of Famagusta, function to contribute to the rejuvenation of this medieval walled town (Doratli et al. 2007:65-88).

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p>Cyprus, the third largest island in Mediterranean has passed different types of civilization periods. The most significant periods reflecting the architectural and historical characteristics in the island are; until XVIth century under the influence of Latin Civilizations, later on Ottoman (1571-1878), British (1878-1960) and Modern (1960-present) periods. Due to its strategic position in Mediterranean, different cultures from east and west are combined in its heritage. The Turks came to Cyprus in 1571 when the Island was conquered by Ottomans. After this date, the Ottomans began to build their culture they brought with them in Cyprus. All the necessary administrative, religious and public institutions for the administration of the island were established. The monumental buildings indicating Ottomans administrative, educational and social configuration in architecture like mosques, baths, inns, mills, aqueducts, educational institutions, commercial places were built and their continuity with the <em>waqfs</em> (foundations) tradition was ensured. In 1974, a bi-regional settlement policy has been followed on the Island. The northern part settled by the Turkish Cypriots, the southern part settled by the Greek Cypriots and Nicosia became a divided capital city. In this study, the four mosques Omerieh, Bairakdar, Arablar and Tahtakale (Taht-El Kale) from Ottoman Period in South Nicosia are investigated. In the study firstly the archieves of awqaf (vaqf) and literature were searched and historical information about the buildings were collected. Afterwards, the buildings were observed on site and their current conditions were analyzed. The study was made with the aim of documenting the current structural and functional conditions of these mosques which each one is a part of tangible cultural heritage.</p><p> </p><p><strong>ÖZ</strong></p><p>Akdeniz’de üçüncü büyük ada olan Kıbrıs, farklı uygarlık dönemleri geçirmiştir. Adaya mimari ve tarihi özelliklerini yansıtan en belirgin dönemler; XVI. yüzyıla kadar Latin Uygarlıkları’nın etkisinde daha sonra Osmanlı (1571-1878), İngiliz (1878-1960) ve Modern (1960-günümüz) dönemleridir. Akdeniz'deki stratejik konumu nedeniyle kültür mirası, doğudan ve batıdan değişik kültürleri kapsamaktadır. Türkler Kıbrıs'a 1571'de adanın Osmanlı’lar tarafından fethi ile birlikte gelmiştir. Bu tarihten sonra Osmanlı’lar, beraberlerinde getirdikleri kültürü Kıbrıs’ta da inşa etmeye başlamışlardır. Adanın yönetimi için gereksinim duyulan idari, dini ve kamu ile ilgili kurumlar kurulmuştur. Camiler, hamamlar, hanlar, değirmenler, su kemerleri, eğitim kurumları ve ticaret yerleri gibi Osmanlı’nın yönetim, eğitim ve sosyal yapılanmasının mimari alanda göstergeleri olan anıtsal yapılar inşa edilerek, vakıf (evkaf) geleneği ile devamlılıkları sağlanmıştır. 1974’ten itibaren adada iki bölgeli bir yerleşim politikası izlenmiştir. Adanın kuzey bölgesi, Kıbrıslı Türklerin yerleştiği, güney bölgesi ise Kıbrıslı Rumların yerleştiği bölgeler olarak ayrılarak, Lefkoşa bölünmüş bir başkent haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışmada, Güney Lefkoşa'da Osmanlı Dönemi'nden kalan dört yapı olan Ömeriye, Bayraktar, Araplar ve Tahtakale (Taht-El Kale) camileri incelenmiştir. Çalışmada öncelikle evkaf (vakıf) arşivleri ve literatür taraması yapılarak, yapıların tarihçeleri ile ilgili bilgi toplanmıştır. Daha sonra yapıların yerinde inceleme yapılarak, güncel durumları analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma, taşınmaz birer kültür mirası olan bu camilerin günümüzdeki yapısal ve işlevsel durumlarının ortaya konması amacı ile yapılmıştır.</p>

