Restoration works at the historical Arif Bey aqueduct near the village of Afania have been completed, the Turkish Cypriot co-chairman of the Bicommunal technical committee on cultural heritage Ali Tuncay said on Wednesday.

In a post on Facebook, Tuncay explained that while the exact date of the aqueduct’s construction is not known by historians, it was built to channel water from a local stream to the Ornuta farm, which is located outside the village.

He added that the aqueduct was originally 457 metres in length. A total of 270 metres of the original structure, spanning 69 arches, have survived to the present day.

The main restoration works required were a general cleaning of the site, the removal of asbestos and vegetation, the reconstruction of stone walls to strengthen the aqueduct’s structural integrity, and the re-grouting of stone walls to strengthen its structural integrity against weathering and erosion.

Tuncay added, “with the completion of these vital interventions, another important and tangible element of our cultural heritage, which is a symbol of our island’s economic, social, and cultural past, has been protected and secured.”

The restoration works were carried out with funding from the European Union and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme.

The village of Afania is located in the west of the Mesaoria plain, near Ercan (Tymbou) airport.