Conservation and access upgrades at UNESCO-listed Troodos churches

On August 5, 2026, the Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus, Lina Kassianidou, inspected conservation and infrastructure upgrade projects at two UNESCO-listed sites: the Church of the Holy Cross of Agiasmati in Platanistasa and the Church of Panagia tou Araka in Lagoudera. These locations are part of the ten painted churches of the Troodos region designated as World Heritage sites. The visit highlighted the successful completion of access road improvements at the Holy Cross of Agiasmati, which was a long-standing requirement for the local community.

In addition to the physical restoration work, the Deputy Ministry of Culture has institutionalized a fixed operating schedule for all ten UNESCO-listed churches in the region, which has been in effect since last year. To support this policy, the Department of Antiquities has provided funding to hire dedicated staff to manage security and visitor services. The churches are now consistently open to the public six days a week, a measure that officials report has already led to a noticeable increase in visitor numbers. Ongoing efforts to further improve infrastructure and protection measures for these historic monuments are continuing.