In a section of a chapter on the historiography of Gothic architecture in the formerly Byzantine-ruled territories of the eastern Mediterranean entitled ‘Perspectives and Future Directions’, Tassos Papacostas summed up the relative lack of impact that this traditionally marginal field of medieval artistic production has had on wider arthistorical discourses. In asking why ‘western’ medievalists should ‘bother to look’ at Gothic buildings in the East, he argued that these buildings are of interest to them primarily from the point of view of the cultural, technical and financial processes involved in the transfer of western artistic idioms and models to lands hitherto steeped in an altogether different architectural and artistic tradition. However, it is also the case that, while the prevalent trend in the study of medieval architectural monuments in the eastern Mediterranean prioritizes the local context and how it affected the artistic process, this need not preclude the possibility that at least a few of these buildings could challenge long-held assumptions about western European developments and open new perspectives on them, if approached with the right questions in mind.

This study attempts to assess housing developments on the island of Cyprus by referring to the various actions taken and policies implemented during different periods as a result of changing socio-economic and political dynamics. From this perspective, the methodology of the study is based on an assessment of housing developments throughout periods which coincide with certain socio-political thresholds in the history of the island, such as the year 1974, which resulted in the division of the island into two as Northern and Southern parts, and the year 2004, in which the overall setting is changed as Southern part of the island became member of EU. The overall developments and transformations in housing developments are considered as a mirror image of the actors, actions and associations in building activity throughout the periods referred to in this paper. Nicosia as the capital city of the island, has experienced different spatial transformations, and is comprised of a diversity of housing schemes ranging from the low cost housing units of urban workers, located next to the centers of traditional employment, to the large refugee housing estates and to the institutionalized social housing settlements. In this regard, the study aims to understand, interpret and learn from past experiences in the field of housing developments in order to provide lessons which will serve to support future sustainable living environments, since the current situation is at a critical point, and is currently requiring the interest and attention of the responsible authorities.

Cinemas emerged as a new and genuine expression of culture at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1920s cinema buildings became important for developing city life and especially as a social public space for entertainment. The period of great success of cinemas was inevitably destined to fade with the arrival of TV. However, this period left behind interesting architectural heritage. On the other hand, the “box of dreams”, the cinema industry, is a suggestive media contributing in defining other aspects of popular culture in a period of hectic changes and progress. The scope of this paper aims to investigate this specific building type, cinemas, within the context of modern heritage value in northern Cyprus. The purpose is to raise awareness on significance of cinema buildings thus to foster their protection and enhancement. The study also aims to investigate the historical relation of these buildings to their environments and neighborhoods as well as their transformed current situations. Some buildings were replaced with new ones, some were abandoned, and some others were converted into different uses. These transformed situations are results of changing economic, socio-cultural life styles and changing morphology of the cities. This paper aims also to stress the role of Cypriot architects and architecture in the international panorama within the Mediterranean area, in a peculiar multicultural context. Common features with other countries and local characteristics of the selected buildings are detected and analysed. Architectural qualities and solutions are studied to understand the reflections of the studied period. This study follows a qualitative research approach. The key discussions are made through investigating the cinema buildings and spaces in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus, as a case study method. This research investigates these buildings and spaces through historical archives, photographic surveys and producing maps for showing the location of these within the historic Walled City of Nicosia and its close surrounding. This stage provides significant data about their historic conditions and surroundings and comparisons with today’s current situations. In addition, interviews with local residents who used these cinemas in those periods are also carried out to support historical information and highlight the socio-cultural and economic understanding of those days.

