Seminar: Nikolas Bakirtzis
The historic core of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia is still defined by the iconic circular fortifications erected by the Venetians in the 16th century. These walls constitute the most important monument for a city whose layered heritage is today torn between the two sides of the infamous “Green Line” that since 1974 has divided Nicosia between the Greek-Cypriot South and the Turkish-Cypriot North. The city’s medieval past is entangled with the political complexities and the physical division of the present. Yet, it is Nicosia’s heritage, such as its fortifications, that stubbornly proclaims its spatial and cultural integrity as one entity.
This talk will address aspects of Nicosia’s history, the preservation and definition of its heritage by the British in the early 20th century, the challenges of the contemporary division, and the ways digital technologies can help efforts to understand the layered complexities of historic cities. It is important to note that the complex urban environment of Nicosia has been the focus of research and educational synergies between the Cyprus Institute and the University of Illinois: NCSA’s Advanced Visualization Laboratory is a key partner in the visualization of heritage in Nicosia; UIUC’s Department of Landscape Architecture and the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center of the Cyprus Institute co-lead a Getty Foundation Connecting Art Histories program concentrating on historic cities in the Mediterranean; a Landscape Architecture studio course (spring 2019) visited Nicosia and is currently completing student projects addressing the complex urban realities of the city.
Sponsors
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
Department of Landscape Architecture
Humanities Research Institute at Illinois