A/HRC/34/56/Add.1 71. In the south, for example, while the Agia Sofia mosque in Paphos has been partly restored, the plan so far does not seem to include sanitation facilities, which are particularly important for Muslims in performing ablutions and would have been required had people who might use the site been consulted.16 The Special Rapporteur is happy to note however that this might be considered in the future. 72. The Special Rapporteur also learnt that the Department of Antiquities has applied to include the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque and its surrounding environment (Larnaca Salt Lakes) on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. While she understands the good intentions of the project, she was surprised that people having a particular link with the site had not yet been informed or consulted at the time of her visit about such an application, including as to whether they supported the idea of a nomination itself and on the implications the project might have in terms of access to and maintenance of the site. She was pleased to learn that such a consultation is planned. 73. In the north, the restoration of the Armenian Church complex in the Arabahmet district in Nicosia did not involve adequate consultation of the religious leaders and members of the congregation about their needs or their recollection of the place. That has led to problems. For example, the community does not know whether some tombstones with inscriptions and icons, or the sarcophagus of Abbess Eschive de Dampierre were removed from the site before or during the restoration work. They have had no answer from the Turkish Cypriot authorities on this matter. In addition, the church was not restored with white walls as people remember it, which has created a lot of concern among some Armenians. The Special Rapporteur also notes that the Apostolos Barnabas monastery was transformed into a museum, and a coffee shop installed, without any consultation of or information given to the Orthodox Church of Cyprus. 3. Visiting, accessing and using sites 74. Thanks to the opening of the crossings in Cyprus, people have returned to visit their old villages and neighbourhoods, their former churches, mosques and cemeteries. That has afforded opportunities for diverse people to meet, hold discussions, re-establish contacts and relationships and re-humanize each other. Some sites are also used to promote “bicommunal” cultural activities, such as in the restored Othello tower in Famagusta/Gazimağusa, where, for example, the eponymous Shakespeare play was staged in Greek with Turkish subtitles. The play was directed by a Turkish Cypriot and featured a bicommunal cast of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot actors (see A/HRC/31/21, para. 44). 75. Political, legal and logistical obstacles, however, impede many in the enjoyment of their right to access and enjoy cultural heritage with dignity. The Special Rapporteur notes the impossibility of gaining access to and using churches and other sites located within the buffer zone. (a) Obstacles in the south 76. Although there is a tendency to consider that issues of access only arise in the north, there are also issues in the south, although they are distinct, of a different nature and of lesser magnitude. 77. On various occasions, officials stressed that there was no restriction concerning access. The Special Rapporteur recognizes the dedication of the authorities to protecting and restoring cultural heritage sites, including those associated with Turkish Cypriots. She was pleased to learn of a significant budgetary allocation, for example in the district of Paphos, for the maintenance and preservation of mosques and Turkish Cypriot cemeteries, and to hear the sincere recognition of the preciousness of those sites by the relevant professionals. However, those efforts should be enhanced by a human rights approach. 16 The Special Rapporteur takes note of the view of the Department of Antiquities that many religious sites, including churches in the north, may likewise not have sanitary facilities. 13