With the increasing number of universities in the country, research on urban form and architecture—with a focus on historic settlements—has accelerated in Cyprus in the last fifteen years. Lefke, a small traditional medieval town located on north-west Cyprus, warrants a detailed urban morphological study, as its traditional urban pattern has been shaped by a medieval character. Within its overall organic urban pattern, there are well-scaled narrow streets, a number of public buildings and irregularly shaped public spaces at the intersection of streets and/or in front of public buildings. Lefke's morphological characteristics, which have developed throughout many years, have been significantly impacted by British influences, as the Cyprus Mines Corporation (CMC), established in 1916, turned Lefke into an industrial town. The CMC district, which is the first industrial mass housing district in Cyprus, has uniquely impacted Lefke's urban patterns and still defines the morphological characteristics of the town today. Accordingly, this paper first explores urban morphology based on two pioneering morphological studies: Gianfranco Cannigia's theories of typo-morphological understanding, and the evolutionary insights of M.R.G. Conzen. The ultimate goal is to set up a typo-morphological basis for the CMC industrial mass housing district, which will drive future interventions, design and planning policies towards its conservation and sustainability.

The monuments of the Byzantine Empire stand as a testimony to architectural ingenuity. The history and development of such ingenuity, however, may often be difficult to trace, since this requires investigating ruins, peeling away centuries of renovations, and searching for new documentary evidence. Nevertheless, identifying the origins of specific innovations can be crucial to an understanding of how they later came to be used. In fact, ‘creative “firsts” are often used to explain important steps in the history of art’, as Edson Armi noted, adding that ‘in the history of medieval architecture, the pointed arch [and] the flying buttress have receive this kind of landmark status’.Since the nineteenth century, scholars have observed both flying buttresses and pointed arches on Byzantine monuments. Such features were difficult to date without textual evidence, and so they were often assumed to reflect the influence of the subsequent Gothic period. Archaeological research in Cyprus carried out between 1950 and 1974, however, had the potential to overturn this assumption.

Star system architect concept was promoted by the media and the society during the last decades. Image culture helped to it, where the most ?iconic? works and designs were continuously published. So many Universities saw how the number of students of Architecture was growing up and new Schools of Architecture arose. Recent economic crises in Europe and other countries helped to go back to an important question: what is the role of the architect within the society? It was an excellent opportunity to understand the Architectural education as the reflection of the society from a territorial and urban point of view. Community projects developed within the Architecture curricula helped to get a comprehensive high education levels, especially in the final years of the program. Transformative pedagogies applied to urban planning and architectural design courses bring up the social role of the architect to the students. Practical exercises are proposed, where the final result is even positive for an eventual social extrapolation. The paper presents us the community projects experiences related to urban design in two different Mediterranean schools of Architecture, one of them in Italy and the last two ones in Lebanon. In the first case the students were invited to reflect on improving the quality of life of the citizenship and the tourists visiting Liguria region in Italy. Proposals for joining efforts among the several municipalities and developing new territorial models are done. The second case study shows us two initiatives for the students, developing proposals for UNHABITAT program and municipalities in southern Lebanon and a proposal for regenerating river lines in Byblos, within the 100 resilient cities program powered by Rockefeller Foundation. Finally, the paper presents the new project is being developed currently by American University of Cyprus, about Arabahmet and Karamanzade sectors in Nicosia.

