Transport minister Yiannis Karousos on Friday said it should be the state’s obligation to finance the restoration of ancient monuments in situations where communities do not have the ability to finance these projects themselves.

Karousos made the comments during his visit to the village of Archimandrita in Paphos to see the restoration work of a 15th century water mill in the area.

In this context, Karousos said that his ministry had fully assumed the cost of the restoration work which amounts to €115,000, adding that the restoration started in May and will be completed by October 2022.

He added that the crew of the department of antiquities worked to implement the project.

“Southeast of the village of Pano Archimandrita are the remains of a watermill known as the ‘Water Mill of Marathi’… From the inscription dated 1582 on the water tower, it is certain that the water mill was in operation for about 350 years, having ceased to operate in the 1930s. From the original buildings, significant parts of the water tank, the entire water tower, and remains of the grinding room and two auxiliary rooms survive,” a statement said.

In 2017 the watermill was declared an Ancient Monument by the antiquities department for the purpose of its rescue, conservation and promotion.