The National Trust of Guyana has urged citizens to be vigilant caretakers of the country’s cultural heritage at a function hosted recently to mark International Day for Monuments.
The Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA) said the Trust held an exhibition showcasing Guyana’s religious places and site along with other monuments, at its Carmichael Street gallery. The display was hosted under the theme ‘Religious Heritage and Sacred Places’.
According to GINA Inter-national Day for Monuments and Sites originated in 1982 after a suggestion was made during a symposium by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Tunisia. The suggestion was approved by the United Nations Economic Scientific and Cultural Organisation and a resolution was passed in 1983.
In a press release the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport said the observations were held to highlight the need to strengthen and safeguard heritage worldwide. The Trust falls under the ministry’s purview. On this occasion, ICOMOS urged its member states, national and international scientific committees to organise activities to support this year’s theme. “With our growing and ever expanding societies we must ensure that every effort is made to preserve as well as promote and enjoy our heritage, tangible and intangible,” the release said.
Several of Guyana’s prestigious heritage sites date back to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; these include the St Georges’s Cathedral, St Andrew’s Kirk, the Providence Mandir, the Cumberland open-air mosque, the Prime Minister’s residence, State House, Austin House and others.
Both the ministry and the Trust highlighted the importance of boasting unique sites though the ministry acknowledged that over the years, fires, neglect and the lack of proper conservation have largely been responsible for the destruction of these sites. “Our structures show the skill and craftsmanship of our people who made good use of the material at hand…if these reminders are allowed to fall into disrepair then we are bound to forget the sacrifice of our ancestors,” the release said.
