Matić: The significant role of ICT in promoting ancient cultural heritage

State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications, Tatjana Matić opened yesterday, at the Cultural Center of Belgrade, a photography exhibition by theCenter for Urban Development entitled “UNDERGRAD” (Eng.under-city). The photographs created during the investigation of the underground facilities in Belgrade are displayed in 3D. The possibilities of new technologies in the presentation of cultural heritage are demonstrated on the example of the interactive 3D reconstruction of the former look of the ancient tomb at Brestovik.

“We noticed that the ancient cultural heritage of Serbia is not well known to the general population, and that this is a very good way to take advantage of what ICT has to offer”, said Matić.

According to her, educational institutions in Serbia will be able to present study material through digital technology in an interesting and creative way using 3D animation, adding that new technologies allow the possibility of bringing cultural heritage closer to people with special needs unable to visit these sites because of their handicap.

Digital reconstruction will be available in the form of interactivevirtual tours on the website of the Belgrade underground. The Center for Urban Development announced that the website’s visitors will be able to enter the virtual tomb and manage its content, while the frescoes, sarcophagi and ancient sculptures will be part of a future documentary about the ancient heritage in Serbia as well as a part of an application for mobile phones.

At the first public competition for funds for programs in the field of development of the information society 2013, which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign and Internal Trade and Telecommunications, the program of the Center for Urban Development, entitled “Stratonik – digital reconstruction ofancient heritage” was rated as one of the best 38 programs.