<p><strong>ABSTRACT</strong></p><p>Selimiye Square, placed in the historical Selimiye neighborhood within the walled city of Nicosia, has become an important center, shaped with the architectural heritage of different cultures throughout the history of Cyprus. The creation of the square began with the building of the St. Sophia Cathedral of the Lusignan Period, at the beginning of the 1200s, and it developed as a religious center with the addition of St. Nicholas Church and the Archbishopric right after. Although not much development in the texture, a guest house built for travelers and pilgrims (The Venetian House) and the meeting place built for the priests of the cathedral (Chapter House), continued the process of creation of the square and the religious quality of the texture. During the Ottoman Period, which was an important era for the historical urban texture of Nicosia, Turkish Architecture, a new architectural style, was added to the surroundings of Selimiye Square. St. Sophia Cathedral was turned into a mosque with the addition of minarets, the Archbishopric and the building next to it were turned into Traditional Turkish Houses with alterations and additions, and St. Nicholas Church was turned into Bedesten (covered bazaar). With the addition of Sultan Mahmut Library and the Big and Small Medrese (madrasah), educational and business functions were added to the religious center; thus the creation of a historical environment and the boundaries of the square became clarified. The boundaries of the square were completed during the British Period with the construction of houses towards the west of the square and it gained the identity of a meeting place for the social activities of the city. During this period, the square was opened for vehicle traffic, and its texture, its religious and business center character were preserved. The periods of the Republic of Cyprus and the following Cyprus Turkish Administration years were a stagnant period for the creation and development of the square. During this period, the square was used as a place of ceremonies with the erection of the Fighters Monument in the east of the library. The buildings around the square underwent functional changes during the TRNC period, from 1983 to today, but the texture preserved its importance with its religious, educational, and business activities. With the new arrangements in 2001 within the scope of the pedestrianization project, an important meeting place was created for the social activities of the city. Thus, becoming an important center for the tourism and social life of the city with the mosque, cultural center, museum, folk arts atelier, restaurants, and bars, which all exist within this historical texture. </p><p><strong>ÖZ</strong></p><p>Lefkoşa Suriçi’nde, tarihi Selimiye Mahallesi’nde yer alan Selimiye Meydanı; Kıbrıs’ın tarihindeki farklı kültürlerin mimari mirasları ile biçimlenen önemli bir merkez olmuştur. Lüzinyanlar Dönemine ait St. Sophia Katedrali’nin, 1200’lü yılların başında burada inşa edilmesiyle başlayan meydan oluşumu, hemen sonrasında St. Nicholas Kilisesi ve Başpiskoposluk Binasının eklenmesi ile buranın bir dini merkez olarak gelişmesini yönlendirmiştir. Venedikliler Döneminde, dokuda fazla bir gelişme olmamakla birlikte, seyyahlar ve hacılar için yapılan misafirhane binası (Venedik Evi) ve katedralin rahipleri için yapılan toplantı binası (Chapter House), dokunun dini merkez niteliği ile meydanın oluşum sürecini devam ettirmiştir. Lefkoşa tarihi kent dokusunun gelişimi için önemli olduğundan, Selimiye Meydanı için de bir değişim dönemi olan Osmanlı Döneminde, Selimiye Meydanı çevresine yeni bir mimari olan Türk Mimarisi kazandırılmıştır. St. Sophia Katedrali, eklenen minarelerle camiye, Başpiskoposluk binası ve yanındaki bina, tadilât ve ilâvelerle Geleneksel Türk Evi’ne, St. Nicholas Kilisesi de Bedesten’e dönüştürülmüştür. Sultan Mahmut Kütüphanesi ile Büyük ve Küçük Medrese binalarının dokuya eklenmesiyle de dini merkeze eğitim ve ticaret işlevleri de katılımış; böylece tarihi çevre oluşumu ve meydan sınırları belirginleşmeye başlamıştır. İngiliz Döneminde, meydanın batı yönüne inşa edilen konutlarla meydan sınırları tamamlanmış ve kentin sosyal etkinlikleri için toplanma alanı kimliğini kazanmıştır. Bu dönemde meydan, araç trafiğine açılmış, çevre dokusu, dini ve eğitim merkezi özelliğini korumuştur. Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti ve sonrasındaki Kıbrıs Türk Yönetimi Dönemleri, meydan oluşumu ve gelişimi için durgun bir dönem olmuştur. Bu dönemde, kütüphanenin doğu tarafına inşa edilen Mücahitler Anıtı ile meydan, tören alanı olarak da kullanılmıştır. 1983 yılından günümüze kadar olan KKTC Döneminde, meydan çevresindeki yapılar işlev değiştirmiş, fakat doku yine dini, ticari ve eğitim faaliyetleri ile önemini korumuştur. Yayalaştırma projesi kapsamında 2001 yılında meydanda yapılan yeni düzenleme ile kentin sosyal etkinlikleri için önemli bir buluşma alanı oluşturulmuş, tarihi dokuda yer alan cami, kültür merkezi, müze, halk sanatları atölyesi, lokanta, bar gibi işlevlerle de kentin turizmi ve sosyal yaşamı için önemli bir merkez olarak yaşam bulmuştur.</p>