CYP TOD 26-55.pdf

26
Cyprus Through
the Eyes of Two French Artists
In 1783 when Louis François Cassas was
commissioned by the Ambassador of Louis XVI
in Constantinople to document the Empire, he
left his native country on a whirlwind tour of
the Eastern Mediterranean and Northern Africa.
As part of this epic journey, Cassas also spent
almost two months in Cyprus. His two periods
of stay in Cyprus (from the 9th to 22nd
February and from the 6th to 30th April) are
among the best documented of his journey in
the Ottoman Empire in 1784-85, due in particular
to the correspondence from the consul

in Larnaca, Benoit Astier, who informs us about
the precise dates of his arrival and departure,
as well as the places he visited.
His first sojourn in Cyprus was only a stopover
because of bad weather conditions. That is why,
during this stay, given the uncertainties of his
departure and his impatience to discover Alexandria,
the next step of his voyage, Cassas only left
the ship "La Poullet" for one day in answer to
an invitation by the consul. From the ship
anchored in the bay, he observed the post activity,
the windmills, the residences of the for-
27

28
L.-F. Cassas - Larnaca, drawn near the Venetian Consular House. Stavrovouni mountain in the background, 1799.
eign consuls, Stavrovouni and the salt lake.
It was only during the second journey that he
discovered the island and made his sketches,
recording the human and physical landscapes
that his gaze fell upon, in a series of striking lithographs.
Under specific orders to create images
of the French monuments on the island, Cassas
mostly worked in Bellapais, Kyrenia, Famagusta
and Nicosia, giving priority to the French
The monk Kalinikos Stavrovouniotis - drawing
by Ph. Delord.
religious monuments built by the Lusignans,
Kings of Cyprus from 1192 to 1489. Today
these few works (11 in all) a rare glimpse of 18th
Century Cyprus, amount to the first faithful
pictorial representations of these Cypriot views
so many times celebrated by artists and writers
of the 19th Century and an invaluable contribution
to the historical record. It is with
much emotion that we rediscover two centuries
later the ruins of the Abbey of Bellapais, a place
of quietude, retreat and serenity still encircled
by a wide belt of olive trees, citrus and cypresses.
His images help us transcend our temporal
limits and journey back into long gone eras.
In the course of his journey he also produced
character studies and oriental costumes on separate
sheets of paper, in some cases coloured and
developed in Rome after 1787 where he enlivened
his watercolours according to the dictates of his
imagination. Thus the cloister of the abbey
served as a backdrop for a group of Greek Cypriot
musicians and dancers.

Philippe Delord - Larnaca view, 200w.
Philippe Delord - Paphos Fort, 2002.
29

30
Castle of St. Hilarion: drawing by Ph. Delord (2003), and engraving by L.F. Cassas (1799).
L.F. Cassas - Sight of the cloister of Bellapais, 1799.

After his death Cassas was largely forgotten and
his work was greatly neglected. When his work
first appeared in a modern publication just a
few years ago it was not only an artistic discovery
but also an inspiration for contemporary
French painter Philippe Delord. He set out travelling
in the footsteps of his artistic predecessor
reviving the French tradition of travelling artists
who explore and deliver information on historic
lands. In a way he completed the work of
Cassas two centuries later. Over the course of
two years, 2002-2004, he spent five months
in Cyprus criss-crossing the island painting and
drawing its coastlines, its historic ruins, monuments,
daily rituals, sleepy villages and vibrant
cities – all the diversity of this land at the
crossroads of the Mediterranean civilisations.
Philippe Delord’s apt choice in rediscovering
the viewpoints of Cassas is the reason for the
holding of the exhibition at the Levention Museum,
Nicosia. The event is entitled "Through
the Eyes of Two French Travelling Artists, Louis
Ph. Delord. Bellapais Abbey, 2003.
François Cassas 1785 and Philippe Delord 2004".
An impressive publication by Gallimard and
Hathor Art Productions with the artist’s sketches
and watercolours is also the catalogue of the
exhibition.
The exhibition was staged at the Lanitis Centre,
Limassol in mid-November, at the Beaux
Arts Museum in Tours, France in March 2005
and other French cities during the same year.
31

32
State Prizes for Literature
The State Prizes for Literature were presented
by the Education and Culture Minister, Mr
Pefkios Georgiades, during a ceremony held at
the Famagusta Gate, Nicosia, on 29th December
2003. The literature awards were for works
published in the year 2002.
"The Cultural Services of the Ministry of
Education and Culture recognise the important
role our literature will be called upon to play
within the framework of the enlarged Europe
and have redefined their policy in this field with
the aim of supporting and developing our literary
output and its projection in Cyprus and
abroad". Dr. Eleni Nikita, Director of the Cultural
Services of the Ministry of Education and
Culture, analysed this new policy in her introductory
speech, from which we quote some
excerpts:
"From its very beginning the European Union
adopted two important principles: that of
promoting and protecting the cultural identity
of its country members and that of affirming
and respecting the multi-cultural character of
Europe. With our entry in this large family, we
must attach particular importance to these two
principles. We must, that is, strengthen and
project our cultural identity, become acquainted
with that of the other countries and learn
to live peacefully in this mosaic of cultural
particularities which is called Europe.
Language is one of the most important agencies
of culture. In and through language all the
cultural particularities of a people are expressed.
It is not, then, fortuitous that as a first practical
implementation of the cultural parity of the
country members of the European Union, all
their national languages have been recognised
as official languages.
To encourage and promote the writing of literature
and the publication of books both in
Cyprus and abroad, two important institutions
are already successfully functioning at the
Cultural Services: that of sponsoring books of
literary and scientific content and of doctoral
theses on Cypriological subjects and that of subsidising
books by Cypriot writers, implemented
by purchasing a number of books out of all
the notable literary and artistic publications.
These books are sent to Cyprus embassies abroad,
to universities, libraries and cultural centres that
are involved in Modern Greek Studies, for the
purpose of promoting Cypriot literature."
In this context, Dr. Nikita underlined the pressing
need to extend the existing activities in
this field, formulating and implementing a programme
for translating the works of Cypriot
creators into European languages.
With regard to the creator himself, the Ministry
of Education and Culture has instituted measures
which – by way of sponsorship – help the
writer to project his work abroad and to participate
in conferences or other literary meetings.
In addition writers can benefit from the
institution of Honorary Grants, given to people
of Arts and Letters, as well as from the institution
of monthly grants.
"It is our duty", Dr. Nikita concluded, "to pay
tribute to our intellectual creators whose work
is the art of our national character. To those
who, in setting down their heart and soul in
their work, also set down the heart and soul of
our country.
The state does not honour just the works of
these intellectuals but also their toil and their
zeal, their struggle and their anxieties as well
as their boundless creative solitariness. Because,

