Editorial

Editorial 

The majestic, awe-inspiring olive-tree dominates the Cypriot landscape. Its 

titanic resistance and vital force that render it nearly immortal is breathtaking. No 

other tree is better identified with the Mediterranean region. Symbols of abundance, 

glory and peace, olive leafy branches crowned the victorious and were 

emblems of benediction and purification. 

Cyprus, "the greyish green olive leaf floating in the Mediterranean", as proclaimed 

by Cypriot poet Leonidas Malenis, has benefited from the "olive culture" from 

time immemorial. Countless generations grew up in the shade of the olive tree, 

were nourished on pure olive oil, learned what human toil is by picking olives, read 

by the flickering flame of the oil-lamp and lit a candle at the iconostasis to pray. 

The mystical glow of oil illuminated our history and was an endless source of 

fascination as it conferred health, strength and youth. 

The various aspects of the oil culture as it has seeped into Cypriot tradition are 

revealed in the main article of the present issue of Cyprus Today, signed by Euphrosyne 

Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou, Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus. 

We shall continue our itinerary along the world museums tracing the Cypriote 

antiquities dispersed throughout the world. As in the previous issue of our review, 

light will be shed on the new exhibition halls opened by the Leventis Foundation 

in Toronto and Odessa. 

The theme of the protection of our cultural heritage is elaborately dealt with in 

Michael Jansen’s book "War and Cultural Heritage: Cyprus after the 1974 Turkish 

invasion" presented in this issue of our review. The book, a startling report 

of the cultural problem of Cyprus as victim of war pillage, has made an invaluable 

contribution by reminding the world of the common heritage of mankind 

in which every single artifact adds to the narrative of history and a loss in one country 

is a loss in global civilisation. 

Equally valuable to this noble cause is the contribution by Professor Theofanis 

Stavrou publisher of the book and chief editor of the series in which it appeared 

at the University of Minnesota. 

If the topic of war pillage in our world so often hostile overwhelms our readers, 

they may overcome their anxiety by reading about ancient Greek music and the 

Terpandros exhibition. Music elevates our spirit and confirms the existence of harmony 

in this universe. The recreation of ancient Greek musical instruments by 

Michalis Georgiou creates the medium through which the long forgotten resonances 

of the universe can resurface and bring peace of mind. 

1

Photo: Porphyrios Dikaios, photomosaic, Cultural Services, Ministry of Education and Culture, 1998.

The Olive Tree 

and Olive Oil in the Traditional 

Life of Cyprus 

Euphrosyne Rizopoulou Egoumenidou, Associate Professor, University of Cyprus 

The olive tree has co-existed with the inhabitants 

of Cyprus from the Neolithic period 

(6th millennium BC) to the present day, not 

only in the countryside but also in the towns. 

One can see in the gardens of houses, side 

by side the beloved traditional trees of Cyprus: 

the lemon tree and the olive tree. 

The cultivation of the olive tree began during 

the 2nd millennium BC but the earliest 

evidence of production of olive oil on the 

island goes back to the end of the 13th 

century BC, the period to which the oldest 

olive presses that have been discovered in settlements 

and temples date back (Hadjisavvas 

1992 and Hadjisavvas 1996, 59-63).

4 

In antiquity Cyprus was well-known as a place 

rich in olive trees and olive oil, evelaios according 

to Strabo, and Cypriot olive oil was much 

sought after as being light and easily digestible 

(Strabo 14. 6 .5). 

The olive tree is hardy and long-lived. 

There are some very old olive trees in Cyprus, 

their trunks full of roomy hollows. The socalled 

frankoelies (Frankish olives) are thought 

to go back to the period of Frankish rule 

(1191-1489), while another variety of olive 

tree is called apostolitzi (apostolic) because 

according to tradition these trees sprang from 

the olive stones thrown on the ground by the 

Apostles Paul and Barnabas during their stay 

on Cyprus (Aristidou 1986, 53). 

During the period of Venetian rule (1489- 

1571) olive trees were abundant and were distributed 

all over the island. Most of them, 

however, were wild, arkoelies (oleasters). This 

problem existed in recent times as well, since 

in 1937 Cyprus had 2.25 million olive trees 

of which one million were wild. With grafting 

and systematic cultivation from 1946- 

1958, olive trees increased in number by 40% 

(Christodoulou 1959, 171). 

The Turkish invasion in 1974 inflicted a serious 

blow on production because almost 

half of the island’s olive trees are grown in the 

occupied northern part of Cyprus.

Different stages in the production of oil. 16th century engraving. 

The olive tree suits all types of cultivation. 

According to consular reports of the 19th century, 

olive trees were constantly found with 

the carob trees at the foot of the mountains 

and skirting the plains, forming a line of demarcation 

between the uncultivated mountain 

sides, and the tilled land below (report by the 

Vice-Consul White in Papadopoullos 1980, 

83. See also Savile 1878, 93). At the same time 

there were olive groves, lioforia, which came 

right up to the walls of Nicosia. An area of the 

capital is still called "Elaion" today and, despite 

the fact that large modern villas are built on 

it, a number of olive trees still grow there. 

Olive trees were included in records of property 

and the number of olive roots is recorded 

in inventories of property and marriage 

contracts (e.g. in the 18th unpublished inventory 

of the property of the Dragoman Hadjigeorgakis 

Kornessios). 

In an economy that was primarily agricultural, 

like that of Cyprus, olive oil was only second 

to wheat as a food staple. Therefore, interregional 

exchanges were essential and itinerant 

merchants and even producers would 

exchange olive oil with grain. 

The production of olive oil fluctuated considerably. 

It did not always meet local needs 

and only in good years was there the possibility 

of exporting. This phenomenon seems 

to have been perpetual. At the end of the 18th 

century Archimandrite Kyprianos gives the 

following picture: "The olive groves produce 

a good quantity of oil so that when they 

do well the country is provided for up to three 

years and sometimes it is even sent out of 

the country" (Kyprianos (1788) 1974, 544), 

while in 1868, in the report of the Vice-Consul 

Sandwith on the merchants of Cyprus, it 

is mentioned that Cyprus is the only island in 

the East which does not produce sufficient oil 

for its needs (Papadopoullos 1980, 116). 

5

6 

Picking olives from the ground. (Photo: Nicos Psilakis) 

In the traditional society of Cyprus, especially 

in rural areas, production remained at 

the pre-industrial level at least until the mid 

20th century. Therefore, the year’s provision 

in olives and olive oil was a real struggle, 

involving the cultivation of the trees, 

the collection of the fruit and the extraction 

of olive oil in the pre-industrial olive mills and 

presses. "When we were going to plant olive 

trees, we had to dig pits up to four feet deep. 

We put the olive tree in the pit, pressed the 

earth down well and then watered the plants. 

If they were grafted they produced olives in 

three years," says an eighty-year old man from 

Dhikomo (Mavrokordatos 1987, 47). 

For better fruiting the olive tree needed looking 

after, ploughing and hoeing, essential tasks 

which were described in popular proverbs : 

"If you plough the olive tree seven times between 

October and March/April, you’ll go crazy from 

the oil you’ll produce" and "Give me at the 

root and I’ll give you on the branch." 

Equally good was a thorough watering: 

Oil press in Cyprus. (Photo: X. Lazarou)

Homer called it “golden liquid”. 

"The olive tree heard the plough and thought 

it was the irrigation ditch." The reason why 

the olive oil of Kythrea was famous is because 

in Kythrea there was a perennial spring, the 

largest spring on the island, which watered 

many olive trees and turned 32 watermills 

(Xioutas, A, 1984, 114, no. 346, 297, no. 

1055, 32, no. 84, and Xioutas, B, 1985, 155, 

no. 253). 

The tree also needed skilful pruning, which 

was most important for a good yield: "The 

olive tree needs a crazy pruner and a sensible 

picker," that is to say merciless pruning and 

prudent harvesting, with the hands (Xioutas, 

B, 1985, 20 no. 1955). In proverbial speech, 

the olive tree voices all its needs: "The olive 

tree tells its owner: Dig round me? You remember 

me. Manure me? You feed me. Water me? 

I am refreshed. Prune me? You make me pregnant." 

(Xioutas,C, 1985, 266, no. 4947). 

Crucial for production is the flowering season 

in the spring, when the fruit is small 

and tender. Being unable to control the weath- 

er conditions, people resorted to religion and 

superstition. They believed that "When you 

say ‘Christ is risen’ to the olive trees on Easter 

morning, they keep their fruit" (Xioutas, A, 

1984, 77, no. 221). 

For the olive tree to develop it needs air and 

light, not buildings all around it: "The olive 

tree heard the builder’s trowel and burst into 

tears" (Xioutas, A, 1984, 32-33, no. 85). 

The periodical production of the olive tree 

also passed into proverbs. The tree was 

considered an independent lady who produced 

fruit when she wanted to: "They invited 

the olive tree to the wedding and it told 

them a lady doesn’t go" (Xioutas, A, 1984, 

351-352, no. 1283). 

The harvesting of the fruit began in August 

with the picking of the green olives which 

would become tsakkistes (crushed). They left 

the other olives to turn black and these they 

picked in October and even November. The 

men climbed up the trees and shook the branches 

so that the fruit would fall and be picked 

up by the other members of the family or 

female labourers, but the final harvesting at 

the beginning of the winter was done by striking 

the tree with vakles (long sticks) or long 

canes. This very ancient method was effective 

but harmful to the tree and was strongly 

criticised by the British (see the relevant comment 

in the consular report of 1844 in 

Papadopoullos 1980, 20). 

A certain amount of the olives was salted to 

keep for food for the whole year, while the 

main crop from the ladoelies ("oil olives") was 

to be turned into oil. From 3-5 okes of 

olives they produced an oke of oil. They put 

the olives into big baskets of 40 okes. Before 

they took them to the mill, they spread 

them out in their yards or on the flat roof tops 

7

8 

Crushing olives in a traditional olive mill, in the 1950s. Photo by F.M. Yiaxis 

for about 10 days because they considered that 

the fruit produced better oil if they left it to 

shrivel. 

The process of extracting the oil was laborious 

and was done in two stages at special installations 

which in some areas were open air but 

in others housed in buildings. The first stage 

was the crushing of the fruit with a cylindrical 

millstone which turned in an upright position 

in a circular stone basin, the skoutellin tou 

milou. The millstone was turned by pushing 

the pole, i.e. the beam which formed the 

horizontal axis of the millstone. This was done 

by men or animals. 

The washed olives were turned into pulp, the 

zimari. They left this first pulp, with a hollow 

in the centre, for many hours in a container 

and the first oil came out by itself. 

This was the cleanest/purest oil and they 

called it adolon (pure). The 

second stage was to squeeze 

the pulp in a press with a screw, 

initially of wood and later of iron. They put 

the pulp into round woven baskets with a hole 

in the middle, the zembilia, and placed 5-7 of 

them, one on top of the other, in the base of 

the press. Here they squeezed the filled zembilia 

three times, again with muscle power, 

turning the screw with the help of a wooden 

beam. After the first pressing, adolon or virgin 

oil came out, at the second pressing, however, 

and the third, they threw hot water onto 

the zembilia which contained the pulp, for 

the rest of the oil to come out. This they 

collected in a container. The oil floated and 

they scooped it up with their cupped hands 

or even with their palms. They left it for about 

20 days for the sediment to settle before 

they began to use it. The oil 

was kept in small earthenware 

jars, ladokoumnes, stopped or 

sealed with beeswax, or in glass 

demi-johns (lamintzanes). Another 

type of vase used for olive oil was

Ancient old olive tree. (Photo: N. Psilakis)

10 

ladokouzin, a jug provided with a spout opposite 

the vertical handle. 

The unit of measurement of the oil was the 

litre, which was equivalent to 21 /2 okes or 10 

ounces. For each litre of olive oil they had to 

give one ounce (a quarter of an oke) to the 

owner of the mill (Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou 

1996, 324-339, Fiouri, under publication, 

Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou, under publication). 

Despite the efforts of the Greek agronomist 

Panayiotis Gennadios, Director of the newly 

established Department of Agriculture (1896- 

1904) to improve the equipment and containers 

used in the production of olive oil, the 

substitution of the wooden press, from which 

the oil acquired an unpleasant, rancid taste, 

by an iron press, was very slow, since even in 

1946 more than half the presses in olive mills 

Different varieties of olives. 

were still wooden (the conservatism of the 

Cypriots over adopting modern methods of 

production were also noted at the end of the 

19th century by the researcher Magda Ohnefalsch-Richter 

((1913) 1994, 104). 

The olive and oil were integral elements of 

the traditional life and the staple ingredients 

of daily food. 

Throughout ages of deprivation, serfdom and 

exploitation, the olive earned recognition as 

a valuable and favourite form of food. Because 

of poverty, the daily diet of the rural population 

was so frugal, even in the last days of British 

rule – a lump of bread, a few olives, an 

onion or, on better days, a piece of lard or halloumi 

cheese – they cherished the olive as their 

eyes or their sweetheart. All this is summed 

up in the Cypriot proverb "He looks after her 

like the olive on his plate" (Xioutas, A,

1984, 231 no. 771). The olives, which 

were always counted, together 

with bread, constituted the everyday 

meal of the farmers, the workers, 

the craftsmen. 

In traditional households olives were prepared 

and preserved for domestic consumption in 

a variety of ways. Some of them are similar to 

those of antiquity. Black salted olives were 

preserved in koumnes (earthenware containers). 

A particular type of olive is preserved 

in brine and vinegar and is called kolymbati 

(swimming olive), a word deriving from the 

ancient name kolymvas elaia. According to the 

5th-century lexicographer Hesychios, this 

kind of preserved olive was called by the Cypriots 

vomvoia (see reference in Michaelides 1998, 

32). More common in Cyprus is the green 

tsakkisti (crushed) olive, the thlasti of the 

ancients. Cypriots also keep in vinegar and 

oil the adrouppa, a fleshy olive from which 

they do not get oil (Xioutas, A, 1984, 74). 

The most characteristic Cypriot olive is the 

tsakkisti (Fig. 5), which is prepared as follows: 

they crush lightly the green olives with a stone 

and cover them with water which is changed 

twice a day, until the bitterness has gone. Then 

they put the olives in bottles with brine and 

lemon juice. Before serving, they are prepared 

with finely chopped garlic, crushed coriander 

seeds, olive oil, thin slices of lemon and lemon 

juice (Evangelatou, 35-36). 

A very common Cypriot food with olives is 

the elioti or olive bread. 

It is prepared with dough (made of flour 

and water) in which black olives, dried 

mint, coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves 

and onions are added. They knead all the 

ingredients together, shape the dough into 

Ladokouzin, 

glazed jug with 

a spout for serving 

olive oil. Kilani village, 

Limassol district. 

small round loaves and bake 

them in the oven (Farmakides 1983, 

302). 

The role of the olive was, and continues to 

be, especially important during fasting periods, 

which covered more than half the days 

of the year. It is considered, indeed, that the 

small quantity of oil which the very few olives 

in the daily diet contain does not break the 

fast and for this reason the consumption of 

olives is permitted on fasting days when olive 

oil is prohibited (for the fasting periods and 

the related foods see Egoumenidou and 

11

12 

Michaelides 2002, 55-64). 

In traditional households 

special provision had to be 

made for having olive oil in 

the house during the pre-Christmas 

fast because the year’s provision was running 

out and the new olive oil was not yet 

ready. In contrast, for the major Lenten fast 

before Easter, it was necessary to have wheat 

for bread: "The forty days olive oil and the 

fifty days bread" (Xioutas, C, 1985, 173 no. 

4613). 

For financial reasons and because of 

the abundance of natural produce on 

the island, the traditional Cypriot diet 

was based mainly on the consumption of 

green vegetables, legumes and pasta, always 

with bread, while meat from the home-fed 

animals and chickens, rarely reached the 

table except at weddings, on major 

feast days and when a visitor came 

or someone in the house was ill. 

In the rural areas of Cyprus, all 

the year round, every wild or cultivated 

plant was made use of and in 

every possible combination. Typical 

of the Cypriot cuisine are dishes 

which combine boiled legumes 

with vegetables, eaten with raw olive 

oil and lemon, as are salads. 

Such combinations are blackeyed 

beans with kale or red 

pumpkin, fresh black-eyed 

beans with marrow, beans 

with celery and carrot etc. 

In the past, sesame oil 

was used as a substitute 

for olive oil during Lent, 

while for frying they usually 

used pork fat. 

One of the most common dishes was, and still 

is, brown or yellow lentils. 

Brown lentils are often cooked with rice or 

trin (home-made pastry cut in short lengths) 

and are flavoured with onion fried in olive oil. 

This dish is called mougendra. Mougendra 

absorbs a lot of oil, but the quantity does 

not show. The following proverb, inspired by 

the dish, is used in a metaphysical sense: "The 

lentil turned round and ate the olive oil" 

(Xioutas, A, 1984, 328 no. 1187). 

Stews with olive oil were common, as were 

also greens fried with eggs in olive oil. 

Mavrolado, black oil, had a stronger 

taste and smell, and was also heavier 

than the normal olive oil. To produce 

mavrolado they picked the olives 

while they were still green, cleaned 

them and scalded them for a short 

time in water in a copper cauldron 

until they were soft but 

not soggy. Then they strained 

them and spread them out to 

dry but not to shrivel. They crushed 

them in the press without water 

and the oil which came out was 

left to settle in a tank for 40 

days (Fiouri, under publication). 

The black oil, produced mainly 

in Paphos and the Karpasia, is 

produced in only small quantities 

today, despite the appreciation 

felt for it by gourmands. 

The use of plenty of oil was 

a sign of prosperity and generosity. 

They called a stingy 

person "alathkiasto" – a 

person who grudged putting 

oil on his food.

The best Mediterranean diet: vegetables with olive oil. (Photo: N. Psilakis) 

Olive oil was also used medicinally in the 

traditional society. They put drops of it in the 

ear to cure earache and rubbed the belly 

with oil to ease pain. They anointed wounds 

with oil, even those made by the saddle on the 

backs of animals. They also rubbed figs with 

oil to make them ripen quickly and early. 

Olive oil continues to have an important place 

in today’s diet, enhanced constantly by a steady 

flow of information about its beneficial qualities, 

which do not hold for mavrolado. Despite 

the fact that in recent decades various vegetable 

oils have been in widespread use, 

olive oil remains in the minds of Cypriots as 

the "good oil". As well as Cypriot oil, which 

is exported abroad, imported oil, mainly from 

Greece, is also consumed. According to data 

from the Statistics Service of the Ministry of 

Finance, 12,219 kilos were imported into 

Cyprus in 2002 and 25,976 kilos in 2003. In 

the same years the export of Cypriot olive 

oil reached 766,791 and 1,572,975 kilos respectively. 

In 2003-04 local production of olive oil was 

4,500 tons (1,000 kilos per ton) and in 2004- 

05, 6,000 tons. 

It is worthy of mention that, despite the abundance 

of oil on the market, the Cypriot still 

aspires today to cultivate his small inherited 

olive grove or even the few olive trees in his 

garden or yard. If one calculates the cost of 

labour for harvesting and the fees at the 

olive mill, this enterprise is economically 

unprofitable. Thus, usually the family and 

friends are mobilised for the harvesting and 

they themselves take the fruit to the mills, 

which are now modern and automatic. There 

they wait for the oil to come out, enjoying, as 

they did at the old manual mills, kapires (toast- 

13

14 

ed bread) dipped in the fresh olive oil, with 

salt and lemon, together with tsakkistes 

olives and zivania (Cypriot eau-de-vie) or wine 

offered by the owner of the mill. 

The significance of the olive oil in human life, 

especially in the traditional communities, preserved 

through time the belief that the olive 

is a blessed tree and the olive oil is holy. 

In Cyprus, as in the whole Christian world, 

olive oil is used in the sacraments of the Church, 

such as Baptism and Euchelaion (Anointing), 

and olive oil burns in lamps in churches, by 

the family iconostasis and on graves. Of the 

many customs linked with olive trees and oil, 

we mention only the use of oil during burial, 

when the priest pours oil, forming the 

shape of the cross, over the dead from a 

plate which he then breaks in the grave (Papacharalambous 

1965, 152-153). After the burial, 

bread with black olives and wine are offered 

as a consolation (pariorka). 

