Turkey receives two European awards

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

The conservation project at the Miletos İlyas Bey Complex (above) and the Allianoi Initiative are the winners of the Europe Nostra awards in two categories.

The Miletos İlyas Bey Complex in Istanbul’s Balat neighborhood and the Allianoi Iniatitive have been announced by the European Commission as recipients of the 2012 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage, or Europa Nostra Awards.

The conservation project at the Miletos İlyas Bey Complex is the work of architect Cengiz Kabaoğlu, who won the award in the category of conservation. The building can be found in the ancient Milet district of Balat in Istanbul. The Allianoi Initiative, a project that works to protect the ancient hot springs site of Allianoi near Bergama in Turkey’s Aegean region, and its Dr. Ahmet Yaras, received the award in the category of “dedicated service.”

The 28 Europa Nostra winners were selected from among 226 submitted projects from 31 countries. The awards are split into four categories: conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising. Each category has its own specialized jury, composed of independent experts from across Europe. All the winners receive a plaque or trophy. The six “grand prix” winners also receive 10,000 euros each. Of the 28 winning projects from 15 different European countries, six will be named as grand prix laureates for 2012’s most outstanding heritage achievements.

The awards will be presented on June 1 at a ceremony to be held at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, which will be attended by Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, and Plácido Domingo, the world-renowned tenor and president of Europa Nostra. The event will be held under the patronage of Aníbal Cavaco Silva, Portugal’s president, who will also be present, and José Manuel Durão Barroso, president of the European Commission.

“Europe’s cultural heritage is unique in the world. The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage highlights excellence in conservation, research, education, training and awareness-raising, as well as dedicated service by individuals and groups. I would like to warmly congratulate this year’s winners for reminding us of our wonderfully rich and varied heritage that we should never take for granted. It is in our trust for future generations,” said Commissioner Vassiliou.