Andrea Cornaro was Caterina Cornaro's uncle. He was advisor and councillor to King James II of Cyprus. His first diplomatic success was when he convinced James to free Famagusta from Genoese occupation, with the result that Genoa's position in commerce and the economy was taken by his native Venice.
There came a time, when James had to find a wife. Caterina Cornaro was suggested. It was a union of opportunity. The Cornaro family were wealthy and Cypriots considered them as Cypriots. The Cornaro family would also give James financial relief.
Caterina Cornaro was born in the Cornaro palace in Venice in 1454, on the feast day of St Catherine. In her book 'Ladies of Medieval Cyprus and Caterina Cornaro,' Leto Severis expalins that "Caterina gave signs of a dynamic character, a well-balanced mind and great intelligence." The marriage of Caterina Cornaro and James II was performed in the cathedral of St Nicholas in Famagusta " with fitting magnificence."
Caterina became pregnant but James her husband became sick and died on July 7th 1472. Everyone was talking about assassination by poison and there were suspicions against the Venetians. Caterina's uncle Andrea Cornaro now became one of the guardians of the state after James II's death.
On the 28th August 1473, Caterina gave birth to a boy. He was christened on the 28th September 1473 and became James III. In the same year, on the 13th and 14th of November 1473, a revolt broke out organised by the Neapolitans and supported by a section of the Cypriot population. That night Caterina's uncle Andrea Cornaro, was killed.
James III the sickly baby of Caterina and James II, died just before his first birthday on the 24th August 1474. As Leto Severis explains in her book, Caterina understood how the Venetians had used her, for their own calculating means. She blamed her husband's death and her child's death, on them. She gathered her strength to continue her life. She felt that she had a duty of protecting the name of the Lusignans and the place that had received her with so much love. She wanted to protect the old crusader family but was made to give her power to the Venetians in 1489.
It is interesting to note that in September 1477 Venice decided to send a hundred noble families from Venice to establish themselves in Cyprus, so that they would change the nationality of the island. They were ordered to develop the land and could not leave the island for five continuous years.
Sunday, 24 November 2019
Sunday, 17 November 2019
Aphrodite...
The cult of Aphrodite arrived in Cyprus from the East; she was already worshipped in Syria and Palestine as Ishtar and Astarte. She was also worshipped by the Romans as Venus.
In Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility who rose from the sea foam off the shore of Cyprus. She was married to Hephaestus, but took many lovers, including Ares and Adonis. She was the mother of Eros, Hermaphrodite, Priap and Aeneas, among others. The main centres for her cult of worship were Pafos and Amathous. The myrtle plant is dedicated to her, as is the dove.
Petra tou Romiou is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite. Meaning 'Rock of Romios,' the name also commemorates the legendary Greek hero Digenis Akritas, also known as Romios. He lived during the Byzantine era, and during an Arab raid by Saracen corsairs on Cyprus, hurled huge boulders into the sea to destroy the Arab ships. According to legend, the rocks here are the stones thrown by Romios.
Sunsets here are spectacular, especially when, towards the end of summer, Saharan winds have whipped fine sand into the upper atmosphere and northwards towards Cyprus.
In Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility who rose from the sea foam off the shore of Cyprus. She was married to Hephaestus, but took many lovers, including Ares and Adonis. She was the mother of Eros, Hermaphrodite, Priap and Aeneas, among others. The main centres for her cult of worship were Pafos and Amathous. The myrtle plant is dedicated to her, as is the dove.
Petra tou Romiou is the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite. Meaning 'Rock of Romios,' the name also commemorates the legendary Greek hero Digenis Akritas, also known as Romios. He lived during the Byzantine era, and during an Arab raid by Saracen corsairs on Cyprus, hurled huge boulders into the sea to destroy the Arab ships. According to legend, the rocks here are the stones thrown by Romios.
Sunsets here are spectacular, especially when, towards the end of summer, Saharan winds have whipped fine sand into the upper atmosphere and northwards towards Cyprus.
