Today, in relation to Chrysostomos’ denunciation, in a report on the visit to the Vatican by the Orthodox exponent, SIR Europe made known a few figures of the press and information office of the Cypriot government (www.moi.gov.cy/pio – www.mfa.gov.cy) on the conditions of the Christian holy places in the North of the island. Over 500 Greek Orthodox churches and chapels would be demolished or running serious risks in the area occupied by the Turks. Moreover, according to those figures, 77 churches were changed into mosques, 133 places of worship or monasteries were desecrated, 18 churches changed into deposits, barracks and military hospitals, 1 church transformed into hotel and art school. They are important sites dating back to the early Christian era until the modern age, including the Byzantine era and the period of the French (XI-XV centuries) and Venetian (XV-XVI centuries) dominations. Up to now, we don’t know what has become of the sacred objects and furnishings of those churches, whose heritage included over 15 thousand icons.
