Balcony in Betlemi. Photo: ICOMOS Georgia ArchivePreserving cultural heritage for the good of the community
Last updated: 26/09/2011 //
On September 20th, the Ambassador of Norway to Azerbaijan and Georgia, Mr. Erling Skjønsberg, held the opening address at the conference “Community and Historic Environment” in Tbilisi. The conference marked the conclusion of a cooperation project between the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren) and ICOMOS Georgia.
Ambassador Erling Skjønsberg at the international conference “Community and Historic Environment” in Tbilisi. Also in the picture: Head of Delegation of the EU to Georgia, Ambassador Philip Dimitrov, and the Honorary Consul of Norway in Tbilisi, Liana Hærum. Photo: Guga VachnadzeThrough the project ”Revitalization of Betlemi Quarter”, a unique district in Tbilisi’s old town has been rehabilitated. An overarching aim of the project has been to involve local citizens and raise awareness about preservation of cultural heritage. The project has been financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is a good example of the close cooperation between Norwegian and Georgian actors within the field of cultural heritage.
More information about the conference, which included speakers from Georgia and Norway, as well as from 11 other countries, can be found here: http://www.icomos.org.ge/conference/?page_id=38. More info about the project ”Revitalization of Betlemi Quarter” can be found on the project’s homepage http://icomos.org.ge/betlemi/betlemi3/index.htm.
Betlemi in Tbilisi. Photo: ICOMOS Georgia Archive