Sources: Eyewitness Travel: Cyprus; Globetrotter: The Best of Cyprus
Saturday, 2 November 2019
Cypriot Driving Revisited
Every day I overcome a fear. What is that fear, you ask? It is the fear of driving in Cyprus. I have a strong belief in my good driving skills and I am now at a level of driving where I am able to predict what those behind me and those in front of me are going to do. I am rarely wrong.
In Cyprus, deaths caused by dangerous driving are a norm, so much so now that we are immune to the news of a deadly collision. It's just another accident, we say. It's never going to happen to me, we say.
What is the first thing you learn at a driving school? It is supposed to be fasten your seat belt and check your mirrors. Who follow this rule on the island? What about indicating? Stopping at a red light? Have we ever heard of the phrase 'Speed Kills?' Have we ever heard of the saying' Respect Others on the Road? What about reading the road? What on earth does that mean?
My recent trip to a garage confirmed my fears. Car carcasses dotted the entrance. some cars with horrific damage. I wondered what had happened to their drivers. Were they dead? In intensive care? Suffering from life changing injuries?
Accidents have now turned into a serious problem, so much so that insurance companies are overworked. Hospitals, mortuaries and graveyards overflowing with those who didn't need to come to this.
So, what is to be done? How many more driving deaths are we going to hear about? Who else needs to die, so that change happens?
For now it's fasten your seat belt, check your mirrors and read those on the road with you, eventhough some of them shouldn't be driving in the first place.
In Cyprus, deaths caused by dangerous driving are a norm, so much so now that we are immune to the news of a deadly collision. It's just another accident, we say. It's never going to happen to me, we say.
What is the first thing you learn at a driving school? It is supposed to be fasten your seat belt and check your mirrors. Who follow this rule on the island? What about indicating? Stopping at a red light? Have we ever heard of the phrase 'Speed Kills?' Have we ever heard of the saying' Respect Others on the Road? What about reading the road? What on earth does that mean?
My recent trip to a garage confirmed my fears. Car carcasses dotted the entrance. some cars with horrific damage. I wondered what had happened to their drivers. Were they dead? In intensive care? Suffering from life changing injuries?
Accidents have now turned into a serious problem, so much so that insurance companies are overworked. Hospitals, mortuaries and graveyards overflowing with those who didn't need to come to this.
So, what is to be done? How many more driving deaths are we going to hear about? Who else needs to die, so that change happens?
For now it's fasten your seat belt, check your mirrors and read those on the road with you, eventhough some of them shouldn't be driving in the first place.
Sunday, 8 September 2019
Kolossi Castle and the Cornaro Family
Kolossi Castle had many plantations of sugar cane, vineyards, olives, carobs, wheat and cotton and during Frankish times was a very important area of land and property. Later in 1210, this fief was given to the Lusignan king of Cyprus Hugh I. The Grand Commaderie was established here in 1310 and a 12th Century church called Agios Efstathios was the knight's place of worship. The knights ruled on a feudal basis and produced olive oil, wheat, cotton, wine and sugar. After 1310 they still administered their lands from Kolossi after founding their own state on Rhodes.
The Genoese raids of 1373 and of Mamelukes in 1402, 1413, 1425 and 1426 as well as a series of earthquakes seems to have destroyed the castle. In 1454, Louis de Magnac built a new and stronger castle which we see today.
Dr Ekaterini Aristidou mentions in her book 'Kolossi Castle Through the Centuries,' that "the largest sugar-cane plantations were at Episkopi and belonged from the first half of the 15th century to the Venetian family of Cornaro, from whom the Queen of Cyprus Catherine Cornaro (1473-1489) descended. These were the most important ones in Cyprus. The Cornaro family had sugar-cane plantations and other financial interests in the island long before Catherine married James in 1472 and was crowned Queen of Cyprus. With the appointment of George Cornaro (1488) brother of Queen Catherine, and later the appointment of Cardinal Mark Cornaro (1508), nephew of Queen Catherine, to the position of Grand Commander of the Order of St John, Kolossi was also added to the sugar-cane plantations which the Cornaro family owned at Episkopi since the end of the 15th century."
