文化財破壊に激しい抗議、キプロス正教会の大聖堂建設で

【ニコシアＡＦＰ＝時事】キプロス首都ニコシアの旧市街で進む大聖堂の建設計画に伴い、隣接する指定建造物が取り壊され、キプロス正教会に怒りの声が上がっている─。（写真はキプロス正教会大聖堂に隣接し、違法に取り壊された指定建造物。キプロス・ニコシアで）
　内務省は２日、前日の「指定建造物の恣意（しい）的で違法な取り壊しについて、大いに困惑し、憂慮している」と述べ、また壊された建造物４棟は教会が所有する土地に立っていたが、取り壊しは文化遺産保護に関する法律に違反するとした。
　キプロス正教会は、政治的影響力が大きい。しかし、今回の取り壊しをめぐっては、クリゾストモス２世大主教に対し、人々は激しく抗議している。
　ニコシアのコンスタンディノス・ユロカジス市長は２日、キプロス放送のラジオを通じ、取り壊しは違法であり市の許可なく行われたと述べた。
　記録によると、取り壊されたのは１９２７年に建てられた建造物だった。旧市街にはその他にも、ベネチア共和国時代を象徴する壁や、数世紀も前の建物が並ぶ。内務省は、国の文化的遺産を「次世代に」残す目的で７０００棟の建物を指定建造物に定めている。
　ＡＦＰは大主教本部にコメントを求めたが、すぐに回答はなかった。
　ニコシアのある市議会議員は、大主教が２日の会議で建造物の修復を約束したとしている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/02/04-15:44）

The powerful Church of Cyprus has sparked anger on the Mediterranean island by demolishing four listed buildings next to a new cathedral it is building in Nicosia's historic old city.
The interior ministry said Tuesday it was deeply troubled and concerned over the arbitrary and illegal demolition of the preserved buildings in the capital the previous day.
It said that while the houses were on church-owned land, their demolition violated laws protecting cultural heritage.
The Cypriot Orthodox Church has considerable political clout on the island, but its decision to demolish the buildings sparked a public outcry against Archbishop Chrysostomos II.
Nicosia's Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis told state radio CyBC on Tuesday that the demolitions were illegal and took place without any prior permit issued by the municipality.
Yiorkadjis said the municipality would demand the restoration of the buildings, which according to Cypriot records date back to 1927.
The interior ministry says 7,000 buildings have been listed across the island in an attempt to preserve the island's cultural legacy for generations to come.
The protection of architectural, but also historical heritage, is a priority for the state, it added.
The Technical Chamber of Cyprus, advisory body on engineering and building standards, said the Church did not have the appropriate licenses to demolish the buildings and accused it of violating the terms of its planning permission for the new cathedral.
It said the Church had a contractual obligation to maintain and restore the surrounding buildings.
The houses, a stone's throw from the archbishop's headquarters, lie in the old centre of Nicosia with its iconic Venetian-era walls and some architectural relics dating back to centuries earlier.
The archbishop's office did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
But Nicosia municipal councillor Chrysanthos Fakas said the archbishop had promised to restore the buildings during a meeting on Tuesday.
During a visit I had a while ago with Archbishop Chrysostomos, I conveyed to him without hesitation this request, he assured me that the restoration of the buildings will begin soon, Fakas said in a social media post.
The demolition enraged political parties, with ruling conservatives DISY on Tuesday calling for the competent authorities to step in and do everything that the laws of our state provide.
The Communist opposition party AKEL released a statement denouncing the destruction.
Our cultural heritage is not the property of the Archbishop, it said.