In Cyprus wedding wreaths in the 

past were made of plaited 

olive leaves. Palm Sunday 

is called Olive Sunday. The 

fumes of olive leaves that have 

been previously blessed in the 

church, are used to ward off the evil 

eye. This custom was and still is essential 

at weddings and on feast days. The words 

of a traditional wedding song are characteristic: 

"Call her mother to come and burn olive 

leaves for her and with incense burner and 

olive leaves bid her farewell." (For the use of 

the olive in customs and in folk worship, see 

Rousounides 1988, 23-71). 

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Î·È ÔÈ apple·Ú·‰ÔÛÈ·ÎÔ› ÂÏÈfiÌ˘ÏÔÈ» (Olive Oil Production 

and Traditional Olive Presses in Cyprus during 

the Recent Past), "The Olive Tree and Oil", Fourth 

Workshop, Kalamata, 7-9 May 1993, Athens, Cultural 

Foundation of the Hellenic Bank of Industrial 

Development - ELAIS, 324-339. 

Rizopoulou–Egoumenidou, ∂. (under publication): 

«√È apple·Ú·‰ÔÛÈ·ÎÔ› ÂÏÈfiÌ˘ÏÔÈ ÙË˜ ∫‡appleÚÔ˘: Ù˘appleÔÏÔÁÈÎ‹ 

ÂÍ¤ÏÈÍË Î·È ÏÂÈÙÔ˘ÚÁ›·» (Traditional Olive Presses 

in Cyprus: Typological Development and Function), 

Proceedings of the Meeting "The Development of Olive 

Presses in the Aegean from Thrace to Cyprus, Lefkes, 

Paros, 26-28 September 2003, European Days of Cultural 

Heritage. 

Rousounides, ∞. (1988). ¢¤Ó‰Ú· ÛÙËÓ ÂÏÏËÓÈÎ‹ Ï·ÔÁÚ·Ê›· 

ÌÂ ÂÈ‰ÈÎ‹ ·Ó·ÊÔÚ¿ ÛÙËÓ ∫‡appleÚÔ (Trees in Greek Folklore 

with Special Reference to Cyprus), Nicosia, Publications 

of the Cyprus Research Centre Ãπππ, vol. ∞. 

Savile, A. R., Captain (1878). Cyprus. London. Compiled 

in the Intelligence Branch, Quarter-Master- 

General’s Department, Horse Guards. By Captain A. 

R. Savile, 18th, The Royal Irish Regiment. Official 

Copy. 

Strabo, 14. 6. 5.: The Geography of Strabo, with an 

English Translation by H.L. Jones, Vol. VI, Harvard 

University Press, 1989. 

Xioutas, P., ∞ (1984). µ, C (1985) ·ÚÔÈÌ›Â˜ ÙÔ˘ 

Î˘appleÚÈ·ÎÔ‡ Ï·Ô‡ (Proverbs of the Cypriot Folk), vol. 

∞: 1984, vols µC: 1985, Nicosia, Archbishop Makarios 

III Foundation. 

15

16 

Theotokos 

Twenty Italian and twenty Cypriot masterpieces representing 

the Virgin Mary were on display at the Hellenic Bank Head Office 

in Nicosia between 1 and 31 July, 2005. The exhibition entitled 

Theotokos – Madonna was held under the auspices of the Italian 

Embassy and was organised in collaboration with the Pierides 

Foundation. It came within the framework of the bilateral cultural 

programme between Cyprus and Italy. 

This rare exhibition was the brainchild of the Italian Ambassador, 

Gherardo La Francesca and Dr. Andreas Pittas. The idea 

sparked off during a conversation they had about Mouriki’ s 

"Maniera Cypria" and the Cypriot icons dating from the 13th century 

that still exist around Italy such as the Madonna della Madia 

at Monopoli in Apoulia, the Madonna della Fonte at Trani or 

the truly wonderful Cypriot icon of Virgin Mary the Conductress 

at St. Nile in Grottaferrata. The exhibition was meant to draw a 

link between Italian and Greek iconographers and their depiction 

of the Madonna (Theotokos) and child. Between the 12th and 

13th centuries renowned and anonymous Cypriot artists, under 

the influence of European Pre-Renaissance Arts, developed a new 

painting style called "Maniera Cypria" (Cypriot manner) which 

tended to smoothen the stiff and austere stylised Byzantine iconography 

by grafting Gothic elements of Italian or French origins. 

The "bridge" between East and West and the pivotal role that Virgin 

Mary held in the art and tradition of both the Orthodox and 

the Roman Catholic Church were evident more than 800 years 

ago.

Madonna 

Francesco da Rimini – Virgin and Child. Wood 

panel, c.1330. London, private collection. 

17

18 

The Curators 

The challenging task of organising this 

exhibition was undertaken by Yiannis 

Toumazis, Director of the Pierides Foundation. 

In close collaboration with art historian 

Dr Stefano Casu and archaeologist 

and expert on Byzantine iconography 

Christodoulos Hadjichristodoulou, they 

managed to compile in a record time of 

four months a breathtaking collection of 

representations of mother and child, 40 

Virgin Mary the Conductress (Hodeghetria), 

14th century, Monastery of St. George Pitidiotis, 

Korakou. Now at Monastery of St. Nicholaos, 

Orounda. 

master pieces spanning the thirteenth to 

the sixteenth century. What is more they 

produced a lavishly illustrated exhibition 

catalogue with well documented texts and 

lemmas for each icon, which significantly 

contributed to the thorough presentation 

of the subject of the exhibition. 

Three Exhibition Sections 

The exhibition opens with a section dedicated 

to the painting developed in Cyprus 

during the twelfth and fifteenth centuries 

with icons illustrating the evolution 

of iconography when Cypriot artists developed 

the new style known as Maniera 

Cypria. 

Most representative icons that have survived 

from this period are Virgin Mary 

Glykophilousa (1105-1106) from the 

Monastery of St John Lampadistis, Kalopanayiotis, 

Virgin Mary Kykkotissa from the 

Church of the Holy Cross, Palaiomilos, 

Mother of God of the Consolation from 

the Church of Zoopigi and others. 

The second section introduces the visitors 

to the Italian masters of the 14th and 15th 

centuries. The Tuscan School is represented 

by Giotto and Filippo Lippi, as well as the 

Northern Italian School and finally the 

Renaissance art. Giotto, with his enormous 

talent and emotive treatment of mediaeval 

Christian iconography, made the vital 

departure from the Byzantine style that 

had dominated for close to a thousand 

years. 

The exhibition concludes with a series of 

16th century Cypriot icons that depend 

both stylistically and iconographically on 

Italian Renaissance models, thus ideally 

rounding off the four centuries of artistic 

relations between Italy and Cyprus.

Virgin Mary the Merciful (Eleousa), 14th century, 

Church of St George, Pedoulas. Now at 

Byzantine Museum, Pedoulas. 

19

Cypriot Painting and its Affinity with Italian Art during the 

Frankish and Venetian Rule: 1191-1571 

Italians had established very close ties with 

Byzantium and the East (Levante) since the 

11th century. The emerging onshore towns 

in Italy, such as Venice, Pisa, Amalfi and Genoa, 

had already established districts in the heart 

of Constantinople for the residence of their 

traders and their ships were freely circulating 

in the ports of the Empire. Amongst the 

most important ports of the Empire was Cyprus, 

which became even more significant for the 

control of the Eastern Mediterranean after the 

conquest of Asia Minor that followed the 

fall of Manzikert in 1071. With a Golden Bull 

[Byzantine imperial document bearing the 

Emperor’s golden seal (bulla)] accorded to the 

Venetians in 1082 by Alexius I Comnenus, 

they had the right to trade throughout the 

Empire. Their right to approach Cyprus, 

though, was granted only in 1126 with another 

Golden Bull issued by Ioannis II Comnenus 

and the accordance of trade rights was extended 

to cover Cyprus, with the Golden Bull of 

Manuel I Comnenus in 1148. 

The high quality Byzantine art of the Comnenean 

era was channelled to the island in the 

12th century, in various monasteries and 

churches (Trikomo 1105/6, Asinou 1105/6, 

Kykkos, Macheras, Koutsoventis, Pera Chorio 

of the Island, St. Neophytos 1183, Arakas 

1192) that were erected using grants by highranking 

Byzantine officials. 

After the conquest of Cyprus by the Crusader 

Richard the Lionheart in 1191 and 

the establishment of the Frankish dynasty of 

the Lusignans and the Roman Catholic Church, 

the Orthodox Church, for fear of its survival, 

Ioannis A. Eliades 

was forced to obeisance to the Pope (1260 – 

Bulla Cypria). Cyprus’ art repeats the style 

of Comnenean art of the previous era, but 

in an exaggeratingly oversimplified manner. 

Cypriot painting totally cut off from Byzantium, 

due to the concurrent conquest of Constantinople 

by the Crusaders in 1204, is exposed 

to the influences of the refugee painters 

from Syria and Palestine and also of the Latin 

painters, who swarm into the island with 

the crusader’s army, especially after the fall 

of the crusader states in Syria and Palestine 

(1291: the fall of Akkra), thus developing 

an individual style known as "maniera Cypria". 

This builds upon the cosmopolitan environment 

of the 13th century in the secondary 

points of the composition from the iconography 

of either the East, as in the icon of St. 

Jacob the Persian from the Church of St. Kassianos 

in Nicosia, today at the Byzantine Museum 

of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation 

in Nicosia, or the West, as in, for example, 

the icon of the Descent of Christ into Hades 

from the Lambadistis Monastery, also at 

BMAMF. 

An important innovation with regard to iconography 

is the style of relief decorations, that 

was developed in the West, for the decoration 

of wooden sculptures and was transfused and 

applied initially by western artists, in order to 

replace the expensive metallic overlays (in the 

plain and the halos). 

A loan that, after being shaped in the Cypriot 

environment, was given back, as a loan of 

a loanword, and spread initially in Southern 

Italy and then in the rest of Western Europe. 

21

22 

Subjects that can be seen in reeds in Cyprus 

can be seen also in similar works in Italy, such 

as the twirling floral plaits of the halos (e.g., 

icon of Apostle Paul, from the Church of Our 

Lady Chrysaliniotissa, today at BMAMF), or 

the Enthroned Mother of God holding the Child 

Christ (1347) by Bernardo di Daddo at the 

Orsanmichele chapel in Florence and the grid 

bearing cross patterns which usually decorates 

the plains of Cypriot icons (e.g., the icon of 

the Virgin Mary Holding the Child Christ from 

the Church of Our Lady Chrysaliniotissa, 

today at BMAMF, or the icon of St. Dominic 

with scenes from his life from the Church of 

St. Peter in Neapolis (late 13th century) and 

the relief icon of the Mother of God Enthroned 

(early 13th century) at the Museo dell’ Opera 

del Duomo in Siena. 

The frescos in the church of Our Lady of 

Moutoulas (1280) are a prime example of the 

reverberation of crusader art in the Mediterranean, 

manifesting western iconographic elements, 

such as the chain-mail armor of St. 

Christopher or the western style shoes worn 

by the Hebrews in the scene of The Entry to 

Jerusalem (Vaioforos). Platytera, as portrayed 

in the one-quarter of the arch of this temple, 

with a rather round face, eyebrows joint 

on the outline of the nose, and the neck-muscles 

can be related to the similar frescos in the 

crypt of San Vito at Gravina, Apoulia (Southern 

Italy), the so-called crusader icons of Sinai, 

and can be also met in Cypriot icons of the 

13th century, such as the icon of St. Marina 

from the homonymous Church at Kalopanagiotis, 

today at BMAMF. 

The Frankish kingdom of Cyprus with its rich 

Byzantine legacy and the security provided by 

its being surrounded by sea, as opposed to 

other crusader states which were under constant 

threat from the Arabs, became, quite 

naturally, a refuge for the clergy and an important 

cultural centre, where local Cypriot workshops 

mass produced icons for the pilgrims 

to the Holy Lands. 

The large icons of St. Nicholas of the Roof with 

scenes from the life of the Saint from the 

homonymous Church at Kakopetria and of 

the Virgin Mary Enthroned with Scenes 

from the Church of St. Kassianos, both at 

BMAMF, bear witness to the existence in 

Cyprus of workshops catering both for the 

Orthodox and the Catholics. The icons exhibit 

the same technique and style, while they 

exhibit few differentiations with respect to the 

iconography and the inscriptions (in the first 

they are in Greek, while in the second they 

are in Latin). It emerges that one of the 

principal channels through which the Byzantine 

style had spread to the West, were the 

western artists who worked in Cypriot workshops 

and carried the new style from Cyprus 

and the other major centres in the Middle 

East and Sinai to Italy, as is exhibited by the 

example of the crypt of San Vito in Gravina 

of Apoulia. 

Three icons of the 13th century with the 

Mother of God Holding the Child Christ 

in Italy, in the Cathedral of Monopoli, in the 

monastery of St. Nile in Grottaferrata and 

in the Metropolitan Church of Andria, are 

considered Cypriot origin. Cypriot standards 

in iconography strongly influenced the painting 

of Southern Italy during the 13th century, 

in the catalogue of icons of probable Cypriot 

origin or, at least, Cypriot standards we 

might add Madonna della Fonte at Trani, 

the Madonna at Santa Maria de Lanitis in 

Palermo, the Madonna Sotto gli Organi at Pisa, 

the Virgin Mary Holding the Child Christ of 

Santa Maria a Piazza in Aversa, the Madonna 

de San Michele in Borgo at Pisa, the Cruci-

Mother of God (Kykkotissa), 13th–14th century, 

Church of the Holy Cross, Palaiomilos. Now at 

Monastery of St. Nicholaos, Orounda. 

fixion at St. Dominic Maggiore in Napoli an 

others. The similarity and relation of Cypriot 

icons with icons produced in Tuscany or 

Southern Italy creates problems with respect 

to the origin congruence of many unsigned 

works, such as the icons of the Virgin Mary 

Enthroned belonging to the Kahn and Mellon 

Collection, which were recently attributed 

to a Cypriot workshop. The iconographic type 

of the Mother of God Kykkotissa is of 

exclusively Cypriot origin, a type that spread 

to Italy during this period, as is witnessed by 

a series of icons at Velletri, Viterbo, Piazza 

Armerina in Sicily and elsewhere. 

The influences in art seem to be mutual, as 

is exhibited in the fresco of the Madonna del 

Manto, dated 1332/3, in the narthex of the 

Church of Our Lady Asinou which seems to 

share a common iconographic standard with 

the Mother of God of the Franks by Duccio. 

During the 14th century the contacts with 

Constantinople grew tighter and the influence 

of Paleologean art becomes apparent in 

Cypriot painting, as can be seen by the icons 

from the Church of Our Lady Chrysaliniotissa: 

the Christ with Angels and benefactors, 

dated 1356, the Saint Peter, and the Archangel 

Michael, dated the 14th century [all of them 

now at BMAMF], which are characterized by 

a harmonious combination of vibrant colours, 

the shaping of the faces with gradually diminishing 

tones, the effort to render the volumes 

and the soft shaping of the folds and 

creases in the clothing. Towards the end of the 

14th century and during the 15th century the 

coloring becomes gradually more vibrant, 

mainly due to the use of white, and the use of 

linear make-up becomes a standard, as can be 

seen in the icon of the Archangel, from the 

Church of Our Lady the Manifested [Faneromeni] 

in Nicosia, today at BMAMF. The western 

influences during the 14th century and up 

until 1453 in the frescos are minimal and very 

difficult to assimilate in Cypriot art. The frescoes 

of the Lusignian Royal Chapel at Pyrga, 

dated 1421, aside from the French inscriptions, 

retain the paleologean style. Heaver 

influences seem to be exhibited by portable 

icons, as can be seen in the case of the Virgin 

Mary Holding the Child Christ Enthroned from 

the Church of Our Lady Chrysaliniotissa, 

today at BMAMF, which is dated in the 15th 

century and follows the respective iconographic 

type of the circle of Cimabue in Galleria Sabauda 

in Turin with a throne similar to that of 

the Mother of God Enthroned of Cimabur at 

S. Maria dei Servi in Bologna, while Christ’s 

posture as He is standing in His Mother’s arms 

can be seen in the fresco of the Mother of 

God Enthroned Holding the Child Christ between 

23

24 

Saints John Prodromos and Theologian by Vanni 

di Pistoia and Nuccaro at Casa dell’ Opera 

del Duomo in Pisa. 

In the midst of the 15th century two significant 

events, the Florence Synod of 1439 for 

the Unification of the Churches and the arrival 

of refugees from Constantinople, following 

its fall in 1453, contributed towards the renewal 

for the last time of Byzantine painting in 

Cyprus, whose post-Byzantine phase commences 

with infiltration on all monuments of 

western standards. Many Cypriot painters 

work in Venice and are exposed to the art of 

the Renaissance. Slowly and timidly the two 

stylistic movements that will dominate Cyprus 

during the Venetian Rule begin to emerge: the 

so-called Cypriot School, which evolves parallel 

to the Cretan School, due to the presence 

of refugees from Constantinople in both islands, 

and the selective tendency in art, the so-called 

"Italian-Byzantine" style. They refer to ambidextrous 

painters, who can easily combine both 

styles, the Byzantine (alla greca) and the 

Italian or "Italian-Byzantine" (all’ italiana). 

The two movements are differentiated with 

respect to the degree they have assimilated 

western influences. Classic representatives of 

the Cypriot School are Fillip Youl and 

Symeon A(f)ksentis. Cypriot painting, 

while adhering to the paleologean style, innovates 

by importing single iconographic elements 

of the Italian art of the 14th century, 

especially apparent in the secondary elements 

of the icon. 

A characteristic manifestation can be found 

at the Church of Antifonits in Kalogrea, where 

the elliptical depiction of the opalescent glory 

of Christ in the scene of the Second Judgement 

and also the depiction of Satan in hell, 

are elements which can be seen almost identical 

in Giotto’s corresponding fresco at the 

Mother of God holding Christ, 1280, Church of 

Our Lady, Moutoulas. 

Chapel of Scrovegni in Padova. Architectural 

structures usually appear gothic with a similar 

conception of space as exhibited by 

western works, as in the case of the icon of the 

Birth of the Mother of God from Klonari, 

where the depth of the scene is composed with 

respect to three sides and a tendency for transverse 

perspective or the frescoes of the Denial 

of Peter at the Church of Our Lady at Kakopetria 

or the Birth of the Mother of God at the 

Church of Antifonitis in Kalogrea. An innovation 

of Cypriot painting is the resonant 

attempt of the artists to apply western perspective 

(creation of "box-shaped" space) in 

order to depict in three dimensions the indoor 

spaces of buildings, as in the narthex of Lambadistis. 

The other movement, the "Italian-Byzan-

tine style", is characterized by a more detailed 

design and a perfect iconographical system 

and shines for its liveliness and freedom that 

has been provided for by the use of new 

conjectural mediums. A great number of frescoes 

were created in this style. These workshops 

can be distinguished both with respect 

to the quality of the art produced, but also 

with respect to the import of overtly western 

elements. 

During the Venetian rule the worship of the 

Mother of God is intensified with the depiction 

of three verses of the Akathistos Hymn 

(a hymn of twenty-four verses (oikoi) sung, 

all standing, on the Saturday of the fifth week 

in Lent, in honour of the Virgin Mary): two 

of which being in the Italian-Byzantine style 

(Latin Chapel of the Lambadistis Monastery 

and the Church of the Holy Cross at Parekklisia, 

where Oikoi 6 and 10 have been identified), 

The Crowning of the 

Mother of God, first 

half of the 16th century, 

Church of Our 

Lady Chrysopantanassa, 

Palaichori. 

and the other at St. Neophytos Monastery by 

the Cypriot "School" with intense western elements, 

such as the depiction of the Mother of 

God on her knees with her hands crossed at 

the scene of the Annunciation. The composition 

The Root of Jesse as well as the iconographic 

theme of Above the Prophets can be 

placed in the context of this effusion of the 

Marian cycle, which reaches its peak with the 

depiction of the Crowning of the Mother of God 

at the Church of Our Lady Chrysopantanassa 

in Palechori, subject overtly western, 

which we must assume is probably connected 

to the Latin commissioner of the fresco. 