Dr Aristidou then goes on to explain that "In 1494 when the Italian Casola visited sugar-cane plantations at Kolossi and Episkopi he saw there more than 400 persons engaged in the production of sugar. The fact that Episkopi was rich in sugar-cane plantations is also confirmed by the Italian traveller Count Capodilista, who visited the district in 1458. According to him the above mentioned plantations belonged to the House of Cornaro." The Venetian nobleman Francesco Suriano who travelling from Jaffa to Venice visited Cyprus in August 1484, mentioned that the island produced a lot of sugar.
In 1488, George Cornaro, Catherine's brother persuaded his sister to give the island to Venice and in return was given Kolossi Castle and its land. The Cornaro family then became governors of Cyprus. Their title remained even after the Ottoman conquest in 1570-71 when they lost their property but the titular rank of Grand Commander of Cyprus remained in the Cornaro family. In 1799 the House of Cornaro died out, but the title was claimed by the Count Mocenigo, who married the heiress of the Cornaro house.
Kolossi Castle, this impressive medieval castle of the Crusaders revived for a while its grandeur of old days on the 18th September, 1959, during a specially magnificent ceremony which was organised in the courtyard of the Kolossi Castle, when 300 guests were present, among whom were the English Governor Sir Hugh Foot, his wife and Lord Wakehurst, Lord Prior of the Order of St John. The ceremony had turned the memory centuries back and had brought to light the grandeur and the history of this impressive castle, which, for centuries has stood there,with a huge cypress tree next to it.
The Genoese raids of 1373 and of Mamelukes in 1402, 1413, 1425 and 1426 as well as a series of earthquakes seems to have destroyed the castle. In 1454, Louis de Magnac built a new and stronger castle which we see today.
Dr Ekaterini Aristidou mentions in her book 'Kolossi Castle Through the Centuries,' that "the largest sugar-cane plantations were at Episkopi and belonged from the first half of the 15th century to the Venetian family of Cornaro, from whom the Queen of Cyprus Catherine Cornaro (1473-1489) descended. These were the most important ones in Cyprus. The Cornaro family had sugar-cane plantations and other financial interests in the island long before Catherine married James in 1472 and was crowned Queen of Cyprus. With the appointment of George Cornaro (1488) brother of Queen Catherine, and later the appointment of Cardinal Mark Cornaro (1508), nephew of Queen Catherine, to the position of Grand Commander of the Order of St John, Kolossi was also added to the sugar-cane plantations which the Cornaro family owned at Episkopi since the end of the 15th century."
Dr Aristidou then goes on to explain that "In 1494 when the Italian Casola visited sugar-cane plantations at Kolossi and Episkopi he saw there more than 400 persons engaged in the production of sugar. The fact that Episkopi was rich in sugar-cane plantations is also confirmed by the Italian traveller Count Capodilista, who visited the district in 1458. According to him the above mentioned plantations belonged to the House of Cornaro." The Venetian nobleman Francesco Suriano who travelling from Jaffa to Venice visited Cyprus in August 1484, mentioned that the island produced a lot of sugar.
In 1488, George Cornaro, Catherine's brother persuaded his sister to give the island to Venice and in return was given Kolossi Castle and its land. The Cornaro family then became governors of Cyprus. Their title remained even after the Ottoman conquest in 1570-71 when they lost their property but the titular rank of Grand Commander of Cyprus remained in the Cornaro family. In 1799 the House of Cornaro died out, but the title was claimed by the Count Mocenigo, who married the heiress of the Cornaro house.
Kolossi Castle, this impressive medieval castle of the Crusaders revived for a while its grandeur of old days on the 18th September, 1959, during a specially magnificent ceremony which was organised in the courtyard of the Kolossi Castle, when 300 guests were present, among whom were the English Governor Sir Hugh Foot, his wife and Lord Wakehurst, Lord Prior of the Order of St John. The ceremony had turned the memory centuries back and had brought to light the grandeur and the history of this impressive castle, which, for centuries has stood there,with a huge cypress tree next to it.