● Poetry
No award
● Short Story
No Award
● Novel
"Ginger" (∆˙›ÓÙ˙ÂÚ) by Efterpie Araouzou
● Literary Studies – Essays
"Words of Comfort" (§fiÁÔ˜ ·Ú·Ì˘ı›·˜)
by Nicos Orphanides
● New Writer
1. "One Reason to Love Night" (ŒÓ·˜ §fiÁÔ˜
ÁÈ· Ó’ AÁ·apple‹ÛÂȘ ÙË ¡‡¯Ù·), poems by Christiana
Avraamidou
as Ernest Hemingway said on the day he was
awarded the Nobel Prize, ‘there is a great deal
of loneliness in a writer’s life.’"
The Advisory Committee of Letters which, in
accordance with regulations, undertook the task
of selecting the award-winning books in the category
of: Poetry, Short-Story, Novel, Literary
Studies and New Writer for the period 2002-
2004, consisted of Yiorgos Moleskis, Chairman,
Aris Georgiou, Elias Gris, Andreani Iliophotou,
EFTERPIE ARAOUZOU
2. "Short Love Dirges" (ªÈÎÚÔ› ∂ÚˆÙÈÎÔ›
£Ú‹ÓÔÈ), short stories by Kyriakos Margaritis
● Children’s Literature
"Come Down, Moon to Play Hide-and-
Seek" (∫·Ù¤‚· ºÂÁÁ·Ú¿ÎÈ Ó· ·›ÍÔ˘ÌÂ
∫Ú˘ÊÙfi) by Myrianthi Panayiotou
● Youth Literature
"A Star on our Roof" (ŒÓ· ∞ÛÙ¤ÚÈ ÛÙË Ù¤ÁË)
by Elli Venizelou
● Book Illustration
"Come Down Moon to Play Hide and Seek"
(∫·Ù¤‚· ºÂÁÁ·Ú¿ÎÈ Ó· ·›ÍÔ˘Ì ∫Ú˘ÊÙfi)
by Myrianthi Panayiotou
Yiannis Ioannou, Savvas Pavlou and Christos
Hadjipapas. The Committee for Children and
Youth Literature had Elena Theodoulou-Charalambous
as Chairperson and members were
Klitos Ioannides, Roula Ioannidou Stavrou,
Costas Katsonis, Christos Mavris. Finally the
Committee for Book Illustrations consisted of
four members: Yianna Gantsidou, Lia Lapithi,
Marina Partasidou, Hambis Tsangaris with
Elena Theodoulou Charalambous in the Chair.
Born in Cyprus in 1946. Studied Hotel Management and Economics
in Montreux, Switzerland (1961 – 1964) and Business Administration
and Economics in London (1967 – 1969). At a later stage she
attended some extensive courses in English and French literature,
journalism and creative writing at the University of Cyprus (1995 -
1998).
Between 1965 and 1968 she held the position of Public Relations
Manager and Press Officer at the Cyprus Hilton and after 1980 she
was involved in the family-owned Geo-Pavlides and Araouzos Group
of Companies, first as Business Development Consultant (1980 - 1992)
33

34
and then Director and Chairperson of the travel arm of the group RA Travelmasters (1992 – 1998).
Her first novel "Captive", published by Estia, Greece in 1993 was the runner up to the National Literary
Award for book published in 1992 – 1993. Set on an imaginary
island, it is the story of a woman who holds captive an unknown man.
When released, the man refuses his freedom, suggesting that jailer and
captive are one.
"Blue" published in 1997 by Okeanis, Greece is the first title of a trilogy.
Set in 17th century France, it is a series of Gothic tales celebrating
the power of creation as an antidote for survival.
"Ginger" published in 2002 by Okeanis, Greece is the second title of the
trilogy. It is the story of a pre-Dynasty Egyptian embalmer, tracing the
journey of the soul from one body to another through centuries.
At present Efterpie Araouzou is working on a novel entitled "The Wig
of the Emperor Montezuma", a tale that explores baroque Venice from
1730 – 1740 highlighting intriguing portraits of great artists of the time.
G inger
Mary Regina (Excerpt)
Her Royal Highness Mary Queen of England to
Sir Roy Cameron, Governor of the island of Engadi,
colony of the glorious British Empire.
Dear Sir Roy Cameron,
It is with great interest that I have followed for
some time now the British press dealing with the
Museum of the Corpses and the almost disproportionate
developments that took place suddenly
in the colony of Engadi. As in everything,
when one wishes to gain the title of an objective
critic, one has to remain impartial and to see things
through the lens that does not hinder the substance
from escaping the central point of convergence.
To be receptive to everything, as if it were a blessed
conspiracy that is useful if not essential to its
subsequent evolution. For this reason nobody
must be absolute, because in such a case he or
she would not remain impartial. Even if I cannot
restrain myself from wondering: is God absolute?
When he created the universe, did he not state that
the moon is the moon and not a little bit of sky,
or that the sky is the sky and not a little bit of earth,
or that the sea is the sea and not a little bit of
sun, or that Sir Roy Cameron is Sir Roy Cameron
and not a hippopotamus or a frog or something
else? In the act of creation, God must have been
more absolute than his very own nature. That,
however, is not something to discuss at this point,
because it is not the appropriate time, and certainly
it does not bear any relation to the matter about
which I am writing to you.
The burning issue today is the Museum of Corpses
and the developments taking place on the island
of Engadi, even if, as far as the former is concerned,
I am still not convinced as to whether or not it is
a devilish expression of your soul. However things
may be, you have succeeded in creating something
extraordinary, for which I warmly congratulate
you. I imagine that the Museum of Corpses, about
which everyone is talking, and which I have not
personally visited, must be a temple of dark prayer
and shivering of the soul, so discordantly combined
that they inspire awe even in someone
who does not want to accept it. The truth is that
you have made a major discovery: that a dose of
bad taste is essential in order to approach

humanity. I am sure that you have devoted
some significant thoughts to the establishment
of this Museum; just as I am sure you have worked
hard, gradually building up your subconscious.
I would not be surprised to learn that you have
deprived yourself of all pleasure and delight, in the
hope that what you achieve will one day build
up the foundation of an eternal satisfaction. However,
you have forgotten something. Sometimes
we become rich with what we do not possess. While
concentrating exclusively on the idea of the long
journey, you have neglected to cast now and
then a glance on the small and insignificant footpaths
around you that could have led you to a jungle.
For that alone you must pay. Usually, those
that pay are the most ambitious – those who are
naïve enough to believe that they can change the
world by themselves. As for that little, insignificant
embalmer – with red hair like a badly fried
prawn, Pyroushe, glorified by accident and obviously
your instrument in fulfilling your purposes
– he also must share your sad indifference towards
the universe, otherwise he could create with such
dexterity.
The French ambassador in London was telling me
some days ago on the occasion of the French Embassy
ball, that the Museum of Corpses at Engadi has
caused a sensation, not only among the French
intellectuals, but also among other eminent literati
worldwide, who – annoyed by the idea of a collection
of corpses – claim that it is yet another sign
of the rampant corruption prevailing in the world
and an additional instrument in its spreading
further. Personally, I do not share this opinion.
I believe that this simply symbolises a reflection of
your own insecurities and of an ambition to
project yourself since any trace of love inside you
must have faded out long ago.
To these reasons must be ascribed the great reservations
–not to employ the term disgust, hardly
appropriate to my position – that I entertain for
your Museum. The idea alone repels me. What
a megalomaniac and hysterical act of an imagi-
nation that is frenzied through emotional deprivation!
If the Museum of Corpses were the creation
of some artist – painter or writer – I would
understand it, because it is a way of living their
own reality and of taking their revenge on life,
which they clearly regard as tedious. When, however,
leaders like you exploit their position to
polish their image in such an unacceptable fashion,
they then become destructive and dangerous.
Remember, Sir Roy Cameron: he who dares
does not necessarily become a hero. He can end
up a loser.
A body of a naked dancer, with the name Lexi and
the signature of The Throat of Quetu.
The embalmed body of a dwarf woman wrapped
in white lace, with the name of Dwarf goddess.
A female English archaeologist, with the name of
Zeta.
Ladies of the knight, heavily made-up, with names
such as Altaflor, Soltamor, Sarakilia, Dianora,
Penthesilia the golden handed.
Nuns dressed in their habit, and pale-faced with
names such as Sister Tereza, Sister Beatrice, Sister
Floridia.
Merchants and petty tradesmen with labels on their
embalmed bodies, number one, number two, number
three, four.
Clerics dressed in the most ostentatious of vestments.
And the most tragic thing of all is that the costumes
for all these mummies, which are lined up in the
rooms of the castle like faux objets d’art, are made
up of this new material called nylon. At least if they
could have been dressed in cotton.
Simplicity, Sir Roy Cameron.
You know what simplicity means.
The security of a child. Except that your journey
has not yet taken you there.
Do you not enjoy the security to create with simplicity?
To create without wearing tasteless earrings
and using loud colours on a dark background?
35