The traditional Orthodox iconography is 

renewed and enhanced with new subjects that 

originate in Italian art. The knowledge of Italian 

Renaissance and of its artistic achievements 

by the artists who painted these works, must 

be regarded certain, since these frescoes echo 

25

26 

a conscious attempt by the artists to rightly 

depict perspective space and the third dimension 

both with respect to the volume of the 

figures and of the buildings. The composition 

of space and the use of perspective is connected 

to the so-called "first Renaissance of Masaccio 

and Beato Angelico", as in the icon of the 

Communion of the Apostles from the Church 

of Our Lady Chrysaliniotissa (today at BMAMF) 

and the fresco of the 18th Oikos of the Akathistos 

Hymn at the Latin Chapel of the Monastery 

of St. John Lambadistis. Amongst the novel 

subjects imported during this period is the 

depiction of St. Anna with the Mother of God 

Holding the Child Christ, as, for example, in 

the fresco from the Church of St. George 

Exorinos in Ammochostos, the depictions 

of the Virtues (Justice, Love, Faith, Charity, 

and others) both at Chrysopantanassa at Palaichori 

and the Church of Our Lady at Choulos. 

Renaissance, Italian standards are also followed 

at the Latin Chapel of the Monastery 

of Lambatistis at Kalopanagiotis, which we 

believe dates around 1500, for the scene of 

the Hospitality of Abram and the Birth of 

Christ in the 8th Oikos, as can also be seen 

in later day engraving, 1555, which reproduce 

a common, older, unidentified until today, 

standard. Similar engravings were also utilized 

by the painter of Timios Prodromos (St. John 

Prodromos) at Askas for the scene of the Apotomi 

of the Skull of the Saint, as in the 

engraving by Israel von Mechenen, which is 

dated around 1480. 

Other imported subjects, besides the western 

Man of Sorrows, with Christ laying dead in 

front of His sarcophagus are the depictions of 

the so-called western type Resurrection, with 

Christ Rising from the grave holding a banner, 

labarum or the Pietà, as in the icon 

from Pera Chorio of Cyprus, now at BMAMF. 

The portrayal of the Mother of God Holding 

the Child Christ was one of the most popular 

subjects both in the East and West. As it 

can be seen, icons of the Mother of God were 

exported from Cyprus at the end of the 

13th century with the Crusaders and during 

the Venetian rule with depictions of the Virgin 

Mary as the western Madonna. The icons 

of the Madonneri, Madre della Consolazione, 

Madre Misericordia and Mater Lactans 

were very popular in Cyprus and were intended 

mainly for the Latin Churches on the island 

and for private individuals. They are works of 

art that exhibit an intense presence of western 

iconographic elements and can be met 

throughout the Greek-Orthodox region. The 

large number of such works in Cyprus cannot 

preclude the existence of Madonneri workshop 

in the island, which produced and traded 

icons and was one of the workshops founded 

in territories under the Venetian rule. 

The looting and slaughter that ensued the 

conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans in 1571 

forced a lot of Cypriot artists to seek refuge 

in Venice, artists such as Ioannis Cypriot, who 

painted the cupola and other parts of the 

Church of St. George of the Greeks in Venice, 

painter Peter who, according to a document 

held in the Venetian archives, was captured 

by the Turks with his family and another 

painter, Domenico the Cypriot, a member of 

the Greek Brotherhood of Venice. 

The decrease of artistic production in Cyprus 

during the first decades of the Turkish rule of 

the island, which is attributed mainly to the 

immigration of many painters, was countered 

with the import of icons from Venice and the 

Greek territories that were under Venetian 

rule, such as Crete and the Ionian Islands. 

One characteristic example is the icon of the 

Mother of God Enthroned, now belonging 

to the collection of the BMAMF, which was 

sent by the priest of the church of St. George

17th Oikos of the Akathistos Hymn, Latin Chapel, 1502, Monastery of St. John Lambadistis, 

Kalopanayiotis. 

of the Greeks in Venice, head priest George, 

back to his village, Vatili, now in the occupied 

territories. 

Unfortunately, after the Ottoman conquest 

of Cyprus the established relations of Cypriot 

iconography, which stood for many centuries, 

will finally decay during the 17th 

century; but the lessons of the Italian- 

Byzantine painting that was developed during 

the Venetian rule will continue to influence 

post-Byzantine iconography in Cyprus, 

from Paul the Hierographer in the 17th cen- 

tury until the School of St. Heraklidios in the 

18th century, before the arrival of the great 

Cretan painter Ioannis Kornaros, who will 

import the alien to Greek painting, baroque 

and rococo at the end of the 18th century. 

*Note: This work is based on the findings of 

the final thesis paper (Tesi) at the University 

of Pisa (Prof. G. Dalli Regoli) under the 

title: I. Eliades, Le icone di Cipro dal 1192 

al 1571. Opere scelte dal Museo Bizantino 

della Fondazione Arcivescoso Macarios III, 

Nicosia, Cipro, Pisa 2000. 

27

28 

In a ceremony held on 24 November, 2005 

at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre, the Minister 

of Education and Culture, Mr. Pefkios 

Georgiades, presented the Awards for Excellence, 

the state’s highest honour to: director 

Evis Gavrielides, academic Chrysostomos 

Nikias, bibliographer Nicos Panayiotou, educationalist 

Panayiotis Persieanis, artist Stass 

Paraskos and surgeon Nicos Spanos. 

Presenting the Awards, the Minister expressed 

his appreciation and admiration for the recipients 

who, each one in his own sector has 

offered invaluable services with self-sacrifice 

and zeal for the benefit of science, art and 

literature. "Their work, the fruit of many years 

of toil, dedication and self-denial has become 

Awards for Excellence 

Award winners (from left to right): Nicos Spanos, Chrysostomos Nikias, Stass Paraskos, Evis Gavrielides, 

Panayiotis Persianis and Nicos Panayiotou. 

part of our heritage", he added. 

The Minister also underlined the fact that the 

state understood the difficulties faced by artists 

and scientists in Cyprus and at the same time 

feels proud that some of the honoured ones 

have managed to break out beyond the borders 

of small Cyprus and gain recognition 

overseas. 

The awards ceremony also included short film 

presentations of the winners’ lives and work, 

directed by Adonis Florides. 

For the first time during this event, music 

entertainment was provided by the Cyprus 

State Orchestra conducted by Agis Ioannides. 

The programme opened with the Academic

The Minister of Education and Culture, Mr Pefkios Georgiades, congratulating stage director Evis 

Gavrielides. 

Overture by Phanos Dymiotis and included 

also works by Christos Pittas, Andreas Moustoukis 

and Savvas Savva. 

Evis Gavrielides 

Evis Gavrielides is one of the most outstanding 

contributors to the development of 

Cypriot theatre. Endowed with a genuine talent 

and a high sense of professionalism, he 

has devoted his whole life to the art of the theatre 

leaving his indelible personal seal on every 

work he has directed. 

Born in Paphos where his father was a teacher 

at the local gymnasium, Gavrielides later moved 

with his family to Nicosia. He then studied 

drama at Karolos Koun School in Athens, 

where he also worked in several theatres and 

repertory companies that took him to different 

countries as far as Sudan. 

He proceeded with his theatre studies in London 

where he studied Theatre Direction at 

the London Guildhall School of Music and 

Drama before continuing his studies at the 

Actors Studio in the US. There, he also obtained 

his Diploma in Television Drama Direction. 

He finally moved to the Goodman College 

in Chicago where he obtained a BA and 

MA in Theatre Direction. 

In 1958, he returned to Greece to continue 

acting and directing. One year later he started 

his collaboration with the Cyprus Broadcasting 

Corporation and in 1961 with the 

recently founded Theatre Development Organisation. 

In 1966, he realised his ambition to 

return to Cyprus where he set up the Cyprus 

Drama School in Nicosia and at the same time 

he was in charge of the CyBC theatre productions. 

It was during this period that he converted a 

car workshop in the courtyard of CyBC 

into a Theatre where, for two years he presented 

classical and avant-garde plays in most 

memorable productions. He served as Per- 

29

30 

manent Director at the Theatre Development 

Organisation and in 1975 he was appointed 

Director of the Cyprus National Theatre 

(THOC) where he was instrumental in the 

creation of its Experimental Stage. 

Since his retirement, in 1989, he has appeared 

five times at the prestigious Epidavros Festival. 

Among other distinctions he received the 

"Melina Mercouri" Award for his services to 

Cyprus Theatre. 

Nicos Panayiotou 

Nicos Panayiotou has been involved in a large 

number of intellectual activities and has made 

a multi-faceted contribution to the socio-cultural 

matters of Cyprus. 

Born in 1941 at Enkomi, Nicosia, he studied 

Greek language and literature at the University 

of Athens and proceeded with post 

graduate studies at the State University of Indiana 

on a Fulbright scholarship where he obtained 

an MA in Arts Administration. Later, at the 

University of Ioannina he was awarded a PhD 

for the doctoral thesis: "Greek Men of Letters 

and Arts Recorded in Cypriot Periodicals 

(1898-1997), "an eight volume work studying 

the presence of Greeks in Cyprus. This 

work constitutes an important tool in the study 

of Cypriot history in the 20th century and the 

cultural relations between Greece and Cyprus 

in particular. 

He worked as a teacher in secondary schools 

of Cyprus and at the Pedagogical Academy. 

In 1972 he was appointed at the Cultural 

Offices of the Ministry of Education and Culture 

where he was promoted to Director of 

the Cultural Services. Between 1998 and until 

his retirement in 2001 he served as Director 

of the President’s Office. 

Nicos Panayiotou was the founder and columnist 

of the magazine "Cypriot Sunbeams" 

issued by the EFEK student’s organisation, 

chief editor of the magazine "Cyprus Today" 

and Secretary of the Publishing Committee 

of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the 

National Committee for Book Promotion and 

the European Music Year (1985). He was 

instrumental in the creation of the Cyprus 

International Theatre Institute (I.T.I.), Cyprus 

Music Committee and the Folk Art Committee. 

He was also Chairman of a number 

of Committees: of the Cyprus Today review, 

of the Cyprus Chamber Orchestra, of the 

Cyprus Library and others. He was also 

President of PASYDY, the government’s 

officers’ union. 

His greatest contribution, however, is his bibliographical 

work. In 1984, he took the significant 

initiative of establishing the Cyprus 

Bibliographical Society with the objective of 

enhancing research and the science of bibliography. 

Since its foundation, Nicos Panayiotou, 

the President of the C.B.S. has regularly published 

year after year a total of 20 volumes of 

"Cyprus Bibliography". Between 1969 and 

1972 and 1976 and 1980 he collaborated with

the CyBC presenting various cultural programmes. 

Besides the "Cyprus Bibliography" volumes 

he has written five bibliographic volumes on 

Kypros Chrysanthis, five on Antis Pernaris 

and five on Cyprus Miscellanea. He has written 

books including translations from Ancient 

Greek and works on literature study, travel, 

speeches, a satirical poetry collection and 

others. 

Nicos Panayiotou has received many awards 

including the Greek Cultural Society of Cyprus 

Letters Award, the Ministry of Education and 

Culture State Prize for Essay and the Greek 

State’s highest award of Commander of the 

Order of Honour. 

Panayiotis Persianis 

Panayiotis Persianis is well-known both for 

his long and fertile contribution to education 

in Cyprus and for his prolific writing. 

Born in 1932 at Lysi, now in the occupied 

district of Famagusta, he studied Greek language 

and Literature at the University of Athens. 

He then proceeded with post-graduate studies 

on a scholarship at the Universities of London 

and Lancaster. He obtained an M.A. 

Degree in Education and was awarded a PhD 

for his doctoral thesis: "The Contribution 

of the Church of Cyprus to Education in 

Cyprus during the British Rule". 

Back to Cyprus in 1964, he served as a secondary 

school teacher, headmaster, inspector 

and finally Director of the Pedagogical 

Institute. In this capacity he introduced 

novel methods for training in literature 

related subjects and his role in moulding teachers 

were pioneering and determinative. Since 

his retirement in 1994 he has been Assistant 

Professor at the University of Cyprus. 

His wide range of written work indicates his 

love for education and his deep concern towards 

the vital problems of his country and in juxtaposing 

an array of arguments he reveals his 

pluralism of ideas. Panayiotis Persianis’ most 

recent book "Legalization for the Cyprus State" 

is considered a crucial work on the politics 

of the Republic of Cyprus. 

Among other awards, he has been honoured 

by the University of Athens Philosophy Department. 

Nicos Spanos 

A renowned surgeon and researcher, Nicos 

Spanos has made a significant contribution 

to neurosurgery and medicine in Cyprus in 

general. 

Born in Lakatamia in 1932, he studied 

medicine at the University of Athens and specialised 

in neurosurgery in England. In 

1967 he was awarded an M.D. Degree at 

the University of Salonica. Back in Cyprus he 

worked as a neurosurgeon at the Nicosia General 

Hospital. His efforts to introduce neurosurgery 

to Cyprus led to the creation of the 

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32 

relevant department, the setting up of 

which Dr. Spanos oversaw. 

In 1980, he suggested and was instrumental 

in the creation of the Paraplegic Wing. Dr. 

Spanos’ medical activities have earned him a 

plethora of distinctions, including his appointment 

as Corresponding Member of the Society 

of British Neurological Surgeons in 1972. 

In 1976, he was elected a member of the International 

Medical Society of Paraplegia and 

made a member of its board in 1987. 

He is also an active member of the Cyprus 

Medical Association (CMA). As Chairman of 

the CMA’ s Scientific Committee he has organised 

significant international medical conferences 

and seminars. He carries out research 

and has published his articles in scientific magazines 

or presented them at international conferences. 

In 2004, Nicos Spanos set up the Cyprus Neurosurgery 

Society of which he is the first Chairman. 

Chrysostomos Nikias 

Academic Chrysostomos Nikias is internationally 

recognized for his research into integrated 

media systems, digital communication 

and signal processing and biomedicine. He is 

also a passionate advocate of the arts and 

humanities. 

Born in 1952 at Komi Kepir, in the occupied 

Karpas peninsula, Chrysostomos Nikias attended 

the Secondary School in Famagusta. 

After graduating the National Metsovio Polytechnic 

in Athens, he continued his post graduate 

studies in the US where he obtained a PhD 

Degree at the New York University in Buffalo. 

In 1991 he joined the University of California 

where since June, 2005 he is senior vicepresident 

for academic affairs. He is also director 

of the University’s Integrated Media Systems 

Centre (IMSC) which is the National 

Science Foundation’s Multimedia Research 

Centre. Through this, Nikias has made important 

inroads into the field of digital signal processing, 

earning his international recognition 

and the title of Fellow of the Institute of Electric 

and Electronic Engineers. 

Chr. Nikias has authored more than 1,000 

peer-reviewed journal articles, 180 refereed 

conference papers, three text books and eight 

patents. 

Several of his publications and patents are in 

the field of translational medicine, including 

invasive and non-invasive methods for the 

detection and classification of myocardial 

ischemia, on which he worked in collaboration 

with the University of Maryland Hospital 

and Buffalo General Hospital. 

He has consulted extensively for the US 

government and high-tech industry and has 

also testified before the California legislature 

on the impact of digital technologies and communications 

on the entertainment industry. 

Among the numerous awards he has received

for his research and teaching activities, there 

are three Best Paper Awards and the US National 

Technological University Award for Excellence 

in teaching. 

The University of Cyprus has also awarded 

him an honorary doctorate. 

Stass Paraskos 

Stass Paraskos is the quintessential Cypriot 

artist, an artist of a community whose 

paintings are not merely personal but rather 

"an expression of the intimate correlation 

of sensuality and religion in the culture 

of Cyprus itself" (John Cornwall). 

Born in 1933 in the small village of Anaphotia, 

Larnaca, he left Cyprus in 1952 for 

England where he cultivated his inborn 

talent at Leeds College of Art. Paraskos 

began exhibiting and in 1962 was appointed 

Lecturer at Leeds and Leicester Polytechnics. 

In 1970, he took the initiative of opening 

the summer art school in Famagusta. 

The job he retired from before returning 

to Cyprus full-time, in 1989 was Senior 

Lecturer in Painting at Canterbury College 

of Fine Art. 

Back in Cyprus he devoted much of his 

time to developing the Cyprus College 

of Art in Lemba, Paphos, attended by students 

from all over the world. 

Paraskos is the author of several books 

including "Cyprus of Copper" (1969), 

"Cyprus, Myths and Legends" (1978), 

"The Mythology of Cyprus" (1981) and 

"Aphrodite Cypris" (1988). In 1996 he 

published a collection of poems "Pikri 

Osmi" (Bitter Smell). His work is included 

in important collections throughout the 

world such as those belonging to the UK 

Art Council, Leeds University and the State 

Collection of Modern Cypriot Art. 

He has shown his work in numerous oneman 

exhibitions and participated in important 

exhibitions throughout the world 

including Greece, Britain, USA, Denmark, 

the Triennial of India (1994) and the Biennial 

of Sao Paolo, Brazil (1996). At the Sao 

Paolo Biennial he presented works from 

his series "Roads to Freedom". The three 

roads to freedom: that of religion, struggle 

for national freedom and love lead 

inescapably to tragedy, a truly Greek way 

of acquiring spiritual freedom. 

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34 

Kypr 

K Y P R I A K Y P R I A K Y P R I A

ia K Y P R I A K Y P R I A K Y P R I A 2005 

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The Kypria International Festival, the annual most 

important artistic event in Cyprus, is back for its 

15th year with an eclectic programme of 12 quality 

performances featuring artists and ensembles 

of international acclaim presented on 26 different 

nights. 

Hundreds of artists from Greece, Crete, the Czech 

Republic, Great Britain, Italy, France, Argentina, 

Austria, and Armenia participating in the various 

artistic groups gave the festival a truly international 

perspective. 

Apart from each individual proposal’s artistic merit, 

its contents and overall character, the committee 

responsible for this year’s events also took 

into consideration the potential appeal each proposal 

would have with the general public and 

the participation, where possible, of Cypriot creators 

and artistic groups. 

The Minister of Education and Culture, Mr. Pefkios 

Georgiades, in his introductory note in the festival 

programme stressed the fact that "The 

Kypria International Festival constitutes a genuine 

contribution towards the enhancement of our 

country’s cultural milieu, ultimately benefiting all 

Cypriot citizens". 

He also expressed his thanks to all those who have 

made the realisation of the Festival possible, especially 

the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education 

and Culture, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation 

who are the Festival’s main media 

sponsor, and Papadopoulos & Schinis who undertook 

part of the organisation of the festival. The 

Minister extended his thanks to the members of 

the Special Advisory Committee who had the difficult 

task of evaluating the proposals submitted. 

Eleni Nikita, Marina Economou-Stavrinides, Marina 

Schiza, Antigoni Solomonidou-Droushiotou, 

Nicos Charalambous, Demetris Karayiannis and 

John Vickers all put in a lot of work voluntarily 

and under tight timetables. 

SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX 

A modern production of Sophocles’ Oedipus 

Rex was staged by the Athens Contemporary 

Theatre. In this new production, director 

George Kimoulis lays great importance on 

the music, specially written by Goran Bregovic 

and the choruses enhanced by singer 

George Dalaras. 

Kimoulis said: "Tragedy isn’t an epitaph without 

resurrection. Bregovic can turn pain 

and desperation into manic joy." The lyrics 

of Lina Nikolakopoulou magnificently blend 

the music structure with the deepest mean-

ings of the ancient tragedy. The all-star cast 

including Monica Galinea and Tasos Chalkias 

matches the strength of Sophocles’ characters. 

The set was designed by Pawel Dobrzycki, 

Professor at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts 

and costumes by Emma Ryott from the Royal 

Shakespeare Company. The strong emotional 

bond between the 55 ensemble of actors 

and musicians kept the audience spellbound 

from the beginning to the last moment of the 

performance. 

EROFILI 

Crete Municipal District Theatre presented 

George Chortatsis’ s Greek tragedy "Erofili". 

Direction and dramatic composition of 

the play was undertaken by Vasilis Nicolaides, 

sets/costumes by Nicos Saridakis and music 

by Ludovicos ton Anogion. The cast included 

Anna Koutsaftiki, George Partsalakis, Memos 

Begnis and Nikos Skoulas. 

The drama, one of the most important plays 

of the Cretan Theatre, touched the audience 

with the immaculate performance of the main 

characters. 