Wednesday, 4 September 2019
1878: What the British Found...A Discussion by Raymond Hiscock 'Open Letters from Cyprus'
As Raymond Hiscock explains in 1878, "The British faced deeply ingrained corruption (in Cyprus) and their task was made more difficult by the fact that English Public Schools did not cover a psychological insight study of the Levantine mind."
He continues to say that the British found that "the privileged classes such as Bishops, Lawyers, Doctors, Merchants and Bankers who were found both among the Turkish and Greek Cypriots were exempted from taxes, whereas the Peasants and Labouring Classes were over taxed."
He explains that "The Turks had used the Orthodox Bishops as Tax Collectors and they amassed large fortunes for themselves in the process, out of the poor villagers. At one time, Cypriots were even liable for conscription in the Turkish army unless they paid a poll tax."
Raymond in his revelations also explains that " The oppressed Peasantry of Cyprus when they heard in their fashion of communication that the Island was going to be ruled by the great English Queen Victoria, must have thought that their mystical Queen known as the Regina had come to real life and that their lot would improve, but history shows that this did not happen."
Further on Hiscock discusses "the gross immorality of the British attitude to Cyprus...by explaining the TRIBUTE. This was an annual payment to Turkey and was based on the difference between the Island's revenue and expenditure in the last five years as an Ottoman province. Since Turkey spent nothing on the Island, but had on the contrary taken out what it could, the difference was a large sum which had to be found out of the Cyprus Budget Revenue and of-course the Cypriot tax payer."
He goes on to say that "the high point in irony comes when I tell you that Turkey did not receive a single penny of the Cypriot Tribute, as it was retained by Britain to be paid to the Bond Holders, mostly British and French in discharge of a loan on which Turkey had been in default since 1855."
Therefore "The Islands economy was consequently in dire straits and this sad state of affairs continued until 1914 when Britain annexed Cyprus and continued ruling albeit with some small improvements until 1925 when the Island became a Crown Colony."
"In view of the considerable British Military presence it was considered a priority to wipe out malaria which was widespread and to build good roads. The local Administration had to fight the blimps at home tooth and nail for the money as the blimps insisted that it should come out of the Cyprus Budget"
Sir Garnet Wolseley was the first High Commissioner in 1878 until 1879 and Raymond Hiscock explains that the "support he received from England was dismal and the lack of money acute. In a paper produced by the Colonial Office in 1882, the position is well highlighted when it states that:
"Britain could not govern as cheaply as the Turks, who governed cheaply because they governed badly and allowed everything to go to ruin."
Sir Garnet Wolseley died in Mentone in 1913. Loo, his wife was at his side when he passed away in peace. After a state funeral he was laid to rest in the Crypt of St Paul's, next to the famous Duke of Wellington.
Hiscock ends by saying "I would like to think that Aphrodite will fondly remember him as a man who did the best for Cyprus, which is a great deal more than many others did, whose presence on the Island she had to endure" and still does.
He continues to say that the British found that "the privileged classes such as Bishops, Lawyers, Doctors, Merchants and Bankers who were found both among the Turkish and Greek Cypriots were exempted from taxes, whereas the Peasants and Labouring Classes were over taxed."
He explains that "The Turks had used the Orthodox Bishops as Tax Collectors and they amassed large fortunes for themselves in the process, out of the poor villagers. At one time, Cypriots were even liable for conscription in the Turkish army unless they paid a poll tax."
Raymond in his revelations also explains that " The oppressed Peasantry of Cyprus when they heard in their fashion of communication that the Island was going to be ruled by the great English Queen Victoria, must have thought that their mystical Queen known as the Regina had come to real life and that their lot would improve, but history shows that this did not happen."
