Elevating and Safeguarding Culture Using Tools of the Information Society: Dusty traces of the Muslim culture
Main objectives of the project ESCUTIS are the elevation and safeguarding of the traces of the Muslim-Ottoman cultural heritage from the 15th to the 20th century found in the western coasts of Greece (Epirus, Aitoloakarnania, Peloponnesus), Cyprus and SE Italy, using innovative Information & Communication Technologies (ICT). Expected outcomes are the development of a new, positive perception and attitude towards Muslims' cultural heritage and specifications for the exploitation ICTs in cultural domains. In Western Greece (Epirus, Aiotoloakarnania and North Western Peloponnesus) and in Cyprus, being at the frontiers of the historic Muslim-Ottoman world, and in South Eastern Italy as the Western European border in contact, a large amount of evidence exists that documents the history of a multicultural society. The cultural heritage traces of the Muslim community are of special interest. This heritage consists of monuments, urban and religious buildings, handicraft, fine art objects and documents that can be found in various locations. They have not as yet found their proper historical place as it is owed with regards to the international rules and regulations for administering and preserving cultural heritage as world’s cultural property. The purpose of the project ESCUTIS is the elevation, safeguarding and dissemination of the traces using innovative Information & Communication Technologies (ICT). Sub objectives of the program are the elaboration of methods for the dissemination of the cultural, historical and scientific knowledge, the exploitation of ICT, the connection of the historical knowledge with the capabilities of the new technologies, the probing of new methods of looking at historical events in particular those related to cultural heritage, the exchange of all the above within the regions of the EU.