Online Journal of Art and Design volume 9, issue 4, October 2021 Appropriation of Church Buildings in Northern Cyprus Yasemin İnce Güney* and Hülya Yüceer** *Balıkesir University,
[email protected] **İzmir Institute of Technology,
[email protected] ABSTRACT The appropriation of places of worship by communities associated with different religions has been a common practice throughout history, although the aims of and processes for such appropriations may vary. In some cases, it can be interpreted as a cultural conquest. Alternatively, it can be a convenient adaptation to provide a place for prayer while maintaining the sanctity of the place. The process of appropriation provides an understanding of cultures and their change over time. Given the changing dynamics of long, on-going conflicts in Cyprus, this article aims to trace the relationship between heritage and contemporary cultural dynamics by examining the process of the appropriation of church buildings in northern Cyprus before and after the conflict that resulted in the division of the island in 1974. Keywords: Cyprus, church, mosque, heritage, conflict INTRODUCTION The Republic of Cyprus, established in 1960, has been a troubled state since the armed conflict in 1963 when the Turkish Cypriot legislators rejected the proposed amendments to the constitution and Turkish representation left the government. The political problems between the two communities eventually led to the permanent division of the island following a military intervention by Turkey in 1974. This dramatic development was accompanied by a massive population movement between the north and the south. The division forced both communities to separate and have no contact for the next thirty years.