Further on Hiscock discusses "the gross immorality of the British attitude to Cyprus...by explaining the TRIBUTE. This was an annual payment to Turkey and was based on the difference between the Island's revenue and expenditure in the last five years as an Ottoman province. Since Turkey spent nothing on the Island, but had on the contrary taken out what it could, the difference was a large sum which had to be found out of the Cyprus Budget Revenue and of-course the Cypriot tax payer."
He goes on to say that "the high point in irony comes when I tell you that Turkey did not receive a single penny of the Cypriot Tribute, as it was retained by Britain to be paid to the Bond Holders, mostly British and French in discharge of a loan on which Turkey had been in default since 1855."
Therefore "The Islands economy was consequently in dire straits and this sad state of affairs continued until 1914 when Britain annexed Cyprus and continued ruling albeit with some small improvements until 1925 when the Island became a Crown Colony."
"In view of the considerable British Military presence it was considered a priority to wipe out malaria which was widespread and to build good roads. The local Administration had to fight the blimps at home tooth and nail for the money as the blimps insisted that it should come out of the Cyprus Budget"
Sir Garnet Wolseley was the first High Commissioner in 1878 until 1879 and Raymond Hiscock explains that the "support he received from England was dismal and the lack of money acute. In a paper produced by the Colonial Office in 1882, the position is well highlighted when it states that:
"Britain could not govern as cheaply as the Turks, who governed cheaply because they governed badly and allowed everything to go to ruin."
Sir Garnet Wolseley died in Mentone in 1913. Loo, his wife was at his side when he passed away in peace. After a state funeral he was laid to rest in the Crypt of St Paul's, next to the famous Duke of Wellington.
Hiscock ends by saying "I would like to think that Aphrodite will fondly remember him as a man who did the best for Cyprus, which is a great deal more than many others did, whose presence on the Island she had to endure" and still does.
Tuesday, 3 September 2019
Ottomans, Venetian governors and an English playwright. Was there any love lost?
"At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds
Christened and heathen- must be beleed and calmed
By debitor and creditor"
Thus begins Iago in Shakespeare's play 'Othello.' Venetian rule over Cyprus lasted for 90 years. The island was a frontier fortress, intended to defend the Venetian domains in the eastern Mediterranean from the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman conquest of the island happened in 1570. The Ottoman soldiers landed unopposed in Limassol. Larnaca, Paphos and Nicosia fell. Nicosia was able to defend itself for just a few weeks, when it fell. The Turks slaughtered 20,000 people.
The defence of Famagusta lasted longer, 11 months and was one of the greatest battles of its time. The Venetian defenders put up a fight but did not survive to see the arrival of the relief army and were forced to capitulate.
The Ottoman commander, Lala Mustafa Pasha, probably from anger and grief at the death of his first son, went back on his promises of clemency and ordered the garrison to be slaughtered and its leader Bragadino to be skinned alive.
There now began 300 years of Turkish rule. Limassol Castle, torn down by the Venetians, was rebuilt in 1590. The Paphos Castle was rebuilt in 1592. The Larnaca Castle could have been built by the Ottomans, due to its Turkish style and inscriptions according to the famous explorer Abbot Giovanni Mariti. The Limassol and Paphos castles were used as prisons.
The Venetians have gone down in history as hardline despotic rulers, but they created great structures including the Venetian walls in Nicosia. The final Lusignan ruler, Caterina Cornaro left the island weeping and dressed in black. According to George Boustronios "the people likewise shed many tears." The power was then given to Venice. The Venetians were always paranoid of an imminent Ottoman siege of the island, hence the Venetian walls in Nicosia, the Venetian watchtowers in the Larnaca district and the frenetic dismantling of the castles of Limassol and Paphos. There was an evident paranoia, that they would lose Cyprus to the Ottomans.
Some say the Ottoman period was a dark, dismal and gloomy period, but they were here for 300 years and rebuilt the structures destroyed by the Venetians. The Lusignans and Venetians loved art, music and literature, whereas the Ottomans were inward-looking, not allowing for progress and development.