THE MORAVIAN 

PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

Kypros Markou, the Cypriot conductor of 

international fame participated in the 

Kypria International Festival conducting 

two major concerts with the Moravian Philharmonic 

Orchestra of the Czech Republic. 

Kypros Markou is Professor and Director of 

Orchestral Studies at Wayne State University 

in Detroit. Additionally he is Music Director 

of the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra in 

Michigan and Music Director of the Westmoreland 

Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. 

He has conducted numerous orchestras 

in Europe and the U.S.A where he has 

been active as conductor, violinist and 

music director. 

The two programmes included works by Smetona, 

Dvorak, Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, and 

Brahms. The Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto 

No.1 was interpreted by the brilliant Greek 

pianist Vassilis Varvareses and the Wienawski 

Violin Concerto No.2 was performed by 

the Cypriot violinist Nicos Pittas who has won 

several awards recently. 

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38 

The last programme also featured a work by 

Greek composer Phanos Dymiotis: Academic 

Overture written to celebrate the establishment 

of the University of Cyprus. 

OXFORD PHILOMUSICA 

The Oxford Philomusica Orchestra was founded 

by eminent Cypriot pianist and conductor 

Marios Papadopoulos in August 1998 and 

is now one of the leading professional orchestras 

in the UK and a most significant musical 

resource in Oxford. Since August 1999, the 

orchestra has presented the Oxford Philomusica 

International Piano Festival described by 

the Oxford Times as "The most significant 

annual event in the city." 

Since his London debut in 1974, Marios 

Papadopoulos has appeared worldwide as soloist 

and has conducted many of the world’s 

greatest orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic 

Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, 

the European Community Chamber Orches- 

tra and others. As a pianist he has captured the 

attention of the critics for his strong interpretive 

power and artistic integrity especially for 

the cycle of all the Mozart Concertos and 

Beethoven Sonatas. 

For the concerts presented within the framework 

of the Kypria Festival the Oxford Philomusica 

was joined by the French-Cypriot pianist 

Cyprien Katsaris. A recipient of many First 

Prizes in competitions including the International 

Cziffra Competition in Versailles in 1974 

and the Queen Elizabeth Competition in 1972 

in Belgium, Katsaris has played under the baton 

of great conductors such as Berstein, Kurt Moseur 

and Sir Simon Rattle. 

The concert began with a work by Constantinos 

Stylianou, Three Orchestral Pieces, which 

was a world première and commissioned 

especially for the Kypria. The work’s interesting 

orchestration was aptly rendered by Philomusica 

under the baton of Marios Papadopoulos.

The programme also included Liszt’s Piano 

Concerto No. 2 where Kotsonis’ brilliant technique 

and flamboyant style were displayed 

with all their vigour. The exhilarating tempi 

left the audience in an exalted mood. 

INAKI URLEZAGA 

The Argentinean ballet dancer Inaki Urlezaga 

and his ensemble, the Ballet Concierto, presented 

during the Kypria Festival an impressive 

first-rate performance. Urlezaga began 

performing in gala appearances at the early 

age of 14 as a guest artist on international 

stages, encouraged by Nureyev’ s teacher, Hector 

Zaraspe. That was the start of his meteoric 

rise which culminated in his becoming 

the principal dancer of the London Ballet since 

the 1995/96 season, highly acclaimed by critics 

and audiences. Since 1999 he has been 

touring the world with the Ballet Concerts 

receiving rave reviews. 

His performances in Cyprus to music by 

Chopin, Debussy, Bach, Gardel, Piazzola and 

Offenbach were a tour de force in originality, 

expressing overwhelming emotions with 

haunting tension and great strength. 

OUZERI TSITSANIS 

The National Theatre of Northern Greece presented 

a work by Yiorgos Skampardonis "Ouzeri 

Tsitsanis, 22 Pavlos Melas Str.," directed by 

Soteris Hatzakis. In the leading roles: Alexandros 

Moukanos, Antonis Fragakis, Eleni 

Ouzounidou, Yiannis Samsiaris. 

The play is a fresh retrospective of Greek 

suffering during the dark years of the Nazi 

occupation of Thessaloniki as expressed by the 

greatest Greek folk composer, versifier and 

masterly craftsman of bouzouki, Vassilis 

Tsitsanis. In his own musical idiom created 

by assimilating elements from both eastern 

and western tradition he presented the genuine 

Greek cosmos offering both pleasure and 

consolation to music lovers. 

Yiorgos Skampardonis’ play seamlessly 

interweaves music and theatre making one the 

integral part of the other. 

Sotiris Hatzakis’ stage direction captured magnificently 

the spirit of Tsitsanis’s time, the tempestuous 

years that were his source of inspiration 

to write some of the greatest odes to 

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human bitterness, pain and suffering. The 

minimal stage sets were an additional element 

to reinforce the mood of need, starvation and 

destitution prevalent during the German occupation 

of Greece. 

THANOS MIKROUTSIKOS - MILVA 

Thanos Mikroutsikos, former Minister of Culture 

and Chairman and Director-General of 

the Greek Festival (Athens and Epidaurous) 

is a well-known composer. He has composed 

operas, symphonies, chamber music, scores 

for the cinema and theatre, electronic music 

but also a lot of songs. His concert presented 

at the Kypria Festival was not only an opportunity 

to hear the much-loved songs of his 

repertoire but also to introduce to the 

Cypriot audience the great diva of the Italian 

song, Milva. 

The concert was divided into two parts one 

half of which was dedicated to Christos Thiveos, 

the passionate young singer/songwriter who 

actually studied philosophy under Umberto 

Eco. The second part opened with Milva whose 

stunning appearance on stage made it hard to 

believe that her career has spanned an incred- 

ible 46 years: her vibrant, robust voice justifies 

the numerous awards she has reaped. 

Mikroutsikos’ flawless accompaniment revealed 

real piano virtuoso. Every song in the programme 

touched the audience’s hearts and 

their prolonged standing ovation was a spontaneous 

token of their appreciation.

TO EASTERN SHORES 

Staying faithful to its eclectic vision, the Kypria 

Festival staged a one-off music performance 

"To Eastern Shores", a collaboration between 

Ross Daly’s Labyrinthos group and Siberian 

band Huun-Huur-Tu. 

Born in Ireland, Daly has moved around the 

world experimenting with traditional music, 

influenced by the Asian and Indian sounds 

that were becoming popular in the west. A visit 

to Crete was all it took for him to fall in love 

with the lyre and decide that he wanted to 

explore the island’s musical heritage. 

The collaboration with the Siberian group is 

a seemingly unlikely meeting of traditions 

where the pentatonic scales of the Asian steppe 

reminiscent of the Far East, meet with the 

Near Eastern sounds in a common path of 

virtuosity, lyricism and mutual eastern sensitivity. 

The audience had the joy of experiencing 

instruments as weird and wonderful 

as the zarb, rabab, laouto, sanfour and udu in 

this unforgettable music performance. 

THE VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR 

A breath of youth in the Kypria Festival was 

brought by the performances of The Vienna 

Boys’ Choir. Here was a choir of young boys 

aged between 10 and 14 performing as part 

of their annual ten-week tour, with all expertise 

and aplomb way beyond their years. 

The programme in addition to the traditional 

works by Strauss, Schubert and Brahms, 

incorporated some more expansive music from 

other parts of their touring world including 

works from India and China. 

Each piece in the long and varied programme 

was meticulously performed under the baton 

of conductor Andy Icochea, whose rapport 

with the 25 choristers was a delight to behold. 

The Vienna Boys’ Choir is, by its nature, limited 

to trebles and altos but with the clever use 

of the solo voices in the Schubert and 

Bruckner songs it was able to attain a depth 

rarely found in four voice choirs. The programme 

ended with the ever popular Strauss 

polkas received with tumultuous ovations 

by a delighted audience. 

STATE DANCE ENSEMBLE 

OF ARMENIA 

A total of 45 dancers and 13 musicians who 

make up the State Dance Ensemble of Armenia 

presented during the Kypria Festival the 

turbulent history of their people’s past, struggles 

and dreams offering us a glance into their 

distinctive and captivating folklore. 

The Ensemble was formed in 1958 in Moscow 

by George Asaturian, Edward Manukian along 

with a group of ballet masters, artists and composers. 

Since then it has conducted numerous 

tours throughout the world earning a reputation 

for its artistry and originality. 

The performances in Cyprus presented by the 

young talented dancers of the Arthur Karapetian 

ballet, with their colourful costumes 

by Satiak Muradian and Rubina Ohaness, 

stood out by their unstoppable rhythmic of 

the inspired dances and amazingly gifted folk 

musicians. 

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10 PIANOS AND ORCHESTRA 

The Steinway Club (Cyprus) in collaboration 

with the Ministry of Education and Culture 

offered music lovers a truly memorable event. 

On Monday, 19th September, 2005 the Strovolos 

Theatre hosted the world première of 

a Concert for 10 Pianos and Orchestra. The 

concert was the brainchild of the President of 

the Steinway Club and much-respected Cypriot 

composer, Savvas Savva. The ten grand 

pianos especially constructed for the show 

were either shipped or even flown out to 

Cyprus by the piano manufacturer Gebruder 

Perzina. The Steinway Club has generously 

donated seven of the pianos to the Ministry 

of Education & Culture so that they can 

be placed in seven schools around the 

island. 

The first part of the concert was devoted to 

the 10 pianists who were all Cypriots, holders 

of Master of Music in Performance degrees: 

Nicholas Constantinou, Eleni Mavromoustaki, 

Manolis Neophytou, Julietta Demetriades, 

Mikela Papamichael, Plotinos Micromatis, 

Ourania Menelaou, Andri Hadjiandreou 

and Maria Antoniou. They performed 

a Dance Suite for 10 Pianos by Savvas Savva: 

Zeibekikos, Kinisa Htes Na’ rtho, Saranta 

Palikaria, To Drepani, a contemporary work 

with definite Cypriot flavour. 

In the second half, the Cyprus State Orchestra 

joined the pianists with conductor Maciej 

Zoltowski. The work was "Mediaeval Cyprus 

– A Concert for 10 Pianos and Orchestra" 

and was divided into three parts: Kolossi Castle: 

War and Peace; Karmi and Bellapais: From 

Dawn to Sunset and finally Petra tou Romiou: 

Adonis and Aphrodite. Each of the pieces captures 

the rich history of the island which 

was particularly colourful during the mediaeval 

period. 

The concert was recorded by Steinway Club

who will release a CD from the concert. Interest 

has been shown in places as far as the U.S.A. 

and China to have the piece performed. 

EARTH FROM ABOVE 

The subject of the exhibition «Earth from 

Above» presented by the Nicosia Municipality 

and Hathor Productions within the framework 

of the «Kypria 2005» Festival is planet 

Earth and it features 120 giant format aerial 

photographs of different counties taken by 

Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Since the first exhibition 

in Paris in May 2000 over 60 million 

people in 30 countries around the world have 

seen it. In Nicosia, the open-air exhibition is 

displayed from Eleftheria Square along Ledra 

and Onassagorou streets. 

Yann Arthus-Bertrand invites us to take a journey 

with him through the realities of the world 

and ponder about the changes in the planet 

and the future of its inhabitants. His aerial 

photographs reflect the variety of natural habitats 

but also man’s imprint and assault on 

his environment. His work underlines the fact 

that, more than ever, our present levels and 

modes of consumption, production and exploitation 

of resources are not viable over a long 

term. It illustrates a stage when the alternatives 

offered by sustainable development must 

help to bring about changes that will make 

it possible to «answer the needs of the present 

without compromising the capacity of future 

generations». With his image, Yaun Arthus- 

Bertrand raises environment awareness among 

us.Fruit of patient research work begun in 

1990, these photographs, chosen from 

thousands of shots, owe their emotional and 

evocative power to Yann Arthus-Bertrand’ s 

eye and to his desire to be a witness for generations 

to come. The exhibition includes also 

photographs of Cyprus which the photographer 

took during his visit in June 2004. He is 

planning to come back in 2006 to complete 

the project of Cyprus from the air. The project 

was initiated by Hathor Productions under 

the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce, 

Industry and Tourism and was made possible 

with the sponsorship of the Cyprus Tourism 

Organization and Cyprus Airways. 

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The annual Paphos Aphrodite Opera Festival 

held last September treated its audiences 

to three evenings of Giuseppe Verdi’s 

La Traviata staged by Poland’s National 

Opera, Teatr Wielki. 

The Paphos Aphrodite Festival was officially 

launched in 1998 as a result of a joint effort 

between the various professional bodies in 

Paphos with the aim of promoting Paphos 

as an international centre of high-profile 

cultural events. 

The event’ s main sponsors were the Ministry 

of Education and Culture, the Cyprus 

Tourism Organization, the Cyprus Electricity 

Authority and the Bank of Cyprus. 

Teatr Wielki, the National Opera of Poland 

has a 160-year history of staging operas and 

ballets in its Warsaw building dating back 

to 1825. Teatr Wielki is no stranger to Cyprus 

as La Traviata is its fourth opera to be presented 

at the Paphos Aphrodite Festival 

under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk who is 

also the Musical and Artistic Director of 

Teatr Wielki. 

As with previous performances, the opera 

was set against the backdrop of the Mediaeval 

Fort and set designers of Teatr Wiekli 

took the challenge of incorporating Butte 

La Traviata 

The Paphos Aphrodite Festival was officially launched in 1998 as a result of a joint effort between the various 

professional bodies in Paphos with the aim of promoting Paphos as an international centre of high profile 

cultural events. 

Montmartre into the dramatic setting of 

the fort. In fact director Marek Weiss – 

Grzesinski excelled in conveying the Parisian 

atmosphere around 1850 with the symbolic 

Moulin Rouge, the bordello-style dining 

room, the lovers’ garden of Eden and shrouded 

death room at the end. The opera lovers 

appreciated the voices of soprano Victoria 

Loukianetz as Violetta, tenor Vsevolod 

Grivnov in the role of Alfredo and of course 

Cypriot baritone Kyros Patsalides’ outstanding 

interpretation. 

Themis Filippides, General Coordinator of 

the Festival, whose team worked under the 

direction of Paphos Mayor, Pheidias Sarikas, 

was responsible for every single aspect of 

the festival. He was satisfied with the fact 

that the festival target had been achieved 

that is to offer first-rate cultural events matching 

international standards. What is 

more, the Festival has become an institution 

in itself as many tourists schedule their 

annual holiday around the Paphos Aphrodite 

Festival season. Combining a relaxing 

holiday in the seaside resort of Paphos with 

an operatic performance set in a breathtaking 

environment seems to be captivating 

the hearts of more and more people.

The Swedish Cyprus Expedition Visits Bucharest 

In 1932, 771 huge boxes of Cypriote antiquities 

arrived in Sweden, soon to become 

the prime reason for the foundation of Medelhavsmuseet 

in Stockholm (1954). The provenance 

of this enormous amount of archaeological 

material was the pioneering Swedish 

expedition to Cyprus undertaken between 

1927 and 1931 by Einar Gjerstad. 

For the first time since their discovery and 

subsequent arrival in Sweden in 1932, the 

Swedish Cyprus Collections are now on display 

at the National Museum of History in 

Bucharest through a representative selection. 

This is the expression of an extremely 

fruitful co-operation between the Museums 

of Stockholm and Bucharest that produced 

two exhibitions. The first one in Stockholm 

presented important Romanian archaeological 

items; the second is the present exhibition 

at the National History Museum in 

Bucharest. 

The present Director of the Medelhavsmuseet, 

Bearded head from Arsos, limestone, 

580-540 BC, amphoroid crater of III 

B ware, Enkomi, 1300–150 BC. 

Mr Crisan Museteanu, Director of the Romanian 

National History Museum and Dr Vassos Karageorghis, 

Director of the A.G. Leventis Foundation. 

Dr Sanne Houby-Nielsen, noting the revival 

of interest in Cypriote archaeology throughout 

the world and the importance of the Cypriote 

collection in her Museum, has embarked 

on an ambitious plan to enhance the Cypriote 

exhibition by organising comprehensive 

exhibitions of ancient Cypriote art in various 

museums where this art is not represented. 

The Museums of Romania did 

not possess any sizeable 

collections of ancient 

Cypriote art except a few 

items of pottery and stone 

sculpture. Dr Vassos Karageorghis, 

Director of the 

A.G. Leventis Foundation, 

recognising the importance 

of Dr Houby-Nielsen’ s 

vision supported it wholeheartedly 

and, on behalf of 

the Foundation, offered a generous 

grant for the realisation of 

this project. Furthermore, he suggested 

to Mr Loizos Karageorges, the 

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46 

Red polished figurines, clay, Lapithos, 2000-1800 BC. 

Honorary Consul of Cyprus in Bucharest, 

that he should contribute to the financing of 

the organisation of this exhibition. Mr Karageorges 

gladly accepted the suggestion to support 

the event and cover all the expenses 

including the publication of the exhibition 

catalogue. 

In this address at the opening of the exhibition 

in Bucharest Dr V. Karageorghis underlined 

the fact that Romania has strong ties 

with the history of Hellenism. "If we search 

the ancient past", he added, "we will trace 

many similarities between the culture of Romania 

and that of the Eastern Mediterranean. 

This will no doubt become apparent when, 

hopefully, the offer of the Leventis Foundation 

to create a special gallery in the National 

Museum will materialise within the next 

year or two", he concluded. The event was 

widely covered by the Romanian newspapers 

and television. 

Cover of the exhibition catalogue.

The Swedish Museum 

of Mediterranean and Far East Antiquities 

Petre Alexandrescu 

On the 9th September, 2005 an impressive 

and unexpected exhibition presented by the 

Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm opened at 

the National History Museum of Romania. 

This came as a reciprocal gesture after an exhibition 

of the most valuable archaeological discoveries 

in Romania from the National Museum 

of History went on show in Stockholm. 

The initiatives belong to Dr. Sanne Houby- 

Nielsen, Director of the Swedish Museum, 

assisted by the archaeologist Radu Lazarescu, 

staff member of this museum, and by Crisan 

Museteanu, Director of the National History 

Museum of Bucharest. 

The Bucharest exhibition has a very special 

character. It offers the Romanian public 

and specialists the opportunity to see the 

Aspect of the exhibition. Female statuette from Vouni, Palace, 400-310 BC. 

results of the famous Swedish archaeological 

expedition in Cyprus carried out between 

1927 and 1931. At the time, the Swedish 

excavations caused an enormous worldwide 

interest by the choice of the location, by the 

meticulousness of the archaeological excavations 

which was practised only by a restricted 

number of archaeologists at the time and 

last but not least, by the prompt publication 

of the complete excavation reports in the 

four volumes of the collection: “The Swedish 

Cyprus Expedition”. 

Once this was accomplished, Cypriote archaeology 

gathered momentum and emerged 

on the international scene mainly after Cyprus 

gained its independence and the Republic of 

Cyprus was established. The progress achieved 

47

48 

in this field is 

greatly due to 

the expertise 

and tireless 

dedication of Dr. Vassos Karageorghis, his 

discoveries at the royal necropolis of Salamis, 

Cyprus and his numerous publications. At 

present, owing to the intensity of the archaeological 

excavations and the frequency of publications, 

Cyprus is in the advantageous position 

of being the best archeologically recorded 

country in the Mediterranean (and I would 

also add in the Pontic area). 

The soul and spirit of the Swedish expedition 

was the renowned archaeologist Einar Gjerstad. 

After an exploratory tour in 1923, the 

young archaeologist returned to the island 

with a team which included Alfred Westholm 

and Erik Sjöqvist, also well-known archaeologists, 

under the chairmanship of Crown 

Prince Gustaf Adolf, later rhe King of Sweden. 

Between 1927 and 1931 he carried 

out extensive excavations aiming to shed light 

Aspect of the exhibition. Female statuette from Vouni, Loures, 450-425 BC. 

on the whole Cypriote archaeology covering 

the entire period from the preceramic 

Neolithic to the Middle Ages. During those 

four years, 21 sites spread all over the island 

were investigated, some of them having acquired 

a well-known status such as Enkomi with the 

interesting Mycenaean imported pieces, the 

palace of Vouni belonging to the period 500- 

380 BC, and Kition the Phoenician city. 

Situated between the Kingdoms of the 

Near East and Crete, Cyprus was an intermediary 

in the movement of objects and ideas, 

while the rest of Greece in that "dark age" 

Model of a cart, Amathus, 600-480 BC. (left) 

Head of a bearded figure, Idalion, 6 th century BC.

was still poor. Beginning with the 8th 

century BC this intermediary role of 

Cyprus between Asia and Europe, 

both for the north of Syria and the 

south civilizations, the Phoenicians 

among them, was enhanced. This is a 

characteristic of the 9th century 

when the Phoenicians established 

a dynasty at Kition 

and it is not easy to tell the difference 

between the local productions 

of ceramics or bronze 

and the Phoenician objects. 