36
Like a vase with anemones? A prayer in the night,
the sun as it sets behind the mountains, the
waves as they follow the natural rhythm of the sea,
the smile of a child. Why all this stupidly adorned
dead world with an expression of false forbearance?
What are you trying to prove? That you are nurturing
souls and hope? Or are you merely trying
to serve your own ambitious plans? Yes, the island
of Engadi may be richer now and its voice heard
more in the world at large. I have even heard that
many locals who used to take their bath in solidly
fixed zinc bathtubs in small rooms at the rear of
their houses, where the floor consisted of well-trodden
earth, now have special rooms lined with that
expensive Italian marble called Stucco Venetiano
and that the bathtub is made of expensive porcelain,
of the type one uses to make one’s most expensive
false tooth. However, what does this island
have to offer to humanity except a bunch of cold
bodies masquerading as souls? I could write for
hours on this subject, because it would seem that
a writer’s blood runs in my veins, but let me return
to the purpose of this letter.
The Museum of Corpses.
The Foreign Office is being subjected to great pressure
from foreign governments, but also from
our own members of parliament, to put an immediate
end to this questionable Museum, which
presents a picture of Britain abroad that is anything
but flattering; a picture that as you know,
the government – but also the character of its inhabitants
– demand be kept to a low profile. Because,
as you know, Sir Roy Cameron, whoever keeps a
low profile can do what he wants without provocation,
just as a woman who has gradually acquired
the title of lady can behave like a slut, without anybody
commenting on it. When you are elevated
quickly, however, it is only with difficulty that you
can keep your balance. You cannot do something
in secret, without having the eyes of the world
on you. Let alone that the sudden height makes
you dizzy – the rush of oxygen chokes you. In any
case, confidentially, you have no other choice,
because the British government has decided to con-
fer its independence on the island of Engadi. This
news is at present unofficial, but soon will be communicated
formally to its inhabitants. The island
of Engadi will become independent, just like all
other colonies of the British Empire – once again,
of course, this is between us since there has not
been a formal announcement yet.
One thing remains. If you wish to truly offer something
to your country and to be of service in a time
of need, so that all our efforts do not go in vain, I
would suggest the following: according to reliable
and serious information that we have received, St
Thomas’s Hospital is conducting serious experiments
on the battle against the ageing process. The
drug that plays the leading role in this therapy is
based on an old recipe, already quite unfamiliar to
many: powder produced from grinding down
mummies. If you give your consent for the Museum’s
mummies to be pulverised and for the powder
to be offered to St. Thomas’s Hospital, then
the hospital will have material at its disposal for a
long period of time, which will permit it to ameliorate
the drug offering the answer in its experiments.
This is a genuine offer. You will tell me:
what if the island’s inhabitants do not accept, since
the corpses are theirs? Let us not forget that the
British Government has purchased these corpses,
and consequently they belong to us. When it comes
down to it, compensation is always acceptable. For
this reason do not delay in coming to your decision.
As the drastic philosophy of Carl von Clausewitz
sets out in his book on war, at the time of decision-taking
or of war, the existence of a certain
doubt or hesitation already entails the loss of balance.
Your positive reply will naturally be linked to the
corresponding invitation to dinner at the Palace.
I trust you will not disappoint me. Summer is
always beautiful in London. Especially when
one walks daydreaming next to the Serpentine.
I await your news.
With my regards, Mary Regina
Queen of England

The above letter was found in the pocket of Sir
Roy Cameron’s suit. His body was hanging,
erect and proud as usual, from the gallows he
had cobbled together outside the main entrance
of the Governor’s House. The only thing that
betrayed some relative stress was his hair, which
NICOS ORPHANIDES
the breeze had ruffled, and his eyes, as they hung
out of their sockets, forming a membrane that was
as cloudy as the grey, surrounding damp.
His tongue, sticking out, could possibly have been
his answer to Queen Mary.
Born in Kythrea in 1949. Graduated the Pancyprian Gymnasium
(1967), then proceeded with his university studies attending the
School of Philosophy at the University of Athens where he obtained
his degree in 1972. In 1990 he got a Ph.D. degree from the University
of Crete sustaining a doctorate thesis on" Hellenism in the
Work of the Greek Poet , Kavafis".
From 1972 he served as a teacher of Greek literature in secondary
schools, and of Philosophy at the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy. He
was promoted to the position of Assistant Headmaster (1990-1994),
Secondary School Inspector (1994-2000), then First Educational
Officer in charge of the State Educational Institutes and the Department
of Programme Development from the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Between 2002 and 2003 he held the position of Substitute Director at the Cyprus Research
Institute. Since September 2003 , he has been the Director of the Pedagogical Institute.
He is a founding member of the Philosophical Society of Cyprus being responsible for its annual
review "Zenon"and the publisher of the literary review "∞ÎÙ‹"which has been issued since 1989.
He was also member of a number of committees: the Advisory Committee for Letters, the Advisory
Committee for Publications , the Committee for Awards for Excellence and the Committee
for Honorary Pensions of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
He is the recipient of several awards:State Prize for Poetry (1989),State Prize for the Essay (1982,
1997 and 2003), the Costas Montis Poetry Prize (2001), and the Prize for Prose awarded by the
Women of Rhodes Cultural Society (2001).
Nicos Orphanides has published seven collections of poems , among them: "The Sun’s Adventure"(
Nicosia, 1975)," Persephoni’s Songs" (Nicosia, 1979),Within the Walls" (Athens, 1983),"The
Other Winter" (1993), "The Other Biography" (1999), and prose works: "Cypriot Diary"(Athens,
1986), "The Angel Who Left Was Happy" (Athens, 1997), "Cleo" (Athens, 2000). He also published
five volumes of essays, studies in Greek literature and in philosophy.
He is a founding member and for 20 years has been the General Secretary of both the Pancyprian
Antianaemic Association and the Coordinating Committee for the Enlightenment of Blood
Donors.
37

