Restoration works carried out at Famagusta’s Venetian Palace

The walls of the historical Venetian Palace in Famagusta’s old town are being reinforced, after some feared they may collapse.

An agreement was signed by the north’s Famagusta municipality and the ‘tourism ministry’ to carry out the works, which are being undertaken by the north’s antiquities department.

Archaeologist Huseyin Kucuksu told local media the work is being carried out to “extend the life” of the building and to prevent its collapse.

“Dozens of bags of rubbish were collected from the building’s courtyard which had been thrown haphazardly away by people who don’t care about the environment,” he said.

He pointed out that the fine in Famagusta for fly tipping is set at the equivalent of one month’s minimum wage – 15,750TL (€529) – and urged the public to report incidences of fly tipping to the authorities.

Meanwhile, restoration works on the Kyrenia castle are set to begin in 2024, according to the north’s antiquities department director Tankut Rifki.

Rifki told newspaper Kibris on Monday that “an exact date to begin work has not yet been determined, but within our own organisation, works will begin in 2024”.

He added that his department is “aware” of structural collapses and falling debris in the castle, and that “measures need to be taken” to ensure its structural integrity.

At the same time, he provided an update to the situation regarding Nicosia’s walls, of which a section in the Kugulu Park, underneath Ersin Tatar’s official residence, collapsed in 2022.

He said repair works to the walls have “already started”, adding that the areas undergoing repair works have now been cleaned.

He added that tender for the repair works of Nicosia’s walls was held by the United Nations’ Development Programme (UNDP), and said “the collapsed areas will be repaired, the collapsed areas and the areas in between need to be fixed. Work has begun to this end.”

Additionally, he said his department is “in the process of calculating the cost of the repairs”.