At the same time (by the middle 

of the 8th century the "Greek 

renaissance" starts) strong political 

links with geometric 

Greece were forged. The 

Greek geometric style is 

introduced in Cyprus as the 

Jug of White Painted II ware, 

Lapithos, 1900 BC. 

Stauettes of Heracles-Melqart, Kition, deposit of sculptures, 480–450 BC. 

royal tombs of Salamis bear evidence. 

Cypriote pieces of this type (especially 

ceramics and seals) found their way 

to various regions of Greece and to 

the Italian colonies (Pithekusai); a 

few ceramic sherds appeared at Histria 

too. 

The exhibition opened at the 

Romanian National Museum of 

History and presents a selection 

of about 120 pieces from 

the excavations of the Swedish 

Expedition. It is enough 

though, to give an idea of 

the importance of Cypriote 

archaeology. 

Article published in the Romania 

“Review 22” in Sept. 2005. 

49

50 

Hala Sultan Tekke Restoration 

A symbolic event at the Hala Sultan 

Tekke (Umm Haram), Mosque in Larnaca 

took place on 9 December, 2005 marking 

the completion of restoration works which 

were financed with a grant from the Bicommunal 

Development Program with the support 

of USAID and UNDP, and were executed 

by UNOPS. 

The Tekke is one of the most important 

holy sites in Islam and among the greatest 

of cultural heritage monuments in Europe 

and the world. It is a complex made up of 

a mosque, a mausoleum, a minaret and living 

quarters for men and women and it is 

set amidst palm trees on the shore of Larnaca 

Salt Lake, a familiar sight to millions 

of travellers who pass through the nearby 

airport. It was built in a series of stages by 

the Ottomans in the 18th and early 19th 

centuries at the burial site of Umm Haram 

a close follower of Prophet Mohammed. 

The final phase of the work to restore the 

historic monument began in April 2005. 

The aggressive coastal environment coupled 

with the ravages of time, insect infestation 

and water penetration had caused 

extensive damage to the mosque, minaret 

and surrounding environment. The main 

objective of the restoration work was to carry 

out the necessary structural strengthening 

to protect and preserve the integrity of 

the monument. 

UNDP representative Andrew Russel said 

the Hala Sultan Tekke project was only one 

example of the many achievements of the 

Bi-communal Development Program of 

which the UNDP was very proud. It was 

part of the UN’s continuing efforts to foster 

a meaningful dialogue in Cyprus and 

elsewhere, as a way to bring about better 

understanding between cultures worldwide. 

"When I look around", he added, "I do not 

see Hala Sultan Tekke as a symbol of the 

past, but rather as a symbol of the future, 

a future in which Cypriots from all backgrounds 

can sit and discuss their common 

issues in an environment of cooperation 

and respect". 

Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and 

representatives of the US embassy attended 

the event, while Intercollege presented a 

virtual tour, which brought to life the historical 

and cultural significance of the monument.

Anastasios Leventis, the President of the A.G. 

Leventis Foundation, was decorated with the 

Order of Merit of the Government of Ukraine, 

last November, for the contribution of the 

Foundation to the conservation of the country’s 

cultural heritage. 

During the presentation ceremony in Nicosia, 

the Ambassador of Ukraine, Boris Humenuk 

pointed out that the decoration was a 

token of appreciation and thanks of the government 

of Ukraine for the multifaceted and 

substantial contribution of the Leventis Foundation 

to the preservation and popularisation 

of the cultural and artistic heritage of 

Ukraine. 

In his reply Mr Leventis underlined the 

fact that Ukraine, and particularly the Odessa 

region is a country with traditional and 

age-long culture links with the Greek world. 

"Protecting the cultural heritage of many 

countries, particularly those where there were 

links to Greece and Hellenistic culture has 

meant that the Foundation’s activities in 

the Eastern Mediterranean now extend beyond 

the boundaries of Greece and Cyprus. I am 

happy and proud to say that we have fast 

accomplished five years of active cultural 

involvement in Ukraine, a program initiated 

and inspired by my late beloved brother 

Constantine Leventis, first chairman of our 

Foundation". 

The Ambassador of Ukraine, Mr Boris Humenuk 

congratulating Mr Anastasios Leventis. 

Leventis Honoured 

The Ambassador of Ukraine, Mr B. Humenuc, 

Mr A. Leventis, Mr K. Lazarides, Ms Photini 

Papadopoulou. 

The initial major project undertaken in Ukraine 

was the renovation and museological refurbishment 

of the archaeological museum in 

Odessa, a treasure-house of Greek art from 

the Black Sea Greek colonies dating from the 

7th century BC to the Graeco-Roman period. 

Built in 1883 by the Mayor of Odessa, 

Gregory Maraslis, it now a most modern 

museum equipped with a laboratory for 

the conservation of objects. 

Another project initiated by the A.G. Leventis 

Foundation at the request of the Committee 

for the Preservation of the Cultural 

Heritage of the Odessa Region is the repair 

and conservation of the Greek Church of St. 

John the Baptist in Belgorod – Dnestorvsky. 

Assistance is also offered by the A.G. 

Leventis Foundation to the State University 

of Humanistic Studies of Mariupol by 

granting scholarships for members of the staff 

of the Department of Modern Greek, who 

attend courses at the University of Cyprus. 

The Foundation also plans to finance an international 

Conference on Law and Environment 

in the Ukraine to be held at this University 

in 2006 and a subsequent one in 2007, 

on the history of the Greeks of Ukraine from 

the 18th to the 20th century. New projects 

under consideration include assistance to the 

University of Kharkovo in the conservation 

of its historically significant library. 

51

52 

Cypriote Antiquities 

in the Museum of Odessa 

The largest and most interesting archaeological 

collection in the Ukraine has been 

gathered over a course of 175 years by the 

Archaeological Museum of Odessa of the 

National Academy of 

Sciences of the Ukraine. 

A particularly interesting 

collection from the Museum 

includes Greek antiquities, 

many of which came 

from the excavations of 

ancient Greek city-states 

in the North Pontic areas 

such as Olbia, Tyras, Nikonion 

and Pantikapaion. 

The Museum possess also, 

collections of antiquities 

from Cyprus, Egypt, Italy 

and other cultural centres 

of the past. 

The idea to publish a catalogue 

of the most important 

works of art in the 

Odessa Archaeological 

Museum was born in the 

summer of 1999, when 

Dr Vassos Karageorghis 

visited Odessa on behalf 

of the A.G. Leventis Foundation. 

He travelled there 

in order to investigate ways 

of helping the Odessa Branch of the Greek 

Cultural Foundation in its multiple activities. 

The Director of the Museum, Vladimir 

Flask of White Painted III-IV String- 

Hole style, 18th–17th 

century BC. 

P. Vanchugor, accepted the proposal with 

enthusiasm and with the collaboration of 

his colleagues helped the realization of 

this project. 

In the Prefatory Note to 

the catalogue, Dr Vassos 

Karageorghis recollects 

the emotion he experienced 

when he witnessed 

how vividly the local population 

still cherishes their 

Greek heritage, not only 

that of the remote past 

when the Greek colonies 

flourished along the shores 

of the Black Sea but also 

of the more recent past, 

when the large Greek community 

was active economically 

and culturally, 

during the 18th and 19th 

centuries. The great benefactor 

of the town, Gregorios 

Maraslis is still 

vividly remembered in the 

local library, and several 

monumental buildings in 

the town bring back memories 

of the glorious Hellenic 

presence in Odessa 

which lasted for two hundred 

years before it started dying out (particularly 

rapidly after 1919). 

In an effort to help the revival of the Odessa

Archaeological Museum – a treasure house 

of Hellenic culture – and to strengthen 

the bonds which unite the 

Hellenic world with the town 

of Odessa, the A.G. Leventis 

Foundation decided to make 

the Museum known to the 

rest of the world by publishing 

the Museum Catalogue. 

The collection of Cypriote 

Antiquities was presented to 

the Museum by T.P. Zuzefovich, 

in September 1875. It is a small 

collection and none of the objects 

has any provenance, but it 

deserved its place in the Catalogue. 

Dr Vassos Karageorghis, 

assisted by his wife, archeologist 

Jaqueline Karageorghis, 

spent several days in Odessa 

describing the most important 

objects of ancient Cypriote 

art in the Collection. They 

strove to provide more accurate 

information about the 

objects included, giving recent 

bibliographical references. 

Several other people put in quite 

a lot of work and enthusiasm for 

the realization of the Catalogue. The 

Greek Consul General Mrs Iphigenia 

Kontoleontos and her staff helped efficiently 

in solving difficulties. Eleni Samaritaki, 

Director of the Odessa Branch of the 

Hellenic Cultural Foundation acted as a liaison 

with the Archaeological Museum and 

Xenophon Michael spent several days in the 

Museum taking all the photographs of the 

catalogue. 

Limestone head 

of youth, 

5th century BC. 

53

54 

Limestone female statue, 


Mycenaean 

III B stirrup jar, 


Bull-shaped rhython 

of Base-Ring II ware 

14th-13th century BC.

Cypriote Antiquities in Toronto 

A new A.G. Leventis Foundation Permanent 

Gallery of Cypriote Antiquities 

was inaugurated at the Royal Ontario 

Museum, Canada on the 3rd November, 

2005. The Museum, one of the most 

important in Canada that attracts more 

than one million visitors annually, has 

been reopened after undergoing a major 

refurbishment which has doubled its 

exhibiting space. 

The Cypriote Gallery is the fifth in the 

series of permanent galleries created by 

the A.G. Leventis Foundation in museums 

around the world over the last fifteen 

years. Similar Permanent Galleries 

can be found in the British Museum, the 

Fitzwilliam Museum of Cambridge, the 

Metropolitan Museum of New York 

and the Copenhagen National Museum 

in Denmark. Two more similar galleries 

are in the process of being created: in the 

Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University 

and at the National History Museum 

in Bucharest, Romania. 

Most of the Cypriote antiquities in the 

Royal Ontario Museum had lain in its 

store-rooms since 1885 and have been 

exhibited for the first time. It is mostly 

by chance that the museum acquired this 

important collection. It first purchased a 

number of pottery items at the beginning 

of the 20th century from Dr. Allen Strurge, 

an Englishman who formed his collection 

while travelling in Europe. The greatest 

bulk of the collection, approximately 300 

objects including pottery, terracotta and 

limestone sculptures and figurines were 

transferred to the museum from the National 

Gallery in Ottawa. These had been 

donated in 1880 by Colonel Falkland 

55

56 

Anthropomorphic jug of White Painted V ware, Middle 

Cypriote III–Late Cypriote II 1725 -1450 BC. 

Warren, an English colonial officer who 

served in Cyprus and had somehow acquired 

antiquities from Ohnefalsch-Richter’s excavations 

at Tamassos. The last acquisition 

of the museum came in 1962 from the Dowager 

Lady Loch from London, a former 

resident of Kyrenia who had family connections 

in Canada. 

Dr Vassos Karageorghis, Director of the A.G. 

Leventis Foundation, was familiar with 

the Cypriote collections existing in the Royal 

Ontario Museum from his various visits. 

He started investigating the possibility 

of creating a permanent Gallery in the Royal 

Ontario Museum and the proposal he 

made to the director of the museum on behalf 

of the A.G. Leventis Foundation was promptly 

accepted. On three subsequent visits he 

collaborated with members of the museum 

staff for the implementation of the project, 

examining, selecting, photographing 

and treating the artefacts in the conserva-

tion laboratory. 

A selection of two hundred artefacts from 

the collection were presented in the catalogue 

published in 2003, preceding the 

opening of the gallery. In writing the catalogue, 

Dr. Karageorghis was assisted by 

Paul Denis, Museum Curator who 

Large amphora 

of Bichrome IV 

ware, Cypro 

Archaic I c. 

750–600 BC. 

Four pairs of gold spiral rings, Mid-Late 5th century BC. 

wrote the entries for the collection of jewellery, 

E.A. Knox, Collections Manager, who 

prepared the index of provenance and the 

concordance, Alison Easson who wrote the 

entries for the coins, Neda Leipen who prepared 

a note about the history of the collection 

and Demetra Papanicola-Bakirtzis 

who wrote the catalogue entries for the 

mediaeval glazed pottery. 

The opening of the Gallery of Cypriote 

Antiquities which coincided with the inauguration 

of the adjoining Prehistoric Aegean 

Gallery sponsored by the Greek Embassy 

and the Greek community of Canada was 

honoured by the presence of the Cyprus 

High Commissioner in Canada, Ambassador 

Euripides Evriviades and the Greek 

Ambassador, Mr Yiannis Mourikis. During 

the event, it was announced that annual lectures 

on the civilisation of ancient Greece 

and Cyprus will be organised at the museum. 

Moreover, on this occasion the Royal 

Ontario Museum organised an international 

symposium dedicated to the Prehistoric 

Aegean and Ancient Cypriote civilisation 

attended by more than 275 people including 

university professors from Canada, the 

U.S., Greece and Cyprus. 

57

58 

WAR 

and 

CULTURAL HER 

The consequences of war, the looting 

and destruction of cultural heritages 

in general and in Cyprus 

in particular is the subject of the 

most recent, well documented book 

"War and Cultural Heritage: Cyprus 

after the 1974 Turkish Invasion" 

by veteran American-born journalist 

, Michael Jansen. 

The Church of St. George at Gastria, Famagusta 

District, stripped bare.

ITAGE 

Christ Pantocrator surrounded by angels from the 

Church of Ayios Themonianos, Lysi (13th–14th 

century). The wall paintings are exhibited today 

in Houston,Texas. 

The book was launched on 18 November, 

2005 during a discussion organized by the 

Modern Greek Studies Program and the Institute 

for Global Studies at the University of 

Minnesota, in the U.S.A. Ms Jansen’s book 

is number 14 in the Minnesota Mediterranean 

and Eastern European Monographs series 

which has also published six other books on 

Cyprus. A second presentation of the book 

was organized by the Cyprus Government’s 

Press and Information Office in Nicosia, at 

the Cultural Centre of the Laiki Group, on 9 

January, 2006. 

The Modern Greek Studies Program was 

founded by Cypriot-born Professor Theofanis 

G. Stavrou, from the University of Minnesota. 

This program has established itself 

as a major centre of Neo-Hellenic studies outside 

Greece. 

Starting from Kazantzakis’ precept that thoughts 

should be put on paper before the wind 

scatters them, Professor Stavrou proceeded to 

collect, edit, print and distribute them by initiating 

the publication series at the University 

of Minnesota. The series include: the 

59

60 

Modern Greek Studies Yearbook (now in its 

twentieth year), the Minnesota Mediterranean 

and East European Monograph series (thirteen 

volumes) and the Nostos Books in Modern 

Greek History and Culture (24 volumes of 

translated literature from Greece and Cyprus). 

In his address at the launching event in Nicosia, 

Prof. Stavrou emphasized the significance of 

books like the one by Ms Jansen in making 

the voice of Cyprus heard on the international 

arena. The author, he said, succeeded in 

universalizing a local problem by giving it a 

proper and meaningful context. He then 

extolled the engaging quality of the book, filled 

with suspense and mystery, rarely expected on 

such an important topic as culture looting. 

On his part the Government Spokesman, Mr. 

Chrysostomides, expressed the Government’s 

determination not give up its struggle to protect 

and recover its cultural heritage. He added 

that the President is determined to exert all 

necessary efforts and mobilize all available 

means for this cause and all the appropriate 

agencies of the government are engaged in this 

campaign. Mr Chrysostomides further extolled 

Michael Jansen’s contribution in this regard 

by stating the problem clearly, by placing 

the case of Cyprus in a broader context and 

by reminding the world of the significance of 

the cultural heritage of mankind. Mr. Chrysostomides 

also praised Professor Stavrou’s contribution 

as a scholar, editor and publisher 

adding that this has been equally valuable. 

"He has used a prominent academic forum at 

the University of Minnesota to spread Ms 

Jansen’s and other people’s passionate message 

for the protection, preservation and respect 

of our cultural heritage," Mr. Chrysostomides 

concluded. 

As it has been repeatedly pointed out, culture 

looting is the second oldest profession in the 

world. Following the 1974 Turkish invasion 

of northern Cyprus, an incredible amount 

of irreplaceable treasures from museums and 

Frescoes from the12th century Church of Antiphonitis, 

Kalograia, Kyrenia District as they 

were found in Munich. 

churches experienced this fate of looting 

and found their way on the international black 

market. Ms Jansen arrived on the divided 

island in 1976 as a refugee from the civil 

war in Lebanon. She soon became aware of 

what was happening and the first manifestation 

of her interest in the problem of cultural 

heritage destruction was the article "Cyprus: 

The Loss of a Culture Heritage" published in 

the Modern Greek Studies Yearbook (Volume 

2, 1986) at the University of Minnesota which 

Professor Stavrou edits. 

In her presentation of the book, Ms Jansen 

13th century fresco of the Virgin between the 

archangels Michael and Gabriel from the apse of 

the Church of Ayios Themonianos. Today they are 

exhibited in Houston.

pointed out the fact that when archaeological 

and religious sites, museums and libraries 

are plundered or looted during wars, countries 

and societies lose portions of their identity. 

People become alienated from themselves 

and their history is impoverished. A loss in 

one country is a loss in global civilization. 

Looting is a crime against humanity. 

The book consists of an introduction that 

deals with the situation in Iraq following the 

U.S. invasion and occupation of the country 

in March-April 2003, a situation analogous 

to what has happened in Cyprus since 

1974. The first part of the book provides essential 

material on the wartime period enlivened 

by the vivid and impassioned narration of 

Yiannis Kleanthous, the keeper of the Kyrenia 

Castle whose personal experience gives a 

human dimension to the events. 

The following three parts trace down the fate 

of the plundered churches and the stolen artifacts 

and antiquities. There is also a large focus 

on the character of a Turk from Munich, Aydin 

Dikmen, who is also known as the most active 

and influential operator in the world of international 

art theft. Although he had an interest 

in collecting illegal artifacts since the 1960s, 

the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus gave him 

a free rein to plunder the north of the 

island. 

The book also deals with Dikmen’s 25 years 

turbulent relationship with the art dealer Michel 

van Rijn, a Dutchman who was eventually 

instrumental in helping the Cyprus government 

and Church to regain some of their looted 

treasures. Such is the celebrated case of 

the 6th century unique mosaics from the 

Kanakaria church adjudicated in the courts of 

the United States of America in the 1980s and 

restored to their rightful owner, the Church of 

Cyprus, in 1991. Another case is the 1997 

"Byzantine sting" operation involving the German 

police when Dikmen was finally nailed 

down after 4,000 pieces, including 330 Byzan- 

The Church of Ayios Themonianos, 13th century 

at Lysi, plundered. 

tine works from Cyprus, were found hidden 

inside the wall of an apartment in Munich. 

The book is minutely documented and provides 

detailed evidence on the facts mentioned, 

lending credibility to the incredible flow of 

events. It also directs attention to the international 

repercussions of the political and cultural 

problem of art plundering. 

Several other distinguished journalists have 

tried to expose the cultural crimes against 

Cyprus. Among them is the Turkish Cypriot 

reporter Mehmet Yasin whose passionate articles 

in the weekly magazine Olay in 1982 were 

of singular significance. 

As Robin Cormak, an expert in Byzantine art 

summed up in a report on Cyprus in 1976: 

"The cultural heritage of Cyprus is of central 

importance in the history of European 

art, a part of a larger cultural system rather 

than a source of totally independent creation. 

It is an essential witness to the art and architecture 

of the other centres in the Mediterranean 

within whose orbit it falls. Historians 

of Classical, Medieval and Ottoman periods 

must treat the culture of Cyprus as an integral 

part of their material". 