38
Excerpt from
"Aphrodite of Cyprus" A Quest for the Mythical Thread and Archaic Memory
In eras of existential poverty, as ours, when
the death of Being has been proclaimed officially
and with anguish, the return to the archetypal
and primeval memory seems to be the
sole path of escape or salvation. As our century
founders on the impermeableness of rationalistic
absolutism, the discourse of the myth,
with its uncertain meanings and also its many
meanings, intersects the impasses
and leads to some other
prospects of understanding
our presence in the world.
Myth constitutes the opposite
of the deprivation and the
metaphysical wasteland of our
era. In the ungodly world in
which we live, the myth awakens
and drags into the light
the holiness that has been slain.
In the impermeableness and
the impasses of logic, the myth
recalls that beyond reason there
is another reality, not of course
a-rational or irrational. It is precisely this,
beyond reason, beyond the impermeableness
of logic, that constitutes perhaps the ultimate
raft of escape. Without the discourse
of philosophy being revoked, with the myth
we meet everything or almost everything
signified by the saying "The lord whose oracle
is at Delphi neither speaks out nor conceals
but gives a sign." It is precisely this that
the philosopher of archaic obscurity, Heracleitus,
notes. It was not by chance that he
ended his life, according to tradition, by
taking refuge "exiled" in the space of the sanctuary.
My essay will concentrate on the mythical
Aphrodite of Cyprus. The Aphrodite who, of
course, is not only of Cyprus. Cyprus, how-
ever, is now the furthest border of Hellenism.
And it is essential that we remember Hellenism
in its larger dimension. It is not fortuitous that
the Goddess of beauty, the supreme value of
the Greek character, crosses the Greek seas
to emerge on the shores of Cyprus.
Thus, when someone speaks of Aphrodite, he
opens himself up towards a wider cultural horizon,
that which takes us to another
experience, that of the greater
fringe of Hellenism. To a Hellenism
whose essence is no longer
geographic but cultural and perpetual.
This journey of Aphrodite
precisely describes a vibrant Hellenism,
which is developing
in the universality of the "whole
world", as it is expressed in
the space or cradle of the Mediterranean.
And it takes us even to
the depths of the Greek experience.
Because, behind all the
variations, convergences or meetings
with the east, there underlies or reigns
the pre-eminently Greek experience of light
and love.
Cyprus is a place pre-eminently erotic. Not
because of the landscapes or the dominance
of the light but because memories preserve a
devotion to the love that gave birth to the
world and beings; to the birth and manifestation
of the world; to that which rescues
the sanctity of things and the metaphysical
depth from the deceptive surface. It is a metaphysical
or better an existential memory, which
is preserved behind the sacred, of which some
things have emerged and others are in darkness,
concealed behind toponyms and legends.
And even through a poetry which, from the
time of the sacred "Hymns to Aphrodite" to

the love songs of the end of the Middle Ages
or the contemporary love songs of the folk poets
of Cyprus, concentrates on the sacredness of
love. It is important, perhaps, for someone to
pause at this tradition of the erotic poetry of
Cyprus, which also illumines the substantive
essence of the Hellenism of the region which
remains attached to its sacred memories, as it
carries them within itself from the age of Homer.
When I call Cyprus a place pre-eminently erotic,
I mean that in Cyprus the sanctity of things
is still preserved despite the vicissitudes, despite
the blood and rampant eudemonism. I speak
about a place where the sanctity of life and of
the world is present through the miracle of light
which hallows and sanctifies.
Cyprus, and her Aphrodite, has the privilege
of being the bridge between the Greek light
and the mystic darkness of the east. That is why
in the Paphos sanctuary Herodotus meets not
only Aphrodite but the Goddess Mylitta of the
east as well. It is a memory which Seferis brings
back, in the 50s, as he goes through the
sacred gardens of Paphos. However, as we stroll
through Cyprus, the farthest boundary of Hellenism,
we find the victory or imposition of the
Greek harmony of the world on the vulgarity
and a-rational of the east. Because the Greek
Goddess Aphrodite of Cyprus, the deity of Love
is at the same time the deity of light. As she rises
or emerges into the light, she completes
the manifestation of Being, which sanctifies or
hallows the world. It is another version which,
surpassing the common womb of the eastern
matriarchy, is led to the clarity and lucidity of
reason and harmony.
CHRISTIANA
AVRAAMIDOU
Christiana Avraamidou
was born in
1978 in Athens.
After graduating
the English Language
and Literature
section at the University of Cyprus, she
proceeded with her postgraduate studies specialising
in English Literature and Psychoanalysis.In
2001 she was awarded the third prize
by the Derek Poetry Award in Britain. Some of
her poems were translated and published in a
Spanish Poetry and Prose Collection. Poems
have also been translated in the Italian and Serbian
language and included in anthologies.
In 1999 she published her first poetry collection
"Ropes and Wrecks", and in 2002 her second
collection "One Reason to Love Night"
for which she was awarded the Cyprus State
Prize for Young Poets.
A great number of
her poems have been
published in newspapers
and literary
magazines or included
in anthologies of
Greek poetry.
Her poems deal
with the themes
of love, death, time
and human vanity.
Profound and sincere emotions permeate
her poetry.
39