So, who loved this island the most? Who abandoned it the most? Who left it in ruins, the most? Ottoman rule lasted for 300 years. Frankish-Venetian rule for 390 years. Therefore, the island suffered from 690 years of paranoid conflict.
In exchange for military aid in its war with Russia, the Ottoman Empire handed over occupation and the administative rights of Cyprus to Britain in 1878, though the island continued to be an Ottoman possession until 1914 after annexed military occupation, by Britain.
In Shakespeare's Othello, written in 1603, Othello speaks and says:
"Come, let us to the castle
News, friends: our wars are done, the Turks
are drowned."
The voice of an English playwright, preparing Othello for his doomed arrival in Cyprus with his besotted Desdemona.
It seems this island was created to be conquered over and over again throughout the ages, a gem to gamble with. So, who loved us the most? Was it Venice or the Ottomans? Or was it the new rulers of 1878?
Christened and heathen- must be beleed and calmed
By debitor and creditor"
Thus begins Iago in Shakespeare's play 'Othello.' Venetian rule over Cyprus lasted for 90 years. The island was a frontier fortress, intended to defend the Venetian domains in the eastern Mediterranean from the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman conquest of the island happened in 1570. The Ottoman soldiers landed unopposed in Limassol. Larnaca, Paphos and Nicosia fell. Nicosia was able to defend itself for just a few weeks, when it fell. The Turks slaughtered 20,000 people.
The defence of Famagusta lasted longer, 11 months and was one of the greatest battles of its time. The Venetian defenders put up a fight but did not survive to see the arrival of the relief army and were forced to capitulate.
The Ottoman commander, Lala Mustafa Pasha, probably from anger and grief at the death of his first son, went back on his promises of clemency and ordered the garrison to be slaughtered and its leader Bragadino to be skinned alive.
There now began 300 years of Turkish rule. Limassol Castle, torn down by the Venetians, was rebuilt in 1590. The Paphos Castle was rebuilt in 1592. The Larnaca Castle could have been built by the Ottomans, due to its Turkish style and inscriptions according to the famous explorer Abbot Giovanni Mariti. The Limassol and Paphos castles were used as prisons.
The Venetians have gone down in history as hardline despotic rulers, but they created great structures including the Venetian walls in Nicosia. The final Lusignan ruler, Caterina Cornaro left the island weeping and dressed in black. According to George Boustronios "the people likewise shed many tears." The power was then given to Venice. The Venetians were always paranoid of an imminent Ottoman siege of the island, hence the Venetian walls in Nicosia, the Venetian watchtowers in the Larnaca district and the frenetic dismantling of the castles of Limassol and Paphos. There was an evident paranoia, that they would lose Cyprus to the Ottomans.
Some say the Ottoman period was a dark, dismal and gloomy period, but they were here for 300 years and rebuilt the structures destroyed by the Venetians. The Lusignans and Venetians loved art, music and literature, whereas the Ottomans were inward-looking, not allowing for progress and development.
So, who loved this island the most? Who abandoned it the most? Who left it in ruins, the most? Ottoman rule lasted for 300 years. Frankish-Venetian rule for 390 years. Therefore, the island suffered from 690 years of paranoid conflict.
In exchange for military aid in its war with Russia, the Ottoman Empire handed over occupation and the administative rights of Cyprus to Britain in 1878, though the island continued to be an Ottoman possession until 1914 after annexed military occupation, by Britain.
In Shakespeare's Othello, written in 1603, Othello speaks and says:
"Come, let us to the castle
News, friends: our wars are done, the Turks
are drowned."
The voice of an English playwright, preparing Othello for his doomed arrival in Cyprus with his besotted Desdemona.
It seems this island was created to be conquered over and over again throughout the ages, a gem to gamble with. So, who loved us the most? Was it Venice or the Ottomans? Or was it the new rulers of 1878?
Sunday, 1 September 2019
Hellenistic Era, Cyprus
When Alexander the Great attacked the Persian Empire in 325BC, the Cypriot kingdoms welcomed him as a liberator, providing him with a fleet of battleships for his victorious siege of Tyre.
