With a curious mind and a deep personal connection, I find myself drawn to exploring how cultural heritage, particularly intangible heritage, survives in the aftermath of conflict. My research journey begins with Strovilia, a small, decaying village in Cyprus that holds profound meaning for me. Once a thriving community, Strovilia now has just two elders remaining, and much of its intangible cultural heritage—stories, traditions, and practices—risks disappearing entirely. This place, where my father grew up, symbolizes not only my family’s history but also the broader struggle of communities in conflict zones to hold on to their identities.
As I embark on my master’s project in Cultural Heritage Futures, Strovilia becomes my case study. This village, located on the sensitive borders between Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot, and British territories, represents a microcosm of broader geopolitical tensions. My goal is to explore how intangible cultural heritage—such as local customs, oral histories, and shared memories—can be preserved or even retrieved when it appears lost.
This issue extends far beyond Strovilia. Countless other post-conflict areas face the same challenges, where cultural heritage, often seen as fragile, is caught between political disputes, military zones, and changing sovereignties. I aim to investigate how communities in these liminal spaces might reconnect with their cultural past, and whether future-oriented approaches can offer solutions to safeguard what remains of their intangible legacies.
Life post-conflict
The following images of life in Strovilia, spanning from the 1980s to the 2000s, capture the slow decay of a once-thriving community deeply affected by post-conflict tensions. Though the conflict ended, political measures and border controls have shaped the village’s fate, reducing it to just two remaining residents. The fading presence of people reflects the ongoing impact of division on heritage and culture, showing how the legacy of conflict continues to erode even intangible connections to a place.
Personal Connection and Global Significance
Strovilia’s fate has become personal to me. Watching its slow decay over the years, from a place where my family lived and thrived, to a near-abandoned village, has been heartbreaking. Yet, it also pushes me to consider new ways of preserving heritage in similar contested spaces around the world. This is not just about saving a place but giving life back to it, reclaiming identity through its cultural memory. By focusing on intangible heritage, I’m exploring how even when physical sites are lost or degraded, the essence of a community—their stories, songs, poems, traditions—can endure and be re-imagined for future generations. Food for thought for future research.
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