40
Poems from the collection
One Reason to Love Night
-1-
You are that kind of night, that makes me
nail my eyes on truth, the truth lying in the
echo of your silence.
And you are precisely that kind of sorrow,
that smiles and smells like lilies
letting the town
be loved in ignorance
And you startle
As the soul of my beauty is revealed
And you strive to live
But you are exactly that kind of absence
That touches like a spoiled wave,
And exactly that kind of shadow,
that creeps away
secretly
On its toes….
-23-
The only presence beside me at night,
shadows,
talking of you.
-Do you remember?
-How can I not?
You look like something that dropped out
of my pocket
in the afternoon
Like everything I step on at nights in avenues
-Remember?
Moonlight it was,
but were we all looking at the same moon?
In darkness,
everything is gentler…..
-1-
ErÛ·È âÎÂÖÓÔ Ùe Âr‰Ô˜ Ùɘ Ó‡¯Ù·˜
appleÔf Ìb οÓÂÈ Óa ηÚÊÒÛˆ Ùa Ì¿ÙÈ· ÛÙcÓ
àÏ‹ıÂÈ·,
ÙcÓ Í·appleψ̤ÓË Ìb˜ ÛÙe àapplefiË¯Ô Ùɘ
ÛȈappleɘ ÛÔ˘.
K·d ÂrÛ·È âÎÂÖÓÔ àÎÚȂᘠÙe Âr‰Ô˜ Ùɘ
χapple˘
appleÔf ¯·ÌÔÁÂÏÄ Î·d Ì˘Ú›˙ÂÈ ¬appleˆ˜ Ùa ÎÚ›Ó·,
àÊ‹ÓÔÓÙ·˜ ÙcÓ applefiÏË
Óa àÁ·appleÈ¤Ù·È âÓ àÁÓÔ›ˇ· Ù˘.
K·d Û·ÛÙ›˙ÂȘ...
ÛaÓ ÛÔÜ Ê·ÓÂÚˆıÂÖ ì ηډÈa Ùɘ çÌÔÚÊÈĘ
ÌÔ˘
ηd apple·Û¯›˙ÂȘ Óa ˙‹ÛÂȘ.
Ma ÂrÛ·È âÎÂÖÓÔ àÎÚȂᘠÙe Âr‰Ô˜ Ùɘ
àappleÔ˘Û›·˜
appleÔf àÁÁ›˙ÂÈ Î·ÎÔÌ·ıË̤ӷ ÛaÓ Î‡Ì·,
ηd âÎÂÖÓÔ àÎÚȂᘠÙe Âr‰Ô˜ Ùɘ ÛÎÈĘ
appleÔf ʇÁÂÈ ÎÚ˘Êa
ÛÙd˜ ̇Ù˜ ÙáÓ appleÔ‰ÈáÓ Ù˘....
-23-
MfiÓ˜ apple·ÚÔ˘Û›Â˜ ‰›appleÏ· ÌÔ˘ Ùa ‚Ú¿‰È·,
ÛÎȤ˜,
appleÔf ÌÈÏÄÓÂ ÁÈa Û¤Ó·.
— £˘ÌÄÛ·È;
— ᘠÓa ÌcÓ ı˘ÌÄÌ·È.
MÔÈ¿˙ÂȘ Ìb οÙÈ appleÔf ÌÔÜ ’appleÂÛ àapple’ ÙcÓ
ÙÛ¤appleË Ùe àapplefiÁÂ˘Ì·,
Ì’ ¬,ÙÈ apple·Ù¿ˆ Ùa ‚Ú¿‰È· ÛÙd˜ ψÊfiÚÔ˘˜.
— £˘ÌÄÛ·È;
·ÓÛ¤ÏËÓÔ˜ qÙ·Ó...
Ma ‚Ϥapple·Ì ¬ÏÔÈ
Ùe ú‰ÈÔ ÊÂÁÁ¿ÚÈ;
Ùe ÛÎÔÙ¿‰È...
Ùa apple¿ÓÙ· ÂrÓ·È êapple·ÏfiÙÂÚ·.

-7-
I don’t like you being open and windy.
I don’t like it that you last,
everybody is awake.
You keep fitting,
being measured
belonging…..
I like that you evaporate,
I am left lonely.
-11-
I’m forgetting my manners tonight,
and thought I should exist.
The air would call it
one desperation on top of another
but I’ve gathered together all your things
in a basket,
for I’m forgetting my manners tonight
deciding I should exist.
I’ll bring you plenty of caresses from
the basket,
because you are unemployed and have to live.
-32-
There is something about your hands
I don’ t like tonight.
Our outside, simple,
As if we are talking about Athens at night,
As for our insides,
Some other time...
In our next lives,
Like always...
Better days will come
If you forget, they will
Forget
-7-
¢bÓ Ì\ àÚ¤ÛÂÈ appleÔf ÂrÛ·È àÓÔȯÙe˜ ηd Ê˘Û¿ÂÈ.
¢bÓ Ì’ àÚ¤ÛÂÈ appleÔf ‰È·ÚÎÂÖ˜,
͢appleÓÉÛ·Ó ¬ÏÔÈ.
≠OÏÔ ¯ˆÚĘ,
ÌÂÙÚȤ۷È
àÓ‹ÎÂȘ...
Ì’ àÚ¤ÛÂÈ appleÔf âÍ·ÙÌ›˙ÂÛ·È.
M¤Óˆ ÌfiÓË.
-11-
·ÚÂÎÙÚ¿appleËη àapplefi„Â
ηd Ârapple· Óa ñapple¿Ú͈.
^O à¤Ú·˜ ıa Ùe ’ÏÂÁÂ
ì ÌÈa àappleÂÏappleÈÛ›· apple¿Óˆ ÛÙcÓ ôÏÏË.
Ma ö¯ˆ Ì·˙¤„ÂÈ Û’ ≤Ó· ηϷı¿ÎÈ Ì·˙d
Ùa appleÚ¿ÁÌ·Ù¿ ÛÔ˘,
ÁÈ·Ùd apple·ÚÂÎÙÚ¤appleÔÌ·È àapplefi„Â
ηd Ϥˆ Óa ñapple¿Ú͈.
£a ÛÔÜ Ê¤Úˆ ¯¿‰È· appleÔÏÏa àapple’ ÙcÓ àÁÔÚ¿,
ÁÈ·Ùd ÂrÛ·È ôÓÂÚÁÔ˜ ηd appleÚ¤appleÂÈ Óa ˙‹ÛÂȘ.
-32-
K¿ÙÈ ‰bÓ Ì’ àÚ¤ÛÂÈ ÛÙa ¯¤ÚÈ· ÛÔ˘ àapplefi„Â.
Ta ö͈ Ì·˜ êappleÏ¿,
ÛaÓ Óa ÌÈÏÄÌ ÁÈa ÙcÓ \Aı‹Ó· Ùa ‚Ú¿‰È·.
°Èa Ùa ¤Û· Ì·˜
ÌÈa ôÏÏË ÊÔÚ¿,
ÛÙd˜ ëapplefiÌÂÓ˜ ˙ˆ¤˜ Ì·˜,
¬appleˆ˜ apple¿ÓÙ·.
£¿ ’ÚıÔ˘Ó Î·Ï‡ÙÂÚ˜ ̤Ú˜.
òAÓ Í¯¿ÛÂȘ, ı¿ ’ÚıÔ˘Ó.
•¤¯·ÛÂ.
41

42
Born in Mesoyi, Paphos in 1941. Studied Sociology in Greece and
England. Worked until 1996 at the Welfare Office.
She has been writing poetry from an early age, the last ten years only
being dedicated to children’s poetry too. Many of her poems have
been translated into other languages and included in anthologies.
She is the recipient of a number of awards both from Cyprus and
Greece. She is a founding member and the President of the
Paphos Literary Society.
Published works: “Return” (1978), “Heroic Echoes” (1983, First
Prize in the Pancyprian Competition), “Timeless Nature” (1988),
“Flutters” (1992, Prize of the Cyprus Association of Youth and
Children’s Books), “Summer Landscapes” (1994, Prize of the Cyprus Association of Youth and
Children’s Books), “Reverberations of My Earth” (1997, Prize of the Cyprus Association of Youth
and Children’s Books), “Letter to a Missing Person” (1997, Ministry of Education and Culture
State Prize), “In the Sun’s Crater” (1999, First Prize in the Panhellenic Competition), “Come
Down Little Moon to Play Hide-and-Seek” (2002, Ministry of Education and Culture State
Prize), “The Girl Baker” (2002, Children’s Tales).
ELLI VENIZELOU
MYRIANTHI PANAYIOTOU PAPAONISIFOROU
Born in Limassol. Studied History and Archaeology at the University of Athens. She taught
Greek Literature in Secondary schools in Cyprus. She writes short-stories for the youth.
Published works: "The Hat is Coming" (1994,commended by the Women’s Literary Society of
Athens in the Pan-Hellenic Short Story Competition,1990), " Jasmine Fragrance"(1995, recipient
of the same commendation in1991), "Green Stories" (1997),"A Star on our Roof" (2002, State
Prize for Youth Literature).
ELENA PULCHERIOU
Born in Lakatamia. Graduated from the English School, Nicosia.
Studied Fine Arts, first in London and later at the University of Connecticut,
U.S.A. At present , she teaches English and draws illustrations
for children’s books.
In 1992, she was awarded an Honourary Distinction by the Ministry
of Education and Culture for the illustrations of the book "O
M¿ÚÎÔ˜ ÌÔ˘ ÎÈ’ÂÁÒ", by Era Yienagritou.
In 1993, she participated in the Bratislava Biennale of Illustrations
representing the Cyprus Association on Books for Young People
(National Section of I.B.B.Y.).
In 2004, she won First State Prize for the illustrations of the book
"Come Down Little Moon to Play Hide-and-Seek",by Myrianthi Panayiotou Papaonisiforou.

