Nicosia: An Exhibition at the Old Town Hall

Early on Sunday, Nicosia was brimming with people in the morning sunshine. I made my way to the historic old town hall to view an exhibition organised by the Press and Information Office.

At the entrance, there were black and white photographs of monumental buildings surrounding Nicosia and short written explanations describing them- bastions, gates, churches, all encompassing what was once medieval Nicosia.

An informative leaflet gave a detailed account of the period and the exhibition centred on three heroines, whose lives were shattered following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1570. They were Helena Denores Synglitikou, Lucretia Lasse and Katerina Flangi, all from prominent, well-established families of that time and victims of the Ottoman conquest of Nicosia.

Helena Denores was taken into captivity and after her release, fled to Venice. Lucretia Lasse lived as a slave for twenty years and fled to Venice after she was freed. Katerina Flangi was killed along with other members of her family. According to her father, who later fled to the West, his teenage daughter Katerina, cut her long hair, dressed in men's clothes and fought against the enemy.

The film presenting the three heroines was particularly impressive, bringing to life the struggles of these three women and allowing the viewer to clearly imagine what they went through.

As the leaflet explains, "With the conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans in 1570-1571, not only did the last bastion of Christianity in the East fall, but it also marked the departure of many Cypriots, those who survived, of course, to Venice and other cities in Italy, as well as to the Venetian-ruled Greek regions. Many of them arrived in Venice and elsewhere penniless and destitute. Some managed not only to get back on their feet but also to become powerful and wealthy through trade or other lucrative activities and to benefit their small homeland, which had become a province of the then vast Ottoman Empire."

The old town hall was a suitable backdrop for this exhibition, which runs until the end of June. In fact, the old town hall itself has a colourful past. Built in 1930, the building originally operated as a family cabaret known as 'Luna Park ' where families gathered for dance shows. 

Outside in the garden is the bust of the mayor Themistokli Dervis, who served as mayor for a total of 27 years. A physician by trade, his dual identity as "doctor-mayor" left a lasting mark on the city. Known for his humour and bluntness, he was regarded as a deeply honest and effective administrator. He operated his private clinic out of his family home on Ippokratous Street, which now houses the Leventis Municipal Museum.

Also on display outside is the "Poet" a massive glass sculpture by the renowned Greek artist Costas Varotsos (1983).

Nicosia: Three Gates, Eleven Bastions

The threat of Ottoman expansion meant that Cyprus was in danger during the Venetian control of the island. In order to tighten control and security, Venice sent the military architect and engineer Giulio Savorgnano to Cyprus to build a new fortification around Nicosia.

Built between 1567 and 1570, the gates and bastions served as critical defence against an imminent Ottoman invasion.

The three gates represent a division of the island's geography. Each gate was named for and directed toward a major regional destination (Kyrenia, Paphos, Famagusta).

Famagusta Gate (Porta Giuliana) is the largest and most imposing of the three original entrances to the old city of Nicosia. It was named Porta Giuliana to honour Savorgnano.

Paphos Gate (Porta San Domenico) is the smallest gate and still retains its original wooden doors. It is named after the nearby Lusignan Abbey of San Domenico, which was destroyed during the wall's construction.

Kyrenia Gate is located in northern Nicosia. It was originally named Porta del Proveditore after the Venetian governor Francesco Barbaro. The Ottomans renamed it "Edirne Gate" and added a second domed guard house for extra security. They also inscribed verses from the Quran on the northern face, praising Allah as the "Opener of Gates" (1821).

To accommodate modern traffic, the British demolished sections of the city wall on either side of the gate, leaving the structure isolated in the middle of the dual carriageway. The inscriptions marked "1931" and "GVRI" (George V Rex et Imperator). The gate is unique for displaying markers from three different empires, Venetian Latin, Ottoman Arabic and British English.

The three gates reflect the Renaissance 'Ideal City' philosophy which valued geometric perfection and balance. 

The eleven bastions are split between the northern and southern parts of divided Nicosia, with one, the Flatro Bastion, split between both sides and is occupied by the United Nations. The number eleven was strategic and symbolic and reflects the eleven administrative districts (or contrade) of Cyprus at the time. They form a pentagonal, heart shape which was a hallmark of Renaissance military architecture. They allowed for overlapping fields of fire to better protect against artillery and cannon fire. They replaced the older, larger Frankish walls that wouldn't be able to be defended. They were named after eleven noble families who sponsored their construction. The Pedieos River was diverted into a new moat.

Nicosia: A Visit to Two Galleries

Pablo Picasso once said, "Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life." Needing a rest from the pace of life of Limassol and a change of scene, I decided to visit Nicosia and delve into the city's cultural scene, namely two galleries: The State Gallery of Contemporary Art in Stasinou Avenue and the A.G Leventis Gallery.

