Conservation work at the first mosque that was chosen to be restored as part of the mission of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, was completed at Denia village and during a ceremony on Friday, parties said united, they will be able to forget the mistakes of the past and live together for a better future. Work at the mosque in Denia village of Nicosia district, began in 2012. It was the first site from a list of 40 selected by the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage to benefit from emergency measures in 2012. Following the completion of emergency measures in April 2013, upon request of the Technical Committee, further works were implemented to provide the mosque with a roof, hence ensuring a longer-term preservation of the monument as well as its possible reuse. The project was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme Partnership for the Future (UNDP-PFF) and cost approximately 123,667 euro, including works, design, supervision and additional works to the roof and was fully funded by the EU. Denia had a total of 128 Turkish Cypriot and 170 Greek Cypriots but now there are only 520 Greek Cypriots and only one Turkish Cypriot family. Greek Cypriot villagers and Turkish Cypriots who lived in Denia before the intercommunal trouble, were present at the ceremony on Friday to mark the successful completion of the project. In his address, Greek Cypriot co-chairman of the Technical Committee Takis Hadzidemetriou said “a new message emerges from the churches and the mosques that we restore, a message of understanding and tolerance, a message for the Cyprus of tomorrow, in which priests and imams along with common people, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, will walk along the pathway of peace”. He said the mosque was in ruins when the engineers and contractor commenced restoration work and halfway, “the forces of hatred and intolerance reminded us of their presence”. In January 2013, as conservation work was underway, culprits demolished two walls after violating the steel entrance of the mosque. However, the village community leader Christos Panagiotou along with other villagers, said what happened was a “shame to the village and the church” and they were determined to guard it. At the end the powers of peace won the day and the mosque was restored and dignified and is now receiving peace lovers, Greek and Turkish Cypriots in a genuine spirit of friendship and love. Turkish Cypriot co-chairman of the Technical Committee, Ali Tuncay said this was the first time in almost 50 years that the mosque was opened and he was happy to see it reach this stage. The symbolism of this project is very important, he said, adding “when we work and cooperate, we produce results. And by producing results we come together and heal the mistakes of the past”. Community leader Panagiotou said “today is a great day for Denia because we believe that peoples and communities should build bridges because only through peace we can survive. Peace is the divine gift of God, whoever God we believe in, and this is something we should respect”, he remarked. Tiziana Zennaro, Programme Manager of the United Nations Development Programme,  said in the beginning, the works carried out were emergency but as they continued and with the collapse of the walls, the whole structure was strengthened. This project shows how cultural cooperation can be the cornerstone for a better future, she added. Alessandra Viezzer, head of Programme Team at the EU Programme Support Office EUPSO said that the mosque in Denia is another example of successful partnership. She said now the focus should shift and become more ambitious and that with “unity makes us stronger”. Viezzer also said that she is convinced there is light at the end of the tunnel and announced that apart from the 5.3 million Euro allocated for the Technical Committee from the EU for the period 2012-2014,  a further  1.4 million will be approved by the end of this year. She Viezzer talked about the sustainability of the projects, noting they need to be embraced and maintained by the communities and pledged the EU will continue supporting these projects. “Life together is not only possible but must be achieved”, she added. Imam Mustafa Samile told CNA that “we are all brothers and this is part of our brotherhood”. He said he was very happy to be at the mosque, adding “it is the best feeling to be here and pray after 50 years”. Speaking on behalf of the Morphou Bishopric, Father Kyriakos said he was very moved by the restoration of the  mosque. He said “more things, good things will come” and cited the church service at Agios Nicolaos at Sirianohori on Sunday. The church was recently restored as part of the Technical Committe`s projects. Father Paraskevas of the Agios Haralambos Church in Denia, visibly content, said everyone has the right to believe to any God, provided that God teaches love and unity.