KYRIAKOS MARGARITIS
Kyriakos Margaritis was born in Paphos in 1982. After graduating from
the Lyceum he went on to study Classical Philology at the University of
Athens. The works he has published are «Georgakis from Karpasia», historic
novel, Nicosia 1998, commended by the Women’s Literary Society,
«The Village of Bedsheets» children’s novel, 1st Prize of the Cyprus Association
of Children’s Novels, «Small Love Dirges», short stories 2002, State
Prize for Youth Literature, «The Tin Knight», children’s novel 2004.
Excerpt from the short story "Magdalene of the Angels"
The house was white and around it had settled a
desolation that wept. Weeds grew in the paving
stones of a grey pavement and the road was
completely empty. Street of tranquillity. Street
of terror and silence. A street studded with poplars
and madness. A thriller film in the background of
cypress trees and empty tombs waiting perpetually
for their victims, and some black and white
photographs adorning their nakedness. Dates of
birth and death. Beginning and end and the
rain was lashing asphalt that was melting from a
heat-wave and fear. A wooden door, painted white
like a ghost. That door was a gateway which led
to infinity, to the den of paranoia. Hollow sounds
and their echo like tolling bells at a funeral. Oh,
superlative scene of my childhood and adolescent
phobias! How did you become like this?
I didn’t go by there very often. I regretted the questions
I hadn’t dared to solve, the mysteries that
remained secret. My mind a strange jackdaw that
cawed in the night. The wolf inside me yelped,
howling at an empty moon which was trying in
vain to light the street of my years and days. Time,
time wounded me in the loneliness of dreams.
And I wanted to pass through the gates of that
bottomless abyss. I was sure that behind the doorphone
and the mortal bell you pressed to enter,
the fathomless sea of my darkest fantasies was waiting,
suspicious, for me. A self which all us conceal
within us would push me in that direction. I knew
it. Thus, I simply waited for ignorance or my suspicious
nature to boo at me.
The castle of mad Magdalene. No one in the neigh-
bourhood had ever seen her. Remote neighbours
heard shrieks at night and were sure that
orgies were going on there. The orgies that the
decent, law-abiding townspeople kept away by
going round their bedrooms and yards with incense.
From the half-open window lights flickered like
imprisoned stars and occasionally brown butterflies
ventured out to protest at all they had seen,
all they had heard, all they had sensed with their
antennae. Magdalene, a presence that accompanied
the anxiety of my coming of age. Magdalene,
a fellow-traveller on the road of my adolescence
and doubts. Oh, I should, I should have seen her,
touched her, listened to her, spoken to her. I should
have looked into her crazy eyes to discern the things
mirrored within her, that scared her in her wild
nights, that lulled her to sleep in her sightless,
blind days.
She had no relatives and her friends remained a
mystery. Cars with opaque windows stopped for
a while at the entrance and romantic figures
with strides crossed her threshold. Then they left,
like the clients of brothels, always looking straight
ahead to the door of the car which was waiting
like a horse ready to ride off into the sunset. They
went away, blowing away the dust from the eyes
of the rest who were trying to penetrate their heads,
the heads with the long hair and the earrings, to
see all that was hidden in their sick, as they supposed,
minds. Mad Magdalene, who upset our
neighbourhood and fostered fairy tales, legends
and modern-day myths in an era which dismisses
witches. And fairies.
43

44
About 70 authors and translators from 21 European
and Mediterranean countries attended the
3rd Mare Nostrum Conference in Nicosia,
between 3-5 November, calling on the governments
and institutions of Europe to affirm
their commitment to tolerance and freedom of
speech and expression and to uphold that "
the pen must be mightier than the sword". It
is the third Mare Nostrum Conference, the first
being held in Delphi, Greece in 1999 and the
second in Barcelona in 2001.
The three–day conference under the title
"The Mediterranean: Dividing Waters or Common
Ground ?-The role of literature and
writers in world in conflict" – was organised by
the Union of Cypriot Writers with the support
of the European Communion and sponsored
by the Ministry of Education and Culture
and the Cyprus Tourist Organisation.
Opening the works of the conference, the Minister
of Education and Culture, Mr. Pefkios
Georgiades addressed a special welcome to participating
Turkish Cypriot writers, noting that
their cooperation with their Greek Cypriot counterparts
was an important contribution to the
effort for peaceful coexistence on the island.
In his welcoming speech UCW President, Christos
Hadjipapas referred to the efforts for the
reunification of the island and underlined the
fact that since the Turkish invasion in 1974,
Cypriot literature in both communities has as
its common reference their "divided country,
the streets that lead nowhere, parched love,
Aphrodite’s stabbed body". He noted that plans
have already been laid for a joint anthology in
Greek and Turkish, with a grant from the Ministry
of Culture, whereas the Turkish Cypriot
side has already reached an agreement with a
Mare Nostrum III
Christos Hadjipapas, Chairman of the Union
of Cypriot Writers addressing the Conference.
well-known publishing house in Turkey.
The Mare Nostrum literary meetings with
cultural and professionally related exchanges
among writers and their public in the Mediterranean
area have already contributed in the past
to a reflection on the sources, values and
future of European identity in diversity - including
the effort of conveying the results to the
more "Northern" countries of the European
Union and beyond. Integrating subjects focus
on the role of writers and their working conditions
resulting from the economic and
social North-South divide in Europe caused and
increased by the globalisation process. Special
workshops deal with literary translation issues
and cultural policy concerning the book market,
the promotion of reading, the relations and
interdependency between literature and audiovisual
or digital media.
Mare Nostrum III established in a friendly-professional
way new ties with the cultures and cul-

