Historical Monastery in North Cyprus ready to collapse

The Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (04.02.12) reports that occupied Apostolos Andreas Monastery in Karpass Peninsula is about to collapse. The paper writes that this historic monument is bound to the Evkaf religious foundation. The paper’s correspondent Dilek Cetereisi visited the monastery accompanied by Mehmet Demirci, self-styled mayor of occupied Rizokarpasso village and dedicated in Kibris four pages to the problems of the area. 

Apostolos Andreas Monastery [Credit: Web]

According to what she reports, the road leading to the Apostolos Andreas monastery is in a bad condition and the tents rambling around create a bad impression. The self-styled mayor Demirci complained about the situation, but said he could do nothing because the place “belongs” to Evkaf. 

The buildings in the area, which are about to collapse, contribute to the “ugliness” of the monastery, reports the journalist, noting that the lodgings of the monastery which “belong” to Evkaf are ready to collapse. Demirci said they have acquired a financial aid of 500 thousand Turkish liras from the Turkish “embassy” for repairing the lodgings, but the project is still pending at the “Planning Construction Department”. Pointing out to the urgency of restoring the monastery, the paper writes that there are fractures on the walls and the place under the monastery has been turned into a pen where sheep and goats are bred. According to father Zacharias, the priest of the monastery, from time to time these animals enter inside the monastery. He said the monastery needs restoration the soonest, regardless of who will carry out this job. 

The paper writes that 400 Greek Cypriots live in Rizokarpasso village together with settlers from Turkey who constitute the vast majority of the area’s population. The Turkish settlers, said Demirci, came from 35 provinces and 75 towns of Turkey. Turkish Cypriots live only in 3-4 households in that area, he added. 

Meanwhile, writing in his daily column in Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (06.02.12), Akay Cemal refers to the “sorrowful condition” of Apostolos Andreas Monastery and reports that if the restoration does not begin the soonest and the monastery collapses, the “TRNC”, breakaway regime in the occupied area of Cyprus, will be responsible for this. Cemal alleges that Archbishop Chrysostomos II is looking forward to the collapse of the monastery in order to be able to accuse the Turks. 

Source: Cyprus Expat [February 06, 2012]