The weakening of Phoenicia resulted in greater revenues from the copper trade for Cyprus. But the favourable situation did not last. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, Cyprus became a battleground for his successors. The victor was the Greek-Egyptian Ptolemy I Solter.
Kition, Kyrenia, Lapithos and Marion were destroyed and Nicocreon, the King of Salamis who refused to surrender, committed suicide. Cyprus became part of the Kingdom of Egypt, and its viceroy resided in the new capital, Nea Pafos. Cultural life was influenced by Hellenism, with the Egyptian gods joining the pantheon of deities.
As is evident from this historical account, once again, the island of Cyprus found itself in the crossfire and power struggles of the time.
The weakening of Phoenicia resulted in greater revenues from the copper trade for Cyprus. But the favourable situation did not last. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, Cyprus became a battleground for his successors. The victor was the Greek-Egyptian Ptolemy I Solter.
Kition, Kyrenia, Lapithos and Marion were destroyed and Nicocreon, the King of Salamis who refused to surrender, committed suicide. Cyprus became part of the Kingdom of Egypt, and its viceroy resided in the new capital, Nea Pafos. Cultural life was influenced by Hellenism, with the Egyptian gods joining the pantheon of deities.
As is evident from this historical account, once again, the island of Cyprus found itself in the crossfire and power struggles of the time.
Sources: Eyewitness Travel: Cyprus
Tuesday, 13 August 2019
The Ethnographic Museum, Paphos
Housed in a two-storey building of 1894, the Ethnographic Museum is one of the most remarkable examples of the late 19th century urban architecture in Paphos.
Since the founding of the museum in 1958, it has been visited by several thousands of visitors from every corner of Europe, the United States and Canada, South America, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Inside you can see the beautiful study belonging to the founder of the museum, George Eliades. The study is full of books. You can almost imagine him sitting there reading and researching. His photograph hangs in the entrance looking over those who visit this timeless gem in the centre of Paphos. Time has in essence stood still in this building, full of coins and old notes, Byzantine jewellery and other important artifacts of Cypriot history.
George Eliades' wife, Chryso tells me about her husband, now twelve years since his death, a man who loved this island dearly and did everything to preserve its history and culture. As well as being the founder of this museum George Eliades was also honorary curator of the Paphos Archaeological Museum. Born in Paphos, he married Chryso Antoniadou and they had two children. A cosmopolitan who spoke seven languages fluently, George Eliades studied Ancient and Modern Greek Literature and Archaeology at the University of Athens. He received scholarships from the British Embassy to study in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He also studied in France courtesy of the French Embassy. Returning to Paphos he enjoyed teaching at Paphos First Lyceum. He was also heavily involved in many archaeological excavations in and around Paphos. For his work, he was honored by the Greek Academy of Athens, the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Mayor of Paphos. For his excavation work, he received an award by the Polish Archaeological Mission, which for decades has been excavating archaeological sites in Kato Paphos.
In his own words, George Eliades said about his museum that ' It should make the visitor aware of the spirit of historical tradition, the soul and essence of Cypriot civilization. Like a cultural centre, a haven of learning and knowledge, a museum of this kind should challenge not just those seriously involved in History, Art and the traditional products of Cypriot culture, but awaken the interest of every visitor.'
For more details about the museum, you can visit their website www.ethnographicmuseum.com
Since the founding of the museum in 1958, it has been visited by several thousands of visitors from every corner of Europe, the United States and Canada, South America, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Inside you can see the beautiful study belonging to the founder of the museum, George Eliades. The study is full of books. You can almost imagine him sitting there reading and researching. His photograph hangs in the entrance looking over those who visit this timeless gem in the centre of Paphos. Time has in essence stood still in this building, full of coins and old notes, Byzantine jewellery and other important artifacts of Cypriot history.