The State Gallery of Contemporary Art is housed in a beautiful neo-classical stone building dating from 1925, which was renovated by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Getting in, requires you to ring a doorbell and inside you are presented with a wealth of Cypriot art. I first came across Costa Averkiou's 'My Mother' (1958), which I wanted to see in person and which reflects a warm and vivid impression of the artist's mother. What stood out for me however, were the works of another artist, Adamantios Diamantis.

The works of Adamantios Diamantis, particularly 'The Three Mothers' (1972) and Women with Outstreched Hands' (1983-84) are pensive and reflective, with a contrast of light and dark but also viewing motherhood as a symbol of continuity and renewal and the hope for the future. In my later visit to the A.G Leventis Gallery, I came across more of Diamantis' work, namely his monumental pieces ' The World of Cyprus,' (1967-1972), 'Agonies Before and After' (1977) and 'When the World of Cyprus First Heard the Bad News' (1975). In these later works, he focuses on a nation's turmoil, often in a dark and pessimistic style but also with promise and hope.

Viewed as the "father of modern Cypriot painting," Diamantis was born in Nicosia and studied art at St. Martin's School of Art and the Royal College of Art. His archive was recently donated to the University of Cyprus in order that his research and sketches can be accessible to future generations.

Another artist whose work stood out for me was Loukia Nicolaidou-Vassiliou (1909-1994) who as a trailblaizing figure was the first professional female artist in Cyprus.

Born into a wealthy family in Limassol in 1909, she challenged the social norms that expected women to be wives and mothers and moved to Paris in 1929. Upon returning to Cyprus in 1933, she held solo exhibitions in Nicosia and Limassol (1934-1936), however her work in a socially conservative environment was met with public indifference. Disheartened by this, she moved to London in 1937.

In 1939, she married shipowner Ioannis  Vassiliou. She gradually withdrew from the public art scene to focus on her family but continued to paint privately until the mid-1960s. She was largely forgotten until 1992 when the State Gallery restored her status as a pioneer of modern Cypriot art. She died in England in 1994. At the State Gallery, I was deeply drawn to her monumentally bold and impressive work 'The Rich Fruits of the Earth' and at the A.G Leventis Gallery 'Daughters of God, which again uses vibrant and bold outlines and colours.

At the A.G Leventis Gallery, I took part in a guided tour of the works of Christoforos Savva (1924-1968). Savva was a groundbreaking and transformative figure in 20th century art and became the leading voice of the newly independent Republic of Cyprus. His work shows incredible diversity, using materials such as wood, cement and fabric and his work represents an inclusive Cypriot identity.

In May 1960, he co-founded the Apophasis Gallery with the artist Glyn Hughes and hosting the first-ever joint exhibition of Greek and Turkish Cypriot artists. His work, presented at the A.G Leventis Gallery was discovered through a remarkable meeting in late 2020. The archive originated from a decades-old friendship between Savva and a Turkish Cypriot collector (the father of the donor).

The guided tour took us through the different periods of Savva's life and work. Following his sudden death, his work was rediscovered by later generations and the exhibition features both his work but also sketches, experimental works and notes from his private archive. Of particular interest for me was his work using pins to create an image on a canvas. The exhibition runs until June.

All the works I was lucky to see, drew you in to an impression all of the artists had of both their time abroad and their view of Cyprus. It is apparent in all of these works, that there existed a deep love but also a deep concern for the future of the island, from the darkness and light seen in Diamantis' work to the lack of initial recognition of Loukia Nicolaidou-Vassiliou's work and the restlessness and struggles seen in Savva's work. 

What is a consolation today, is that the life and work of these artists is viewed and recognised for what it stands for and can hopefully guide us to how we choose to create a future for this island.

A little bit of Wintering...

Today marks the final day of January, which to me and the majority of us is the most difficult month of the year. Getting through it is an accomplishment in itself. February now beckons, a softer month, a romantic month and one that promises a long weekend.

As always, the new year means making new year's resolutions and now, by the end of January, some have been kept and some neglected. It's cold and gloomy and most of us tend to withdraw from too much contact with the world in these cold couple of months, opting to stay in, cook and cosy up with a good book or escapist series or film. Life is slow and sleepy, seemingly uneventful and quiet, a chance to refresh until spring arrives when the feeling to venture out again is more prevalent.

To me, this time of year means storing up knowledge and setting goals, whether they be visiting a place you have been meaning to for a while and learning something new, or making time to exercise or set a reading goal. January and February seem like months of slumber but they can also mean quietly and unassumingly working on yourself so that by spring and summer, something within you is ready to bloom and blossom.

Katherine May, in her book 'Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times,' explains the following, "Wintering brings about some of the most profound and insightful moments of our human experience, and wisdom resides in those who have wintered." 

So it is, that the bleakest months of the year, can in fact be beneficial for reflection and introspection and give more meaning and understanding to how our life is progressing. A little bit of wintering goes a long way, if we let it.