tural protagonists in the Eastern and Southern
parts of the Mediterranean , providing an opportunity
for individual writers and literary translators
from Israel, Palestine, the Lebanon, Syria,
Egypt to meet and work in groups with their
relative neighbours, their colleagues from Greece,
Turkey and Cyprus.
Participants included Turkish poet and essayist
Cenkiz Bektas, who spoke on the need for
Greeks and Turks to forge a new relationship
based on trust, while Israeli translator from Arabic.
Yael Lerer appealed to Israeli and Arab writers
to allow their work to be translated into each
other’s language.
Salwa baker from Egypt, Aamer Husein from
Pakistan and Matia Margaroni from Cyprus,
developed the theme "Orient and Occident –
The Fiction and Conflict"
Ecaterini Aristidou, Neshe Yashin and Lefteris
Papaleontiou spoke of Cyprus as an example of
Cultural heritage and of discovering the image
of the "other". The experience of translators
in Cyprus was presented by the Greek Cypriot
Thomas Symeou and the Turkish Cypriot Mehmet
Kansou.
At the end of the Mare Nostrum III Literary
Conference in Nicosia, the European Writer’s
Congress, which represents 52 writes’ associations
from 28 countries, with a membership
of 54,000 individual authors and literary trans-
Culture Minister, Pefkios Georgiades addressing
the conference.
lators, adopted a Cyprus Resolution.The Resolution
"deplored the resurgence of intolerance
and xenophobia throughout the world and
Europe" and concluded: "On this island, which
still suffers from unjust division and lies just a
few kilometers from the cockpit of Middle Eastern
injustice and conflict, the European Writers’
Congress encourages and facilitates contact
and cooperation between the writers from all
sides of the "dividing waters" of the Mediterranean
in a spirit of conciliation and healing,
and calls upon the government and institutions
of Europe to reaffirm that the EU is a consenting
association of nations dedicated to tolerance,
freedom of speech and expression and
that "the pen must be mightier than the sword".
Costas Hadjigeorgiou, Theoklis Kouyialis, Thomas Simeou were present at the Conference.
45

46
Within the framework of the conference, a session of poetry was held, where poems by
five Greek Cypriot poets and five Turkish Cypriot poets were recited.
A Blind Speaker at a Meeting for Peace
by Giorgos Moleskis
A blind speaker rose to the podium
opened his manuscript
began to talk, touching words one by one
with his fingers. A Turk
speaking Greek. His words
Greek and Turkish together
flew over frontiers like birds
whose nationality cannot be determined.
And as he spoke, palpating words with
his fingers
releasing them to the air
more and more he resembled a potter
who molded birds, animals, men
who molded a round earth, a unified
country,
without sectors of death, a dove of
peace...
he molded them in his fingers one by
one,
breathed life in them and released them
to fly around the hall,
searching for windows, for open doors
through which to soar out into the world
1998
Tragedy of Roots and Soil
(Köklere ve topraklara iliskin tragedya)
by Fikret Demirag
When a root is pulled out it feels remorse,
so does the soil separated from the root,
and a tragedy of flesh and bones
emerges;
However shaken, something will remain
in the root
from the soil it has been pulled out,
and in the soil, capillaries will remain
from the root.
This, because they ’re not wholly
separable
from the flesh they ’ve left in each other.
The incurable cavity the root has left in
the soil,
is the wound the parting son has left in
the mother,
and what remains of the soil in the root,
as a souvenir
to the one parting.
The root rots far away, while the soil
keeps bleeding.
The wounds do bleed of the deserted and
the pulled out;
in the son, something remains of the
place pulled out,
from the son, something does remain in
the heart of the mother.
Nicosia, 27.7.1983

The Association of Cypriot Book Publishers
At a press conference held by the Association
of Cypriot Book Publishers, the
Chairman of the Association, Mr.
M.A. Sofocleous, announced the
establishment of this institution as
an absolute necessity after the accession
of Cyprus to the EU. He made
known a number of initiatives that
were taken to enable publishers,
as an organised entity to develop new strategies.
The founding members of the Association are:
Armeda Publications, Demetrakis Christoforou
Publications, En Tipis Publications, Epiphaniou
Publiations, Kyproepeia Publishing House,
Pago Publications, Power Publishing, Tamasos
Publishing. Some more publishers, such as
Moufflon and Aigaion have also been invited
to join in.
Defining the policy adopted by the Association,
Mr. Sofocleous referred to the collaboration
they have with other institutions such
as: the Ministry of Education and Culture, the
Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
the Book Vendors’ Association, the Writers’
Union and the Publishers from Greece.
Concerning the collaboration with the Min-
The Chairman of the A.C.B.P. welcoming the Greek Prime
Minister, C. Karamanlis at their bookstall in Athens.
istry of Education and Culture, Mr. Sofocleous
quoted Dr Eleni Nikita, Director
of the Cultural Services of the
Ministry of Education and Culture
who underlined the pressing need
to encourage and promote the
publication of books both in
Cyprus and abroad. "We must
strengthen and project our cultural
identity in the mosaic of cultural peculiarities
called the EU", she said "so much more
as we are a small country with a language of
small circulation".
Dr Nikita welcomed the creation of the
Association of Cypriot Book Publishers which
will certainly upgrade the Cypriot books and
bring them to parity with those of other European
countries. It is inconceivable for a writer
to be publisher, promoter and deliverer, all in
one, as the case stands in Cyprus.
Concerning the collaboration with the Book
Vendors’ Association, it aims at a successful
confrontation of the Cyprus book market.
The necessity for the creation of a "connective
association" was considered imperative,
which would act as observer keeping the two
associations well informed of each other’s activities.
A Unified Programme of Action was proposed
separating the different fields of action into
groups under the following names:
Zenon – Communications Policy
Stasinos – Publishing Policy
Hermes – Sales Policy
Evagoras – Collaboration Policy
Europe – European Topics Policy
Athens – Cultural Activities Policy
Demetra – Book Fairs Policy
Olympus – the Association as an Administrative
Body
47

48
Ancient Cypriote Art in the
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
It is the first time that 237 representative
objects of the Cypriote collection in the National
Archaeological Museum of Athens have
been displayed both to the scholarly world
and to the general public. Very few people
were previously aware of the existence of this
collection and even among the scholarly world
it was hardly known. Therefore the exhibition
at the National Archaeological Museum
of Athens is both an event of scientific value
and a revelation.
What is more, the publication of the Catalogue
of the Ancient Cypriote Art by the
National Archaeological Museum of Athens,
written by Professor Vassos Karageorghis and
funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation is a
praiseworthy enterprise. Through the works
of art of the skilful coroplasts or expressive
sculptors which are presented in the lavishly
illustrated catalogue the reader will understand
and conceive not only the peculiarities
of Cypriote art but also its Hellenic identity.
The director of the National Archaeological
Animal shaped askos by white painted V Ware
Middle Cypriote III.
Female head. 5th cent. BC
Museum of Athens, Nikolas Kaltsas, who signs
the article on the History of the Cypriote Collection,
underlines the fact that the Museum
had always aspired to display Greek culture
in its entirety, and Cypriote art is considered
to be an integral part of that culture.
"In the late Mycenaean period the island of
Cyprus which dominates the eastern Mediterranean
region at the crossroads between East
and West, was inhabited by Achaean immigrants
who fled from the Peloponnese at
the end of the 13th century BC. From this
period onwards the culture is Greek and the
island finds itself under the protection of
"Kypris"