But in this daunting task we also need all 

the help we can get: from international organizations, 

from governments, from cultural 

institutions, from the media and from caring 

individuals. 

61

62 

The Minister of Education and Culture, 

Mr Pefkios Georgiades, addressed the 33rd 

Session of the UNESCO General Conference 

on 8 October, 2005. This year’s General 

Conference was marked by the celebration 

spirit of the sixtieth anniversary 

of the founding of UNESCO. Cyprus has 

been a member-state of UNESCO for fortyfour 

years now, sharing, promoting and 

participating in the Organisation’s vision 

with the utmost commitment. 

In his address, the Minister referred to 

the efforts made by the government in order 

to achieve most EFA goals, according to 

the EFA Global Monitoring Report. Furthermore, 

the legislation for the establishment 

of the Cyprus Open University has 

been enacted, which is a step towards increasing 

the opportunities for lifelong learning. 

UNESCO Conference 

Greek Ambassador in Francce, Minas Hadjiminas, the Minister of Education and Culture, Mr. 

Pefkios Georgiades and Cyprus Ambassador to UNESCO, Mrs Mema Leventis. 

Referring to the fight against the use of illegal 

substances in sports, the Minister mentioned 

that Cyprus has signed the Antidoping 

Code and has contributed to the 

drafting of the Convention against Doping 

in Sports. 

Mr Georgiades dwelt more on wider cultural 

issues, pointing out the importance 

that Cyprus attaches to the protection of 

cultural heritage in general. The fact that 

Cyprus, for centuries, has been a host country 

of the richness of different cultures due 

to its geographical position, reinforces its 

commitment to contribute to the protection 

of this diversity and the promotion of 

intercultural dialogue. "This belief", he 

said, "motivates our country’s support 

towards UNESCO’s recent efforts to establish 

the Convention for the Safeguarding

of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which 

Cyprus plans to ratify and the Convention 

on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural 

Contents and Artistic Expressions, in 

the drafting of which Cyprus participated. 

Our government’s sensitivity in relation to 

heritage protection, led us to the decision 

to become a candidate country for the World 

Heritage Committee", he added. 

"To protect what we have inherited from 

the past is to preserve our culture from the 

erosion of time. Unfortunately, time is not 

the only obstacle we face. Indeed, heritage 

must also be protected from destruction 

due to armed conflicts or from illicit appropriation. 

We, regrettably, have examples of 

this type of deterioration in the occupied 

part of Cyprus, which is not under our government’s 

control." 

To give an example, the Minister concen- 

trated primarily on the ongoing destruction 

of an important Neolithic settlement 

at Cape Apostolos Andreas-Kastros 

of unique historical significance, founded 

in the 7th millennium BC during the Preceramic 

period which is suffering irreparable 

damage as a result of the use of bulldozers 

by the Turkish forces. 

Without making reference to other examples 

of the policy of destruction, looting 

and illegal excavation, the Minister appealed 

to the International Community and 

UNESCO in particular to send a strong 

message so that the cultural and religious 

heritage should be respected and protected. 

"These valuable historic and cultural sites 

are part of the common heritage of all the 

people of Cyprus, irrespective of their community", 

he concluded. 

The Neolithic settlement at Apostolos Andreas, Kastros, discovered by a French archaeological mission 

in 1970-74, has been levelled with cement by Turkish bulldozers. 

63

64 

Minister of Education and Culture in Brussels 


Mr Pefkios Georgiades, accompanied by 

the Acting Permanent Representative of 

the Republic of Cyprus to the European 

Union, Mr Panikos Kyriakou, represented 

Cyprus at the Synod of the Council 

of Education, Youth and Culture which 

took place in Brussels on 14th and 15th 

November, 2005. 

In his remarks in connection with the Programme 

for Education and Training 2010 

and the priorities which should be set in 

the Programme, the Minister of Education 

and Culture, Mr Pefkios Georgiades, said 

that in Cyprus an overall reform of education 

was already in progress, focusing on 

the qualitative upgrading of the educational 

system at all levels and in all sectors. Within 

the framework of this endeavour, the general 

objectives and criteria laid down in the 

Programme of Education and Training 

2010 were being seriously taken into account. 

The aim, he stressed, was to offer better 

education to young people. He expressed 

his agreement with the findings that the 

"Education and Training 2010" Programme 

is the key to achieving the objectives of the 

renewed Lisbon Strategy, which aims at an 

economy based on the society of knowledge, 

with special emphasis on development 

and employment. He also maintained 

that priority should be given to the special 

aims for providing quality education to the 

young, to the "learning throughout life" 

objective and to the aim of promoting the 

quality of the active citizen, all of which 

constitute the keys to the efforts to achieve 

the society of citizens of the European 

Union. He stressed that acceptance, tolerance 

and difference in the multi-cultural 

societies of today are indispensable for the 

development and progress of the Europe 

of today. 

Finally, the Minister noted that it is especially 

important that the efforts aimed at 

the young should be strengthened so that 

young people acquire the basic skills and 

abilities and are better equipped for their 

future academic, economic and social life. 

Special significance should be attached to 

groups that are in a more disadvantaged 

position for economic and social reasons 

in general. This objective can contribute 

to the social cohesion which is being sought 

by the Lisbon objectives as well and particularly 

to the increase in the percentage 

of participation in initial education and 

training, with a parallel reduction in failure 

at school and premature drop-out from 

school. 

Within the framework of the Council of 

Culture, the proposal for the Cultural Capitals 

of Europe has been approved. Cyprus 

will be Cultural Capital in 2017. 

At the Council of Ministers of Education, 

Culture, Youth and Audio-visuals, a partial 

cultural agreement has been reached 

in the corresponding Action Programme 

for the period 2007-2013 (Learning Throughout 

Life, Culture 2007, Youth and Audiovisuals) 

without, however, the approval of 

the financial aspects which depend on the 

more general framework of the European 

Union budgets, which have not yet been 

approved.

The Speculative Eye of Thanassis Lalas 

An exhibition charting the career of Thanassis 

Lalas was held at Omikron Gallery, 

in Nicosia last October to mark the 50 

years anniversary of Phileleftheros newspaper. 

The exhibition was organized in 

collaboration with the Pierides Foundation 

and with the support of the Bank of 

Cyprus. 

Entitled "The Speculative Eye of Thanassis 

Lalas", the exhibition captures the 

famous journalist’s career spanning 40 

years from 1964 – 2003. 

Over his career as a reporter for Greek 

newspaper "To Vima", one of most 

powerful political newspaper in Greece, 

Lalas has conducted some high profile 

interviews with the likes of Peter Hall, 

Franco Zefirelli, Woody Allen, Sean Connery, 

Angela Georgiou and many other 

celebrities. The exhibition entails original 

excerpts from Lala’ s interview notes along 

with his satirical sketches. The note-books 

offer an insight into Lala’ s humorous world 

full of originality and imagination where, 

satire and irony reign supreme. 

Lalas has a unique approach to drawing. 

He uses heavy, thick brushes as if engraving 

on linoleum while his colours are bright 

and boisterous. Sketching for Lalas is a 

form of provocation. His world is a 

stage on which he plays out his artistic 

actions through both words and drawing. 

Although a well-respected journalist who 

does not underestimate the power of writing, 

he always felt that words were just not 

enough. An image is, quite often, stronger 

in getting through the message and his 

images acted like fireworks. 

Marina Lambraki Plaka, director of the 

National Gallery of Greece, appreciated 

the quality of Lala’ s drawings: "They have 

a huge variety, are attractive, expressive, 

strong, full of fantasy and energy. They 

also keep Lala’ s humour intact and support 

his writings. I think they provide a 

bittersweet accompaniment to his interviews". 

65

66 

Erato Hadjisavva, Wave. Video installation, 2003. 

The Alexandria Biennale for Mediterranean 

countries was the first international event 

in which Cyprus ever participated as an 

independent state back in 1963. 

This year, the 23rd Biennale of Alexandria 

generated great interest amongst the visitors 

and participants as it marked 50 years 

since it was inaugurated in 1955. The event 

acquired a festive character with the presence 

of many Ambassadors from European 

countries, the Egyptian Minister of Culture 

and the Governor of Alexandria. 

Participation was extensive – more than 

Biennale of Alexandria Prize 

eighty artists from eighteen countries, covering 

with their work the full spectrum 

of art: painting, sculpture, drawing, graphic 

arts and installations. 

First Prize 

Cyprus participated with three artists: Erato 

Hadjisavva, Savella Michael and Angelos 

Michaelides. 

Erato Hadjisavva made an excellent impression 

with her video installation entitled 

"Wave" and was awarded one of the five equal 

first prizes of the Biennale which constituted 

the Golden Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Erato Hadjisavva 

Born in Cyprus in 1966 

Studies 

2000-2004 Master in Digital Arts 

1985-1990 School of Fine Arts, Athens 

1987-1989 Byzantine Painting 

1983-1985 University of Economics 

During the period 1995-2000 she has taught in secondary 

education schools and since 2000 she is an 

associate of the Fine Arts School Athens (in the 

Art Workshop of Mr Psychopedis) 

Solo Exhibitions 

2003 Gallery Yiagianos Athens (Catalogue) 

2002 Gallery Gloria, Nicosia, Cyprus 

1992 Gallery Gloria, Nicosia, Cyprus 

1991 Gallery Papadopoulou, Athens, Greece 

Selected Group Exhibitions 

2005 Photosynkyria, Museum of 

Photography, Thessaloniki, Greece 

2004 Every Monday, Gallery Hrusothemis, 

Greece 

2003 Passion, Byzantine and Christian 

Museum, Greece 

2001 Florence Biennale, Florence, Italy 

1993 Pancyprian Exhibition of Cyprus 

Chamber of Fine Arts Famagusta Gate, 

Nicosia, Cyprus 

1987 Pancyprian Exhibition of Cyprus 

Chamber of Fine Arts Famagusta Gate, 


House of Cyprus-Athens 

Thanasis Moutsopoulos, architect, writer 

and curator, commenting on the artist’s 

work points out: "Erato Hadjisavva steps 

onto a series of cognitive domains, from 

Gestalt psychology to even robotics as 

well as onto milestones in the history of art 

as far as structural image or optical illusion 

is concerned, from M.C. Escher to 

Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely and Op Art. 

However, the artist brings all these experiences 

to the 21st century through an array 

of manipulations which go hand in hand 

with the most recent quests of digital 

technology, even of modern cinema in its 

most impressive moments". 

Her video installation "Wave" challenges 

our notions of space and reality. Captured 

in an arrangement of television sets, a flock 

of birds is flying across the sky, each television 

set portraying the same scene with 

a slight difference in phase from the others. 

By moving through the screens the flock of 

birds distorts, and ultimately abolishes, the 

boundaries between real, palpable space and 

the digitised world of virtual reality, where 

the birds’ movement is manipulated and 

intensified, born directly in three dimensions, 

contrary to the representational tradition 

of visual arts, with its common practice 

of two-dimensional treatment of threedimensional 

objects. 

Savella Michael 

Born in Nicosia, in 1972 

Studies 

1992-1997 Painting at the School of Fine 

Arts, Aristotle University of 

Thessaloniki, Greece 

1990-1991 Graphic Art at the Frederic 

Institute of Technology, Cyprus 


2005 Diatopos Centre of Contemporary Art, 


1999 Paratirites, Lobby Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus 


and other Activities: 

2005 Accidental Meetings – The Nicosia 

Municipal Arts Centre, Nicosia, 

Cyprus 

Beijing International Art Biennale, 

China 

2004 Women Cypriot Artists, Kereva Art 

Museum, Helsinki, Finland 

67

68 

Savella Michael, untitled. Ink, pencil, acrylic, paper, 2003. 

2003 The languages of gender, SPEL 

Building, Nicosia, Cyprus 

Made in the world of art, Sarajevo 

Winter Festival, Bosnia Herzegovina 

2002 Colourists, Pantheon Gallery, Nicosia, 

Cyprus 

2001 For young artists, Rouan Gallery, 

Limassol, Cyprus 

2000 Lobby Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus 

1999 Sea, Pancyprian Exhibition of the Cyprus 

Chamber of Fine Arts, Limassol, 

Cyprus 

Thessaloniki’s Days in Limassol, 

Limassol Cultural Centre, Limassol, 

Cyprus 

Workshop, Red Crescent Museum of 

Gaza, Palestine (organised by the 

Doctors of the World and the 

Cultural Services of Cyprus) 

1998 Friends of Fine Art Society, Nicosia, 

Cyprus 

1997 Heineken Art, Thessaloniki, Greece 

Pancyprian Exhibition of the Cyprus 

Chamber of Fine Arts, Nicosia, Cyprus 

Pictor’s Studio, Thessaloniki, Greece 

(organised by the Cultural Capital of 

Thessaloniki Organisation) 

1996 Workshop, Vrnzacka Banja, Serbia 

(organised by the Schools of Fine Art 

Belgrade and Thessaloniki) 

Speaking of her painting work, Savella 

Michael believes that "complete chaos and 

confusion rule, rules and boundaries are 

abolished, mistakes are allowed. The innermost 

thoughts, wishes and truths are revealed, 

journies and new voyages are discovered 

promising different experiences, surprises 

and reversals". 

Angelos Michaelides 

Born in Nicosia; has lived in Athens since 

1974 

Studies 

1998-2004 Athens School of Fine Arts (graduated 

with excellence) 

1988-1994 Medical Studies at the English speaking 

University of Pacǎs, Hungary 


2004 Individual exhibition of Diploma work 

in the School of Fine Arts ASFA, Athens

2003 Centre of Contemporary Art, Museum 

of Modern Greek Art in Rhodes 

2003 Epi kolono Gallery in Athens 


2005 Museum of Contemporary Art of Chios 

2005 Group exhibition of graduates in 

Ergostasio gallery in ASFA School of 

Fine Arts, Athens 

2005 Unclaimed luggage, Madrid, Spain 

2004 Grand Bretagne Hotel, Athens 

2003 OMMA Centre, Chania, Crete 

2002 MoTeR II, Centre of Contemporary 

Art, Museum of Modern Greek Art in 

Rhodes 

Angelos Michaelides’ four artworks presented 

at the Biennale are posing a series of 

questions about human presence. They 

reveal an almost poetical humanism, a reflection 

of the Mediterranean universe and 

an echo of its longstanding philosophical 

tradition. 

Angelos Michaelides, Mummy. Acrylic, paper, 

Perspex, 2003. 

69

70 

Helene Black, Relative Distance, 2004–2005. 

Installation with video projection, framed photograph, 

canvas screen, Plexiglas screen.

SOMATOPIA 

An exhibition of Cypriot contemporary art entitled: 

Somatopia: Mapping Sites, Siting Bodies was hosted 

at the Hellenic Centre in London between the 

28 September and 21 October 2005. 

The exhibition, organised by the Cultural 

Services of the Ministry of Education 

and Culture in collaboration with the London 

Hellenic Centre and curated by Dr 

Antonis Danos, art historian, was opened 

by Henry Meyric Hughes, President of the 

International Association of Art Critics 

(AICA) in Paris and President of the International 

Foundation Manifesta (IMF) in 

Amsterdam. 


Pefkios Georgiades, pointed out in the catalogue 

to the exhibition that this event 

marks a new approach in the way Cypriot 

contemporary artistic production is promoted 

beyond our geographical borders. 

It is the first time that Cyprus attempts 

to introduce representative samples of its 

contemporary cultural profile – including 

many concerns and preoccupations that 

run through it – by means of a group such 

as this. 

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72 

The Curator’s concept 

Antonis Danos, the exhibition curator 

consciously aimed against heterogeneous, 

survey show and proceeded to include only 

seven artists (showing mainly installations 

and videos) who, in his view: "produce work 

that is relevant to contemporary, artistic and 

overall cultural concerns and issues, and with 

whom I felt I could engage into a creative 

dialogue". 

"This dialogue", he explained, "was to evolve 

around certain concerns and interests of mine 

(with regard to contemporary art) which I 

have condensed under the title, Somatopia: 

Mapping Sites, Siting Bodies. By this I did not 

intend a thematic exhibition, in any sense. 

After all, I believe that all artistic creation is, 

to an extent, an exploration, a negotiation 

and a rendering of spaces – metaphorical 

or literal, as imaginary or actual places, as 

natural or artificial landscapes as 'sites' or 

'non-sites'. And more often than not, 

within these explorations, bodies are situated 

– whether as presences or absences – 

in all of their manifestations and symbolisms 

and as agents and / or receivers of actions, 

events, experiences and discourses. 

"The fact that all seven artists live and 

work primarily in Cyprus unavoidably carries 

certain particularities – the most immediate 

'site' is the Cypriot environment, and 

the 'bodies' they negotiate, explore and situate 

are bodies within, products of this environment. 

Yet this is far from claiming that all these 

artists share some clearly defined, common 

Cypriot identity. In a world of great 

mobility and diminished distances, each of 

us is defined by as much diverse as common 

experiences, due to contacts with, and absorptions 

from various and different cultures. 

Therefore even when contemporary Cypriot 

artists are mapping aspects of a common 

territory – the Cypriot environment – and 

exploring 'bodies' within it, each one is doing 

so from a different perspective, since each 

one is situated at a different nodal point within 

this space. 

Antonis Danos, the exhibition curator, urged 

the artists to engage into a dialogue with 

art critics and historians. The resulting texts 

included in the exhibition catalogue have 

opened up various routes of communication 

between viewers and the art works which 

may be different from those intended by the 

artists themselves. Furthermore they have 

enriched the conceptual frameworks within 

which the artists had originally sited their 

works and negotiated these artworks from 

a different perspective. 

The curator also expressed his thanks to Dr 

Eleni Nikita, Director of the Cultural Services, 

who entrusted him with this work, 

to Louli Michaelidou, Cultural Officer who 

offered invaluable assistance as well as to 

Agathi Kalisperas, Director of the Hellenic 

Centre and Marie Kalli for their equally valuable 

assistance. 

klitsa antoniou 

Born in 1968. Studied Fine Arts at the 

Wimbledon School of Art, at St. Martins 

School of Art (B.F.A.), and at the Pratt Institute 

New York (M.F.A.). She has had solo 

exhibitions in Cyprus, the United States 

and China. Her international participations 

include, amongst others, "A View 

to the Mediterranean Sea: The Cyprus 

Case", Herzliya Artists’ Residence, Israel 

(2005); Lulea Biennale, Sweden (2005); 

Terra Vita", Xiamen, China (2004); Biennale 

of Jeollabuk, South Korea (2003);

Klitsa Antoniou, A-Lethe Hydor, 2005. 

Installation with frames, seaweed, prints, 

string (detail). 

"Open 2002", Venice; Cairo Biennale 

(2001); "De-Core-Instanz: Deconstruction, 

Installation, Orensanz"; New York 

(2000); "Six workshops in Sarajevo", 

Rome(1999); Biennale of Young Artists, 

Cable Factory, Helsinki (1997); Biennale 

of Young Artists, Turin (1997); Biennale 

of Young Artists, Rijeka (1995). She is 

cofounder of the Atrageous Group. [www.klitsa.com] 

Klitsa Antoniou’s construction – installation 

is entitled A-Lethe Hydor, which literally 

translates "Water of Truth", in which 

A-lethe derives from a synthesis of A (denoting 

absence) and lethe (forgetting) thus 

"water of forgetting; a concept borrowed 

from Greek mythology, is the water 

the dead had to drink before entering the 

Kingdom of Hades, the god of the underworld. 

73

74 

Four massive "walls" made of dozens of old 

picture frames each hanging from a metal 

frame on the ceiling make up the installation. 

The frames hovering above the viewer’s 

eye level form an architectural territory, 

an elevated space. Familiarity, despite 

the overwhelming size, invites us to step 

into the "interior" space: layers of seaweed 

grow out of the picture frames. A claustrophobically 

enclosed space, destructing 

and forbidding familiarity and estrangement, 

passage and blockage, remembrance 

and forgetfulness coexist. (Antonis Danos) 

Antoniou’s installation aims to understand 

"truth" as being fluid, like the seaweed’s 

growth; always subject to memory’s ability 

to remember, yet constantly alternating, 

in a way that the past cannot conflict 

with the sense of present – or future – personal 

and national identity. (Artemis Eleftheriadou) 

helene black 

Born in 1950, in Cyprus and grew up in 

Australia. Since 1992, she has been living 

in Limassol, Cyprus. Studied art at MTC, 

Melbourne University, with further parttime 

studies at the National Art School, 

Sydney. Her work has featured, amongst 

others, at the Soders International Art Biennale, 

Stockholm (2003); Buenos Aires Art 

Biennale (2002); "Festival of Arts and 

Sciences", Aix-les-Bains, France (2001); 

"Cinema Concrete", dLux Media Arts, Sydney, 

(2001); "Blanc sur Blanc", Saint Etienne 

Museum of Modern Art, France (2001); 

"Medi@terra 2000", The Factory, Athens; 

"Through The Looking Glass", Beachwood 

Centre for the Arts, Ohio, USA (2002). 

