Work of the Kyrenia Shipwreck Gallery at Kyrenia Castle have been completed and a commemorative plaque unveiled.
UNDP Cyprus said the work was carried out by the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and financed by the EU as part of the 14.7 m euro programme on the European Cultural Heritage implemented by the EU Commission through UNDP Cyprus.
Taking part at the event earlier this month were Renaud Henoumont, deputy head of the support unit for Cyprus at the Commission, the co-chairmen of the technical committee Takis Hadjigeorgiou and Ali Tuncay, the senior programme director and head of UNDP Tiziana Zenaro and experts who worked on the project.
Laina Swiny and Robin Piercy, who were involved in discovering and conserving the Shipwreck, addressed the event via a video conference.
The upgrade work started in April and ended in August and included repairs to the outer walls, new wooden doors and insulation and other work to reduce humidity.
The wreck of the 4th century BC Greek merchant ship was discovered in 1965 by Andreas Cariolou and excavated in 1968 and 1969.
A large portion of the hull was preserved. The remaining hull was raised, conserved and reconstructed. The reconstructed hull was 14 m in length and 4.2 m in beam. Conservation of the raised artefacts took place between 1969 and 1974.
