RELIGION AS A FACTOR OF CONSERVATION OF WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE
On Thursday, the 21st of October/3rd of November 2016, the Central Meeting of the Democratic Group of Engineers (DIPAM) was held at the conference hall of the Technical Chamber of Greece in the presence of all representatives, headed by NTUA Professor, Ms Antonia Moropolou, coordinator of the restoration and conservation project now underway on the Aedicula of the Holy Sepulchre.
At the meeting, Ms Moropoulou referred to the meeting of the National Chamber in Athens and the two meetings held in Cyprus, in collaboration with the Technical Chambers of Greece and Cyprus, on the protection of cultural heritage; also, on the meeting held on 31 October 2016, on the protection of world cultural heritage. Professor Moropoulou spoke in favour of DIPAM’s position on the inclusion of religion within those factors and organizations assigned to preserve religious and non-religious cultural heritage and to protect religious monuments.
To demonstrate DIPAM’s position, Ms Moropoulou presented the current project of restoration and conservation of the Holy Sepulchre, the Holy Rock and the Aedicula built in 1810 by Kalfas Comnenus of Mytilene and all Rum Orthodox – in accordance with a study conducted by the NTUA Interdisciplinary Team and in agreement with the three Great Communities of Greek Orthodox, Franciscans and Armenians. The agreement does not only make the Aedicula a site of veneration and pilgrimage for Christians, but also a meeting point for adherents to other religions who will witness the spirit of peaceful religious coexistence and symbiosis.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem is in favour of the aforementioned position of DIPAM, being the first receiver of the fruits of restoration works on the Holy Aedicula.
From the Secretariat-General