She was awarded 1st prize (Cyprus) at the 

"Homage to Vincent Van Gogh" compe- 

tition (1996), and her entry was selected 

for the permanent collection of the Foundation 

Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, France. 

She is a founding member of NeMe, an 

interdisciplinary collective. 

[www.hblack.net;www.neme.org] 

Helene Black’s Relative Distance echoes the 

dynamic of her own name, for a distance 

is embedded in it – and sustained. It is also 

recognition of the distance inherent in all 

names. Black, a Greek Cypriot, migrated 

as a child to Australia then returned to 

Cyprus, yet not as a return to close a cycle, 

for her insistence of retaining the anglicised 

version of her name is a choice to stay in 

the breach – a moving ambivalence, a simultaneous 

refusal and embrace of belonging. 

Black’s body of work over 30 years includes, 

among other concerns, a concentration on 

the physic mediations of portraiture – 

whether painting, photography or, more 

recently, film. Through these mediations 

within portraiture Relative Distance incorporates 

"Time" as a central motif – central 

because it is always possible to return to a 

place, but time is irreversible. (Denise Robinson) 

Helene Black’s Relative Distance constitutes 

another invitation into familiar - yet displaced 

- territory. In the dim light of a room’s 

interior, we are visiting a woman’s story (of 

her life). The projection screen is dominated 

by her presence, filmed in her living 

room’s surroundings. Hegemonic - 

moral, social and economic - discourses 

have colonised, however, her narrative as 

much as they have been inscribed on her 

body, sited as little more than a 'stage prop', 

in the second, nearly static projection. In 

the row of images along the room’s exterior 

surfaces, her space has now also been

Helene Black, Relative Distance, 2004–2005. Installation with framed photograph, canvas screen, Plexiglas 

screen, monitor. 

conquered and looted, containing only her 

absence. Her final filmed portrait is protest, 

is exposure (of her as mush as of her colonisers), 

and is, perhaps, a sole glimpse of (her) 

empowerment. (Antonis Danos) 

melita couta 

Born in 1974. Studied sculpture at Central 

St. Martins College of Art and Design, 

and at the Slade School of Fine Arts, 

London. Her participation in group exhibitions 

include, amongst others, "A View 

to the Mediterranean Sea: The Cyprus 

Case", Herzliya Artists’ Residence, Israel 

(June 2005); "100 Artists for a Museum", 

Casoria International Contemporary 

Art Museum, Italy (May 2005); "Accidental 

Meetings", Municipal Arts Centre, Nicosia; 

"Openasia: 7" Exhibition of Sculptures and 

Installations", Lido, Venice (September 

2004); "Mythology: A bet on imagination, 

a bet on art", The 9th Cairo Biennale 

(December 2003); "Chaos and Communications": 

10th Biennale of Young Artists 

from Europe and the Mediterranean, Sarajevo 

(July 2001). She has designed sets 

for theatre productions in Cyprus, Malta 

and the UK. She lives and works in Cyprus. 

[www.melitcouta.com] 

In Melita Couta’s installation - collages 

Urban Legend fragments of familiar objects, 

bodies and buildings are arranged in unfamiliar 

relational compositions creating a 

simultaneously utopian and dystopian landscape. 

She seems to be mapping a world in 

the process of its own making, one made 

up of bodies and structures themselves in 

the process of developing. Her assemblages 

constitute views - better, still - of a universe 

constantly changing, re-arranging, re-forming. 

(Antonis Danos) 

Couta’ s collages form worlds whose con- 

75

Melita Couta, Objects of Desire, 

2005. Synthetic hair, carpet.

struction is not subsumed beneath a pregiven 

law and whose outcome is not delivered 

by history. It is as if people have joined 

with the animals and given up attending 

to their health or fulfilment or perfection 

of their bodies, in favour of exploring possibilities 

of their soma possibilities not codified 

in advance or determined by genetic 

code but possibilities before the law. It is as 

if they ignore what is given by the code prescribing 

the development of their bodies 

and expressed by the repeatable finalities 

of beauty and symbol, and instead go back 

before that inscription to examine the contingent 

and the arbitrary characteristics 

of their soma possibilities not codified in 

advance or determined by genetic code but 

possibilities before the law. It is as if they 

ignore what is given by the code prescribing 

the development of their bodies and 

expressed by the repeatable finalities of beauty 

and symbol, and instead go back before 

that inscription to examine the contingent 

and the arbitrary characteristics of their 

soma. Couta’s collages are choreographies 

of possible linkages and manifold 

forces in which the figures are no less 

built or constructed than the structures they 

link. And this gives the buildings a live part 

in a dialogue between the two. (Jonathan 

L. Dronsfield) 

yiannos economou 

Born in 1959. After working as an accountant 

for some years in London, he re-entered 

and studied Fine Arts at the Kent Institute 

of Art & Design, graduating in 1993. He 

mainly uses video, but also film and photography, 

as his media of expression. His 

themes come from his personal milieu, 

investigating time and space as experienced 

in contemporary society, especially, in view 

of escalating technological advances in shifting 

ideological landscapes. He has shown 

his work in solo and group shows in Cyprus 

and abroad, and at international film festivals. 

His latest short film, The Machine 

Dream, won the best experimental film 

award at the Cyprus Short Film Festival 

(2005). He lives and works in Paphos. 

In Yiannos Economou’s video Cross Country 

Run it is a male figure that seems, at first 

sight, to be the agent mapping the landscape; 

as the runner meets with an endless 

parade of landscapes, it becomes apparent 

that not only is he not a surveying–colonising 

eye but, rather, more of a Sisyphusean 

body, performing an endless task or, 

more fittingly, a Ulyssesean ghost, never 

arriving – he was never bound for anywhere 

in the first place. As his volume-less blue 

profile struggles through the fragments of 

landscape - often being eclipsed by them 

- he comes to stand for an entire people’s 

unending wandering into a known territory, 

but towards an unknown destination. 


In a dialogue with Dr Andreas Panayiotou 

(currently teaching Social Sciences, Communications 

and Cultural Studies at the 

Frederick Institute of Technology) Yiannos 

Economou specifies that Cross Country Run 

is not really a tracking shot, nor is it a film, 

for that matter. 

It contours a running man photographed 

in the 19th century by E.Muybridge, put 

in a loop to give the illusion of movement. 

But the eleven silhouettes remain static. 

What really move are the images of scattered 

objects photographed, videographed 

or scanned in Paphos over a period of three 

months. The man has been running for 

77

78 

130 years in the same pace, two-dimensional, 

alone, going nowhere. We are trapped 

in a free-floating reality. But there is a sense 

of the return to earth, the lost land. Reunification 

is going to happen inevitably 

because the market, the geography, the international 

dynamics will do it from below. 

But when it does these will be nothing to 

celebrate for it will not be an ideological 

project but a de facto progress. 

lia lapithi 

Born in 1963. She studied Art (Bachelor 

of Fine Arts) and Architecture (Bachelor of 

Environmental Design – Architecture) at 

the UCSC, California. She has also obtained 

a Master of Fine Arts degree from Lancaster 

University, as well as the Diploma of Architecture 

(RIBA 2), from the Canterbury 

Institute of Art and Design. She has had 

Yiannos 

Economou, 

Cross Country 

Run, 2004. 

Video. 

several solo shows, and has taken part in 

group exhibitions in Cyprus and abroad. 

Amongst the international exhibitions she 

participated in are the 3rd Florence Biennale 

(2001), where she was awarded the 

4th prize for multimedia, and the 20th 

International Alexandria Biennale (1999), 

where she was awarded the Grand Prix (First 

Overall Prize). [www.lialapithi.com] 

A woman’s body is framed within a landscape 

(salt marsh) which, in turn, is inscribed 

- both literally and as 'art' - by her body, in 

Lia Lapithi’s film, 26 Weeks, part of the Lick- 

Bed installation. A largely autobiographical 

narrative undermines, however, the agelong 

equation, woman-nature. The 'story' 

is one of endangered pregnancy; of salt, 

not just as an essential ingredient (visitors 

are invited to lick the salt blocks arranged 

as a bed 'mattress' on a metal frame, in the

middle of the installation), but also as a 

means for abortion; the salt lake’s expanse 

treads the edge between fertility and sterility. 

At the same time, it has itself been sterilised 

and turned into an artificial ground 

in the exhibition space. 

In a conversation with Henry Meyric Hughes, 

published in the exhibition catalogue, 

Lia Lapithi confesses that the film 26 Weeks 

deals obliquely with her fears of illness and 

death and their closeness to everyday life, 

adding that "like the rest of the artworks 

included in the exhibition, it deals with the 

poetics of the body’s fragility and should 

be appreciated for its fundamentally lifeaffirming 

qualities." H.M. Hughes agreed 

that the life-affirming quality of her work, 

its aspiration to purity and catharsis, its 

strongly visual, aesthetic and tactile appeal 

are evident. 

evgenia vasiloude 

Born in 1962. Studied (1981-88) at the 

Kiev School of Fine Arts, Ukraine, in the 

Department of Engraving and Graphic 

Arts. Her studies included drawing, painting, 

engraving, lithography, etching, book 

illustration, poster design, calligraphy, industrial 

design and history of art. She has 

had four solo exhibitions, and has taken 

part in several group shows in Cyprus 

and abroad. She has participated, additionally, 

in international engraving exhibitions, 

including, "Lilla Europa 2002: 2nd 

Biennale of small scale painting and printing", 

Hallsberg and Örebro, Sweden; "5" 

Triennale mondiale de l’estampe petit format 

Chamaliers 2000", Auvergne, France: 

5th Engraving Biennale, Belgrade (1998); 

4th Engraving Biennale, Gyor, Hungary 

(1998). She received the second jury 

Lia Lapithi, 26 Weeks. Video. 

prize at the 2004 Cairo Biennale. She lives 

and works in Cyprus. 

In Evgenia Vasiloude’ s Hymn to Demeter 

installation, nature has seized the walls of 

this space, in the form of layers of engraved 

prints-images of wheat. Outdoors has been 

brought indoors - a 'non-site' standing for 

a 'site' - while, the apparent conflation, 

nature-feminine-creation, is challenged 

as much as redefined: over the projected 

(video) images, a (female) voice recites 

the hymnal (male) logos to the goddess of 

the earth, and those very words have been, 

additionally, inscribed visually within the 

pictures of nature. In the process, the artist 

herself has re-created the natural into the 

artificial of art-culture. (Antonis Danos) 

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80 

Evgenia Vasiloude, Hymn to Demeter, 2003-2005. Installation with silkscreenprints on canvas and PVC, 

Plexiglas cube, video. 

Looking at Vasiloude’s work one realizes 

that a renewal lies at the heart of her 

practice as an artist. Not only because she 

insists on preserving the craftsmanship of 

the old engravers, using the traditional skills 

along with more contemporary techniques 

of artistic production, but also because of 

her obsessive return to myth and classic 

archetypes of feminity. The myth is no 

longer the object of an artistic transfer, but 

becomes a vehicle through which the transference 

itself is thematised. Hymn to Demeter, 

then, functions as a dramatization, a 

ritual of passage in which spectators are 

invited to participate. (Maria Margaroni) 

yannos yapanis 

Born in 1972. After studies in Cyprus and 

the USA, he enrolled at the Instituto 

delle Scienze Cinematografiche ed Audiovisive 

(Florence), from which he graduated 

as director of photography, after having 

specialised in Photographic Portrait and 

Camera Obscura. He is a co-founder of 

ZooTroupe Productions (Italy). He has 

worked as Director of Photography on several 

short films and documentaries. He has 

participated in photographic exhibitions 

in and out of Cyprus. His first short film, 

Mavroscoufitsa (Little Black Riding Hood), 

(2002), has been screened in several 

international film festivals, including, Cannes 

(Official Selection); Drama [Greece] (Best 

New Director); Montreal; Alpe Adria, Trieste 

(Special Mention); and at the Cypriot 

Short Film Festival (Third Prize).

Since 1998, he lives mostly in Cyprus, where 

he works in film and other media. 

A run toward the unknown is probably 

what is also (though more satirically) 'codified' 

in the last (freeze) frame in Yannos 

Yapanis’ s video-short film, Infomercial: a 

man is running after another man dressed 

as a chicken, who is holding a real chicken, 

which the first man was chasing, all 

along. Is this chicken the promise of a future 

that resists capture-arrival? Taking as pretexts 

recent political events in Cyprus – 

the island’s entry into the European Union 

and the referendum on the proposed UN 

plan for the reunification of the country 

– the artist is focusing on a body, standing 

in for the 'collective' one, and on a familiar 

yet resisting recognition space, in order 

to 'map' a people’s predicament. It is 

with a disorienting ‘map’, however, that we 

are being presented, a subversive one as well 

as irritating - both in its unorthodox set up 

Yannos 

Yapanis, 

Informercial, 

2005. 

Video. 

and 'material' (especially sound) and, more 

importantly, in its refusal of 'meaning'. 


The interest of Informercial lies in its being / 

managing not to be totally incomprehensible, 

but at the same time not to offer an 

abstract and conceptual key reading, because 

the "text" does not offer itself for a distanced 

reading, turning us interpreters of a code. 

It offers the possibility of constructing one’s 

own code by which to try to turn chaos into 

order - if one succeeds! The work’s interest 

lies, additionally, in its rejection of a reference, 

its refusal to become a symbol of 

something that already exists, in opening a 

passage to the unknown – the unrecognisable 

– and to fundamental scheme, 

and in wanting at all costs to give value to 

the fundamental difference that stands before 

all individualization; which is above all 

incomprehensible as it is different. (Roberto 

Constantini) 

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82 

Terpandros Exhibition

The Evagoras Lanitis 

Centre in Limassol hosted 

the exhibition "Recreation 

of Ancient Greek Musical 

Instruments" last October. 

This unique exhibition, the 

showcase of the artistic creativity 

and genuine workmanship 

of musician, tutor 

and craftsman Michalis 

Georgiou was organized 

by the Evagoras and Kathleen 

Lanitis Foundation, 

under the auspices of 

the Embassy of Greece. 

The main objective in the 

recreation of ancient Greek 

musical instruments in 

their original form, as mentioned 

by the creator himself 

is "to achieve that resonance 

which will lead us 

to a better understanding and 

conception of the reverberations 

of the universe". 

Michalis Georgiou has undertaken 

a huge task demanding an arduous 

and complex work. The multi-dimensional 

nature of the research program to reconstruct 

ancient Greek musical instruments requires 

exchanges of views between researchers of various 

disciplines: archaeology (ancient pottery, 

sculptures and mosaics), ancient Greek writers, 

notation and instrumentation of ancient 

Greek music, mathematics, astronomy, philosophy 

and many other topics. 

But, "it would be impossible to reconstruct an 

ancient Greek instrument", Michalis Georgiou 

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Michalis Georgiou addressing the exhibition opening. 

The Greek Ambassador, Mr Dimitris Rallis and his 

wife. 

Kathrine L. Nikita from the Evagoras and 

Kathleen Lanitis Foundation. 

confesses, "relying solely on various archaeological 

findings or literary texts. In the passage 

of time vital information has been lost. Moreover, 

a significant amount of information is derived 

from myths: Many drawings of frescoes display 

scientific imperfections and inaccuracies as 

well as musical instruments that do not exist; 

they serve only to enhance aesthetic balance". 

An artist feels free to fill in any missing element, 

laying emphasis on the aesthetic aspect of the 

created object and ignoring the scientific anomalies 

associated with it. On the other hand the 

researcher or the scientist will abstain from reaching 

a final conclusion once he has detected a 

missing link in the chain of elements of the subject 

under research. 

The instruments presented by Michalis Georgiou 

in the exhibition are the result of many years 

of personal scientific research as well as the full 

perception of the myth through consciousness. 

Artistic creativity is used to fill the void of vanished 

information. It is the degree of artistic 

arousal in the individual brought on by the instrument’s 

resonance that determines how successful 

the recreation of an instrument is, enabling 

long forgotten resonances to resurface. 

The exhibition "Recreation of Ancient Greek 

Musical Instruments" presented the opportunity 

for the publication of a catalogue in the 

series Cypriot Creators entitled "The Quest for 

the Resonance of the Universe" dedicated to the 

work of musician, tutor and craftsman, Michalis 

Georgiou. 

The bi-lingual (Greek/English), lavishly illustrated 

catalogue was published by En Tipis publications 

with the support of the Cultural Services 

of the Ministry of Education and Culture. 

Alongside the texts signed by Savvas Kokkinos 

and Michalis Georgiou concerning the project, 

there are minute details about the origin 

and structure of each ancient instrument 

replica.

If an ancient Greek were to hear today’s music, 

he would certainly be impressed by the polyfonia, 

impact and instrumentational strength, 

because those were not characteristic of ancient 

music. 

On the other hand he could consider our melodies 

to be monotonous, because only two modes are 

used in our days, (Major and Minor scales), 

whilst in ancient Greek music there existed seven 

different ways, each of which had a different 

character (mixolidios, lidios, frygios, dorios etc). 

Modes were of special importance to the ancient 

Greeks and this can be deduced from the fact 

that Plato dealt with these, as he considered 

some of them suitable for his Politia and others 

not. These modes were bequeathed to Byzantine 

music as the Eight Sounds, while they were 

being used by the Western Church too. In Eastern 

music the modes are known as makams. In contemporary 

music modes reappeared in Jazz with 

the same term modes with ancient Greek names 

About Ancient Greek Music 

Michalis Georgiou 

(left – right) The Greek Ambassador, Mr Dimitris 

Rallis, his wife and Michalis Georgiou. 

(mixolydian, dorian, ionian, aiolian, locrian, 

etc.) 

An ancient Greek would also find contemporary 

music poor in musical intervals, since only 

the rough intervals of tones and semi-tones 

are used in contrast to ancient music which used 

a variety of musical intervals. Apart from the 

Cleoriki kithara (cradle 

kithara), 5th century BC. 

Greek salpinx, trumpet, kochlos, keras. Seven-stringed lyra, 5th century BC. Oxival, clay pots with wooden bases. 

85

86 

The Terpandros Orchestra playing at Casteliotissa Hall. 

scales which were composed of tones and semitones 

(diatonic scales), there existed those which 

were composed of semitones and three-semitones 

(chromatic scales), and others composed 

of quarters of tones and two-toned intervals 

(henarmonic). The kind of intervals used 

by each scale is called genus. Each genus had 

different shades which were called colors. The 

fact that would seem strange to the ancient 

Greeks is that contemporary scales would sound 

disonal, having fallen victims of blending. Because 

of the fact that ancient scales were based on natural 

intervals in accordance with Pythagoras’s 

findings in the 6th century BC semitones and 

tones were not equal between them, with the 

result that it was difficult to transpose musical 

pieces (a fact that did not bother the ancient 

Greeks, since their melodies were mostly monodies). 

In the 16th AC century, western musicians sacrificed 

the melody of unequal musical intervals 

in order to gain complete freedom for the transportation 

(for the sake of polyphony), and comfort 

for the practical use of keyboard instruments. 

This was achieved with the equalization 

of the twelve semitones of the octave, in other 

words the equal temperament where semitones 

become equal, and fourths and fifths are allowed 

to become slightly imperfect. So a compromise 

was found between the laws of nature and the 

needs of art. 

At this point it should be stressed that ancient 

Greeks had a different concept of concord from 

our own. To them there were only four perfect 

concords: Unison, the eighth, the fifth and 

the fourth. A noticeable fact is that the ancient 

Greeks never considered the third as a concord 

interval, although it forms the basis of contemporary 

harmony. In fact Gavdentios calls 

it disonal as an intermediate step between 

concord and discord intervals. 