George Eliades' wife, Chryso tells me about her husband, now twelve years since his death, a man who loved this island dearly and did everything to preserve its history and culture. As well as being the founder of this museum George Eliades was also honorary curator of the Paphos Archaeological Museum. Born in Paphos, he married Chryso Antoniadou and they had two children. A cosmopolitan who spoke seven languages fluently, George Eliades studied Ancient and Modern Greek Literature and Archaeology at the University of Athens. He received scholarships from the British Embassy to study in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He also studied in France courtesy of the French Embassy. Returning to Paphos he enjoyed teaching at Paphos First Lyceum. He was also heavily involved in many archaeological excavations in and around Paphos. For his work, he was honored by the Greek Academy of Athens, the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Mayor of Paphos. For his excavation work, he received an award by the Polish Archaeological Mission, which for decades has been excavating archaeological sites in Kato Paphos.
In his own words, George Eliades said about his museum that ' It should make the visitor aware of the spirit of historical tradition, the soul and essence of Cypriot civilization. Like a cultural centre, a haven of learning and knowledge, a museum of this kind should challenge not just those seriously involved in History, Art and the traditional products of Cypriot culture, but awaken the interest of every visitor.'
For more details about the museum, you can visit their website www.ethnographicmuseum.com
Monday, 1 April 2019
Island Reflections...
Cyprus. The island of Aphrodite, where the goddess of love, beauty and fertility emerged from the sea foam. She sailed to the shore on a shell towed by dolphins. This is the story, the mythology. The Rock of Aphrodite bears her name.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that throughout the years I have stood steadfast and strong, remaining on this island in the Mediterranean, this island of Aphrodite, bearing the brunt of its difficulties and upheavals, but also its moments of peace and happiness. Life after all is made of both good and bad moments. Life is not linear, but one full of mountains, valleys and ravines, of storms to be weathered and calm days to reflect.
This island with its fascinating history, is the one I have called home and one I have learnt so much about. Today, with a new month arriving I choose to begin again, look back but also look forward to what is to come. I see a prosperous future, one of potential and possibility in the making. I see development and change and I hope this island will see its better days.
The recent auspicious rains have bathed the land, the trees shrubs and flowers and have filled dams and rivers. There is no more the threat of drought. Spring has arrived too, with its message of renewal and hope and Aphrodite the goddess looks on and hopes fate and fortune will be kind to this island in the years to come.
I hope to take a journey of discovery around Cyprus and continue in learning new and wonderful things about its history and about the true genuine heart within us Cypriots. The history of this island is steeped deep in tradition and stories. There is so much to discover and digest, an immense puzzle with each piece intricately connected to another. There are different periods and persons which have remained tied to this island's history and which have contributed to both its development but also its decline.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that throughout the years I have stood steadfast and strong, remaining on this island in the Mediterranean, this island of Aphrodite, bearing the brunt of its difficulties and upheavals, but also its moments of peace and happiness. Life after all is made of both good and bad moments. Life is not linear, but one full of mountains, valleys and ravines, of storms to be weathered and calm days to reflect.
This island with its fascinating history, is the one I have called home and one I have learnt so much about. Today, with a new month arriving I choose to begin again, look back but also look forward to what is to come. I see a prosperous future, one of potential and possibility in the making. I see development and change and I hope this island will see its better days.
The recent auspicious rains have bathed the land, the trees shrubs and flowers and have filled dams and rivers. There is no more the threat of drought. Spring has arrived too, with its message of renewal and hope and Aphrodite the goddess looks on and hopes fate and fortune will be kind to this island in the years to come.
I hope to take a journey of discovery around Cyprus and continue in learning new and wonderful things about its history and about the true genuine heart within us Cypriots. The history of this island is steeped deep in tradition and stories. There is so much to discover and digest, an immense puzzle with each piece intricately connected to another. There are different periods and persons which have remained tied to this island's history and which have contributed to both its development but also its decline.
I hope to continue unearthing newfound knowledge and understanding of how Cyprus came to be what it is today. Past, present an future are all intricately interwoven together and will form a whole, one of detail and beauty but also harsh realism. The island offers out its secrets to those who are willing to see, hear and discover.
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