–Aphrodite. The dynamic mixture and coexistence
of Greek and Eastern elements is clearly
mirrored in the various expressions of the
Cypriote art".
The collection consists of approximately 850
objects, representing almost all the chronological
periods of Cypriote art, from the Early
Bronze Age to the Roman period. From
this corpus, there are 160 small stone sculptures
and approximately 55 bronze objects;
pottery and some terracotta figurines comprise
the remainder of the collection.
In the Foreword to the catalogue, Dr. Karageorghis
reveals: "I saw the Collection
for the first time in 1974, while I was
studying its corpus of Cypriote Iron
Age vases of the pictorial style, and
then again in 1989, when I studied
a group of Cypriote terracotta figurines
housed in the Museum. When
the Leventis Foundation first conceived
the ambitious project to publish
and exhibit Cypriote collections
in foreign museums, the collection
Jug of red slip V Ware Cypro Classical II.
of the National Archaeological Museum of
Athens was one of the first museums approached;
however, for various reasons, it has taken twelve
years to gain access to study and photograph
this particular group of
antiquities."
Red lustrous wheelmade ware
Late Cypriote I-II
49

50
Female figurines. Late Cypriote II.
The collection was compiled in various stages,
with the acquisition of isolated objects or
assembled groups, and from purchases, donations
and confiscated material.
The first vase was purchased from a private
collector E.Angelopoulos on 17th February
1879. In July 1980, the museum acquired
67 Cypriote vases from the Archaeological
Society of Athens. The Collection was further
enriched with objects acquired from rich
private collectors such as Zacharias Bakoulis,
G.Philimon (consul in Larnaca from 1894-
1897), Philios Zounetos, the Empedoklis col-
lection, and others. The items, either purchased
by the Archaeological Society of Athens
or donated, were in turn handed over to
the museum. A noteworthy donation was
that of the Ethnarchy of Cyprus in 1960.
In the last decades of the 20th century,
with increased law enforcement, inspection
of illegal possessions and curbing of trafficking
of antiquities, 28 Cypriote antiquities
were handed over by the Police Force.
It is unfortunate that very little information
could be retrieved with regard to the
provenance of the various objects.

Dr. Karageorghis was moved to find a letter
from a Police Inspector from Pendayia,
Skouriotisa to the Curator of the Cyprus
Museum, Menelaos Skartides, dated 22nd
April, 1920 describing the discovery of "some
ancient vases" and their transfer to Nicosia.
This piece of paper was tucked into the neck
of a jug of Red Polished Ware. It is not known
how this group of artefacts reached Athens.
It is obvious that further information regarding
the provenance of the artefacts could come
to light after a thorough search through the
archives of the Archaeological Society found
in the National Archaeological Museum.
This rich and representative collection of
Cypriote antiquities displayed in the National
Museum will highlight the development
of the island’s art and culture, in parallel with
other centres in the area of mainland Greece
and its islands.
Animal shaped askos. Middle
Cypriote III.
White slip II wares. Late Cypriote II
Large jug of Bichrome III-IV Ware
Early Cypro Archaic I
51

52
The A.G. Leventis Foundation within the
framework of its major programme of presenting
and publishing Cypriote antiquities
now kept in the principal museums of Europe
and North America, has decided to endow
the creation of a Cypriote Gallery in the Royal
Ontario Museum, Canada. Although the
museum is currently undergoing a major refurbishment
and the A.G. Leventis Gallery is
scheduled to open in December 2005, the catalogue
presenting two hundred of the finest
antiquities from the R.O.M.’s rich collection
of Cypriote artifacts has already been published.
The driving force behind this project
has been Dr. Vassos Karageorghis,
Director of the A.G. Leventis Foundation,
whose knowledge and passion for Cypriote
antiquities are evident in this handbook.
Head of male figure from Tamassos
5th century BC.
Cypriote Antiquities
in the Royal Ontario Museum
All the elements of the collection – the
limestone sculptures, terracotta, bronzes, jewellery
and coins from the Bronze Age to the
Roman Era are only partially known from various
scattered publications issued earlier in
the 20th century. Now that the knowledge
of Cypriote art has been greatly enriched, Dr
Karageorghis considered that the time is ripe
for a new updated publication which would
revise serious discrepancies. Moreover, the
new photographs in colour can only enhance
our appreciation of the intrinsic artistic merit
of the Cypriote artifacts themselves.
The Catalogue published by the A.G. Leventis
Foundation and the Royal Ontario Museum
and prefaced by William Thorsell, R.O.M.
Director, is divided into seven sections:
Pottery, Bronzes, Limestone Sculpture and
Red polished ware. Early Cypriote III.

Terracottas, all signed by Vassos Karageorghis,
Jewellery by Paul Denis, the Museum Curator,
Coins by Alisson Harle Easson and Medieval
Glazed Pottery by Demetra Papanicola Bakirtzi.
Each of the 200 objects in the collection is
Male Statuette from Tamassos
Early 6th century BC.
given a meticulous description followed by
the provenance (if known), the inventory number,
dimensions, date, description, bibliography
and comparanda.
The Collection
The Cypriote collection, comprising
some 800 objects which entered
the Royal Ontario Museum at
different stages, is one of the
most important in North America.
The earliest acquisitions came
from Dr. Allen Sturge, a knowledgeable collector
of antiquities from Suffolk, England
and took place mainly during the first two
decades of the twentieth century. They
were examples of prehistoric Cypriote pottery
of all styles, the most noteworthy being the
Early Bronze Age examples of Red Polished
Ware.
In 1958, the collection of Colonel Falkland
Warren from the National Gallery in Ottawa
Terracotte horses 7th century BC.
53

54
Bowls of Brown and Green Sgraffito Ware, 14th century.
was transferred to the R.O.M. This collection,
consisting of 300 pieces of pottery, stone
sculptures, terracotta figurines had been
acquired by Colonel Warren while he was stationed
in Cyprus as an English official, and
occupied himself as an amateur archaeologist,
as was customary around 1870-1880.
The main location of his efforts was the area
of Tamassos which yielded much archaeological
material.
In 1962 the R.O.M. received a fine gift of
seven pieces of Bronze Age and Geometric
pottery from the members of the Lions Club
of Famagusta, Cyprus. This was followed in
1965 by a large donation of about 300 pieces
including pottery of all periods, terracotta
figurines, some glass vessels of the Roman
period and a number of fine gold jewellery
pieces. This was the collection of the Dowager
Lady Loch from London who, with her
husband, had resided most of her life in
Cyprus.
The most recent acquisition, the signature
artifact dating from the Late Bronze Age of
about 1200 BC was donated by R. Hindley
from Toronto. It is a small bronze relief,

worked in the ajouré technique, depicting a
man from the waist up, carrying a copper
ingot in the shape of an ox hide. It is a piece
of rare workmanship in excellent condition.
Moreover it reflects the significance of
copper in Cypriote culture as mining and
smelting of copper was the chief industry
of the island and historically the island’s principal
export.
Museums are living organisms and not merely
repositories of artifacts. People come here
to pay homage to art and get acquainted with
the elevated expression of the human spirit.
The vibrant Cypriot community of Canada
will take pride in their own cultural heritage
exhibited among the other international collections
of the R.O.M., which reflect the cultural
diversity of contemporary Canada
and appreciate the strength of
ancient Cypriote culture.
Large amphora of Bichrome IV-V Ware. Late Cypro Archaic I.
55