MONUMENTS AND SITES COUNCIL PROMOTES HERITAGE
Information was received from Victoria that the local office of the International Monuments and Sites Council has launched a new award scheme to promote the conservation of Seychellois architectural heritage. The organization issued a media release saying: The Icomos Seychelles Heritage Award will recognise special accomplishments, projects and efforts which promote conservation of our built and architectural heritage. Apart from new constructions it will recognise restorations, rehabilitations, re-use of a building, property or structure of heritage value, which would have been completed during the preceding year of the award.
The Seychelles Tourism Board has thrown its weight and support behind the scheme as maintaining the archipelagos heritage of buildings and unique Creole homesteads is considered important for the picture the island gives to visitors. Said a regular source from Mahe: This is just another component of making the Seychelles more attractive for visitors. We have a number of well maintained buildings but more can be done to showcase our past. From next year there will be an annual award ceremony to recognize and honour outstanding conservation and preservation of architectural landmark buildings to be held on World Heritage Day [18th April].
The local chapter of ICOMOS, formed in 2010, involves Seychellois architects, historians, archeologists and engineers amongst others, working together to keep the archipelagos history alive and conserve it for future generations.
