Churches in Ani under restoration
Reconstruction works have launched in the Armenian city of Ani, with ICOMOS trying to involve Armenian specialists in the restoration of local Armenian monuments.
The resolution to engage an international expert group in the reconstruction works was submitted at the 17th General Assembly of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in November 2011. The group should comprise Armenian specialists, as well, Gagik Gyurjyan, chairman of ICOMOS Armenia, told a news conference on August 31.
Turkish delegates at first opposed the resolution but finally accepted the decision under general pressure.
"Experts of ICOMOS are more independent, and their supervision is much more important for us - Armenians. Our desire is to see our historical values preserved for our future generations," said Mr. Gyurjyan.
Ani has been included by Turkey in the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list. Whether it will appear in the final list or not will be known in the upcoming years.
The restoration works are funded by World Monuments Fund , Turkey's Ministry of Culture and the UN Ambassadors Fund.