One can easily understand how ancient Greek 

music gave a variety of choices regarding the 

kind of intervals used (genuses, chroiai) and 

to the way that unites them (systems). 

So a composer could compose a piece and 

perform it differently if he wished to do so. 

He could change the scale (like today) with the 

selection of another tone transposing the piece. 

He could change the mode that is to do a modulation. 

Today this is also done mainly between 

Major and Minor scales. He could change the 

genus and chroia that is to do a complete change 

of the piece. Today this is not possible because 

melody uses only the diatonic scales. He 

could change the system from synimmeno (conjuct) 

to diazevgmeno (disjunct). That is to do 

a systematic change. Apart from the melody, he 

could also (like today) change the rhythm, speed 

and character of the piece by using the rest of 

the changes. 

It is obvious that where Western music was seeking 

beauty through polyphonic multiplication

of quantity in big orchestras, Eastern music 

discovered it by dividing the quality into smaller 

melodic intervals. 

Many ancient pieces have been found on papyrae 

as well as in engraved form. From classic ancient 

times the melody for the first stasimo of Orestis 

of Euripides has been preserved and partially 

one stasimo from Ifigenia en Avlides. From 

Hellenic period parts of tragedies have been 

preserved, the Hymn to Asklipios and some 

instrumental pieces. From the latest Hellenic 

period we have the works of Athineos and 

Liminios. From the Roman period we have 

in perfect condition Epitafios of Sikilos, the 

call to the Muse and to Kalliopi, the Hymn 

to Sun and to Nemesis of Mesomides as well 

as many other vocal and instrumental extracts. 

A Christian hymn to the Holy Trinity of the 

3rd AC century was also found written in the 

ancient musical notation (parasimantiki). 

We are in a position to perform these pieces 

even today thanks to the great research of many 

ancient harmonic authors, like Aristoxenos, 

Euklides, Ptolemeos, Kleonides, Gavdentios, 

Voithios and mainly Alipios, who provides us 

with charts with all the symbols of parasimantiki 

in the fifteen tones and three genuses. 

Below we have Epitafios of Sikilos, a piece which 

was found on an engraved plaque in Aidinio, 

near Trallis. It is dated around the 2nd BC century 

and it is of an unknown composer. 

The first 5 verses form an introduction without 

music, as well as the last one, which is only 

found partially. This piece is written in lonios 

tone, Lydios mode. 

In diatonic genus and in a disjunct system. 

Although it does not seem to follow a certain 

tempo it has a rhythm in dactylic genus. 

ŸÛÔ ˙ÂÈ˜ Ó· ¯·›ÚÂÛ·È, ‰ÈfiÏÔ˘ ÌË Ï˘apple¿Û·È, appleÚfiÛÎ·ÈÚË Â›Ó·È Ë ˙ˆ‹ Ì·˜. Ô ¯ÚfiÓÔ˜ ÛÙÔ Ù¤ÏÔ˜ Ì¿˜ Ê¤ÚÓÂÈ 

87

88 

Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis came to 

Cyprus last October for a series of events honouring 

his 80th birthday. 

Theodorakis was decorated by President Tassos 

Papadopoulos with the Grand Cross of 

the Order of Makarios III for his contribution 

to music, the arts and culture and his participation 

in the struggle for world peace 

and democracy. 

Presenting the honour to Theodorakis, the 

President said that "there is no limit to the 

boundaries of the music and the power of 

poetry that go beyond space and time, giving 

human life a special dimension and a new perspective". 

An emotional Theodorakis asked 

the President for permission to add in his CV 

from now on that he is not only a Greek 

and a Cretan but also a Cypriot. He also sent 

a message of unity to the Turkish Cypriots, 

expressing the hope that a settlement would 

be reached soon. 

The President of the House of Representatives 

and AKEL (Communist Party) leader, 

Demetris Christofias received Theodorakis 

and extolled his role as "international citizen, 

struggling for world peace, and brotherhood 

among people". Describing his gigantic 

contribution to humanity as a composer, 

Christofias said that during his visit on the 

island, Theodorakis was going to "open his 

huge wings, as he did in 1975 when he embraced 

the refugees and took into his arms Cyprus, 

Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots". 

Theodorakis was also honoured by the National 

Guard and Defence Minister, Kyriakos 

Mavronicolas, was pronounced an honorary 

citizen of Nicosia by Mayor Michalakis Zam- 

Mikis Theodorakis Honoured 

President Tassos Papadopoulos presenting the 

distinction to composer Mikis Theodorakis. 

belas and was given the Golden Key to the 

city. 

The highlight of his visit was a massive concert 

held in old Nicosia d’Avila Moat with the 

participation of the Choir and Orchestra of 

the Moscow New Opera Theatre and the Mikis 

Theodorakis Orchestra. George Dalaras, Maria 

Farantouri and Petros Pandis also sang in celebration 

of the music veteran’s many decades 

of creativity. The programme included 

songs of resistance and music expressing the 

suffering of the oppressed as well as songs taken 

from the everyday struggle for survival of 

the poor in Greece, Cyprus and elsewhere. 

In his address before the concert in his honour, 

Theodorakis remembered that immedi-

ately after the war in 1945, "when Greece was 

under British supervision and the mere mention 

of Cyprus was not allowed, I took part 

in the first march for Cyprus, which took place 

in central Athens… This is how my engage- 

Theodorakis with Leonidas Malenis. 

President of the 

House of Representatives, 

Demetris 

Christofias presenting 

an Honorary 

Diploma to 

composer Mikis 

Theodorakis. 

ment with the island started and since then, 

for 60 years, no day has gone by without Cyprus 

being on my mind. The same happened for 

thousands and thousands of Greeks, for whom 

Cyprus is a major national duty, and who will 

never be at peace with themselves, unless they 

feel that there is absolute security here". 

The musicians praised the Cypriot public 

on the progress they have made, saying that 

Greece is in awe of Cyprus for having the ability, 

talent and vision to create prosperity and 

wealth out of the severest conditions of fear 

and separation inherited from the past". 

This world famous symphony "Zorba, the 

Greek" enthralled the audience of about 7.000 

Greek and Turkish Cypriots including politicians 

and dignitaries from both sides of the 

divide. Afterwards the great composer got up 

and walked to the stage to sing with the audience 

some of his most popular songs including 

the one dedicated to Cyprus "Chrysoprasino 

Fyllo". Standing ovations marked the 

finale of this memorable concert. 

89

90 

Vicenza Numismatica of Vicenza, Italy, is a 

distinguished European organization whose 

exhibitions of coins are considered an important 

European event in numismatics. 

Vicenza Numismatica also awards the international 

prizes Vicenza Numismatica and Vicenza 

Palladio to the finest coins in the world and 

rewards artists that have distinguished 

themselves. 

A silver coin, issued by the Central Bank of 

Cyprus and designed by Clara Zacharaki Georgiou 

was awarded the prestigious international 

award by Vicenza Numismatica being , therefore, 

given the title of "the finest coin in the 

world", minted in 2004. 

The Central Bank of Cyprus, as the issuing 

authority of the Republic of Cyprus, issues 

Vicenza Numismatica Award 

President Tassos Papadopoulos, congratulating Clara 

Zacharaki Georgiou on receiving the Vicenza Numismatica 

Award. 

besides the usual circulation coins, collectors coins in gold, silver and cupronickel. Some of 

The General Secretary of Vicenza Numismatica (left), artist Clara Zacharaki Georgiou, George Mavroudis, 

representative of the Central Bank of Cyprus and the President of the Philatelic Society, Italy at the award 

ceremony in Vicenza.

these issues are commemorative. They have 

legal tender status, but are not intended for 

circulation. Some of them are inspired by 

the history or civilization of Cyprus ; some 

others depict the flora and fauna of the 

island, mainly species on the verge of 

extinction as for example the latest 

issue in the series depicting the seal 

"Monachus monachus". 

The commemorative collector’s 

coin conferred the Vicenza 

Numismatica award is a £1 

silver coin , titled "Triton", issued 

by the Central Bank of Cyprus 

to mark the island’s accession 

to the European Union in May 

2004. 

Triton, the son of Poseidon, god 

of the sea in Greek mythology and 

the sea nymph Amphitryte, is depicted 

blowing his conch shell announcing 

the birth of Aphrodite, goddess 

of love, on the shores of Cyprus. Twelve 

stars are framing the coin. 

Artist Clara Zacharaki Georgiou, a wellknown 

painter and stage costume designer 

is no stranger to coin designing, either. She 

is the only woman in the Mediterranean space 

to have designed an entire series of state coins 

since she won the competition, among 21 

artists, for the Cyprus coin series in 1983. In 

fact, out of the 30 coins designed by Cypriot 

artists in the past 30 years, eight of them 

came from the hands of Clara. 

She has also designed some more commemorative 

coins: the first one in 1981 on the occasion 

of the World Food Day. Another one, for 

the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 

depicting the Cyprus moufflon, was used as 

one of the five coins issued by FAO to raise 

funds. Some more commemorative coins were 

The commemorative 

coin "Triton". 

designed by Clara Zacharaki Georgiou for the 

Olympic Games of Small Countries, issued 

after she won a competition with her design 

"O Agon"; for the town of Nikaia (Pireus) 

to mark 60 years from the battle of Kokkinias; 

for the Socialist Party EDEK, and the emblem 

of the Cultural Foundation "Akamanteio". 

Clara Zacharaki Georgiou was born on the 

Dodecanese island of Leros. She lived there, 

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92 

until her family was forced to leave for mainland 

Greece as they refused to take up Italian 

citizenship during World War II. She grew 

up in Athens where she attended the School 

of Fine Arts. By 1963 she had met her husband, 

Aris Georgiou, former director of the 

Paedagogical Academy and moved to Cyprus. 

For 27 years she taught Art in secondary 

schools, an experience she carried out with 

great zest and enthusiasm. It was during 

this period that she indulged her love for 

the theatre by creating students’ theatre workshops 

and staging performances befitting professional 

standard. 

In 1983, she had her first solo exhibition with 

works inspired by the Cypriot landscape 

and Cypriot antiquities. Her buoyant, blithe 

spirit is reflected in the vibrant colours she 

uses and the recurrent images of antiquities 

mirror her deep love of anything Greek. In 

fact, her latest exhibition was dedicated to the 

Elgin marbles 

and expressed her fervent desire to have them 

reinstated in their place of origin. 

The exhibition opened in Nicosia in 2002, 

toured several European capitals: Athens, Brussels, 

London, Luxembourg. 

On the move in real life, Clara moves with 

ease in her art too from one medium to another: 

oil paints, acrylic, mixed media, stained 

glass, wood painting. But her first choice is 

always the humble but demanding media of 

watercolours. According to the artist:" it suits 

my disposition in the transparency and the 

sensitivity it requires". 

She is also an accomplished stage and costume 

designer and has collaborated over the years 

with the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) 

and other theatres. For a number of years she 

was the Secretary of the Cyprus International 

Theatre Institute, and in this capacity 

she participated in many I.T.I. conferences 

around the world. 

The present accolade awarded by Vicenza 

Numismatica to Clara Zacharaki Georgiou 

is an international recognition for 

her work. "This award", the artist 

points out, "is a matter of value 

that gives me great happiness 

because it comes from a town 

in Italy where I am totally 

unknown. I consider this as a 

great honour for me and, of 

course, an honour to Cyprus." 

The Central Bank of Cyprus offers 

for sale to the public any available 

stock from its issues. Details can 

be found at its website: www.cetralbank.gov.cy

Lyssarides Honoured 

Veteran politician and Honorary President 

of EDEK, Dr Vassos Lyssarides, recently 

exhibited some 80 paintings at the House of 

Cyprus in Athens. 

The opening of the exhibition took place 

under the patronage of the President of Greece, 

Karolos Papoulias, and speakers included the 

Cyprus Ambassador to Greece, Yiorgos Yiorghis. 

An album containing all the paintings on display 

and Lyssarides’ accompanying poems 

has been compiled and published by the Cultural 

Services of the Ministry of Education 

and Culture in collaboration with the Vassos 

Lyssarides Foundation. 

The album, as the Minister of Education and 

Culture, Mr Pefkios Georgiades, pointed out 

"aspires to show another aspect of the course 

of Vassos Lyssarides, his creative performance 

in the fields of poetry and painting". 

The poetry of Vassos Lyssarides is Doric and 

elegiac, charged with "a bitter, thoroughly 

bitter, bitterness" as he himself writes, and 

takes us to a world of metaphysical transcendence, 

where the uncompromising and 

ceaseless struggle emerges as the quintessence 

and precondition of the vindication of every 

being. 

The Cypriot landscape is the protagonist in 

his paintings and sketches, either with its 

modest, low-roofed houses which serve as a 

reminder of the human presence, or as nature, 

sometimes calm and bathed in the Mediterranean 

sunlight, sometimes harsh and intractable. 

During his visit to Athens for the opening of 

the exhibition, Lyssarides was also awarded 

an Honorary Doctorate in Medicine at a special 

ceremony at the University of Athens, 

conducted by the Dean of the University, Dr 

G. Bambiniotis. The ceremony was well 

attended and the audience included the President 

of Greece and the Ambassador of Cyprus 

among other dignitaries. 

Vassos Lyssarides with his wife, Barbara in the 

garden of their house. 

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94 

Vassos Lyssarides was born in the village of 

Lefkara on 13th May 1920. 

He graduated from the Pancyprian Gymnasium 

and University of Athens Medical School 

with distinction. 

During his studies he organised the Pan-student 

Committee for the Cyprus Struggle (with 

the participation of all young activists), of 

which he was President. During the same period 

he was General Secretary of the Coordinating 

Committee of Cypriot Associations in 

Greece, as well as head of the National 

Committee of Cyprus in EAM. 

On his return to Cyprus at the conclusion 

of his studies he was President of the Peace 

Movement, a position which he resigned from 

when the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. 

When the national liberation struggle began, 

he enlisted in EOKA. He was awarded the 

title of head of the political section. 

He represented EOKA at the London Conference 

and voted against the Zurich-London 

agreements, stressing that they legalised the 

military and political presence of Turkey. 

In 1963, during the Turkish Cypriot uprising, 

he was leader of the popular army (under 

the aegis of the state) which liberated Pentadactylos. 

He was an active member of the anti-junta 

struggle with links with the resistance 

organisations of the Greek people. He played 

a leading part in the resistance to the traitorous 

stand of EOKA B activists and against the 

coup d’état. 

By his stand on 15th August 1974 during the 

meeting of the Cypriot political leadership 

under the threat of the armed supporters of 

the coup d’état, he thwarted acceptance of the 

Gunes Plan which provided for "peaceful" 

Turkish occupation. He stressed that the postcoup 

d’état situation was illegal and that only 

with the return of the lawfully elected Archbishop 

Makarios would legality be restored. 

This activity, the need to silence this voice and 

to consolidate the post-coup d’état situation, 

led to the attempt on his life on 30th 

August 1974, which resulted in the assassination 

of Doros Loizou. 

In 1969 he founded EDEK, of which he 

was President until 2001. He is now Honorary 

President. He was Vice President of the Organisation 

of Afro-Asian Solidarity with the peoples 

of South Africa and for the release of Mandela 

(ICSA), with tens of meetings in all the 

capitals of Europe. He was closely associated 

with the world-wide national liberation movement 

and particularly that of Africa, the leaders 

of which he repeatedly gave hospitality 

to and with whom he cooperated closely (Gambral 

of Guinea-Bissau, Neto of Angola, 

Tambo of South Africa, Dos Santos of Mozam- 

Vassos Lyssarides, Palestine, oil on canvas.

Vassos Lyssarides, Demonstration, oil on canvas. 

bique, Sam Nujoma of Namibia and Nasser 

and with foreign European leaders, for example 

Olof Palme, Willy Brandt, François Mitterrand). 

A fraternal and longstanding friendship 

also bound him to Andreas Papandreou. 

He also developed close collaboration with 

the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the 

President of Cuba, Fidel Castro. 

In 1960 he was elected a Member of the House 

of Representatives for the first time, representing 

the Patriotic Front (which included 

all the trends which had taken part in the anticolonial 

struggle) and has been elected continuously 

since then. 

He served as President of the House of Representatives 

from 1985-1991. 

A pioneering and successful doctor, he practised 

medicine for decades and for this reason 

the people called him "Doctor" instead of 

using his full name. 

He has been President of the Hippocratic Medical 

Association and of the Pancyprian Medical 

Association, of which he is Honorary President. 

He was the personal doctor of Archbishop 

Makarios. 

He writes poetry and paints. He has exhibited 

his work in one-man and group art exhibitions 

in Greece and Cyprus. 

In 1996 he received an Honorary Doctorate 

from the Panteion University. In June 2002, 

on a visit to Ramala, the Palestinian leader, 

Yasser Arafat, by unanimous decision of his 

Council of Ministers, conferred on him the 

Highest Honorary Distinction of the Palestinian 

Authority. 

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96 

Poems by Vassos Lyssarides 

Nostalgia 

You came, 

and the Spring knelt reverently 

with love, and in awe. 

You left, and Winter could not 

erase the beauty. 

You came, and since then the flowers 

have refused to look at themselves in the mirror. 

What shall I say to you? 

As a wayfarer I just yearn 

for the Spring and the flowers. 

I long delayed 

I long delayed departure, and now I have forgotten 

the way out. 

They’ve stripped me of self-respect and dignity. 

Wounds are not healed with false love. 

If you are on your knees 

It is because you yourself have learnt to kneel. 

Compassionate souls offered me 

What I never deserved to have as mine. 

And I, insignificant I, am wounded by praise 

Which they generously, unjustifiably bestow 

And do you know? 

Empty pride did not kill me, 

The love I spent in vain 

murdered me. 

It’s time to leave. 

I should have left earlier. 

Vase of flowers, oil on canvas. 

Cry call, watercolour. 

Misty Landscape, watercolour. 

Translation: Christine Georgiadou 

Ithaca 

I set out for my little Ithaca, 

I don’t know how many years ago 

And now, with sweet pain I long for the unripe 

Persephone 

And Telemachus, unborn in the womb. 

Sweet life, sweet-sour wine, 

good company with fellow-archers 

and sullen Ares. 

Without altars, without sacrifices. 

I pull at the oar when the tired sails 

Refuse to put to sea 

Soft violet sunset binds me with chains of gold 

to the blue, unending sea 

to the unending, half-quenched east-west horizon. 

I have seen many cities, many men 

and roam with foolish wisdom. 

Now I know it. 

The anxiety crushes me. 

The return terrifies me. 

I do not want to know the new Ithaca. 

My first Ithaca must remain 

alive in the memory and in the expectation. 

Farewell, Ithaca.

On Monday, 24 October, 2005, the 60th 

anniversary of the founding of the UN was 

celebrated in Nicosia in a most particular and 

moving event held on both sides of the Green 

Line. The ceasefire line area in the middle of 

Nicosia, pockmarked with landmines was filled 

with music as school children and professional 

musicians on both sides of the divide took it 

in turns to sing songs, beat on drums or play 

musical instruments. 

This unusual bicommucal event aptly called 

«Long Distance Call» was put together by 

Dutch composer Merlijn Twaalfhoven and 

was supported by the United Nations, the 

United States and the Dutch government. It 

brought together four hundred Greek and 

Turkish Cypriots who performed Cypriot 

songs, in their own languages from rooftops, 

Long Distance Call 

balconies and streets along the Green Line 

revealing the musical similarities of both sides 

of the island. Music was also made by percussionists, 

wind players or using oil barrels 

and metal found in Old Nicosia workshops. 

There was also a brief performance by musical 

artist Haji Mike with some locally inspired 

rapping. 

The program was devised so that each side 

could play its piece to listeners on the other 

side. Composer Twaalfhoven was coordinating 

the proceedings so that a flurry of 

sounds from the north should be immediately 

accompanied by a comeback from the 

south. His intention was to help people reflect 

on the similarities, forget the history and see 

things in a fresh light. 

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98 

A major programme for the Composition of 

Cypriot Songs was successfully carried out 

within the framework of the innovations 

introduced by the Ministry of Education and 

Culture to develop music education in secondary 

schools. The Inspector for Music 

in secondary schools, Mrs Maro Skordi, 

inspired, supervised and coordinated this 

important programme. 

Workshops on the composition of Cypriot 

music were held in which talented pupils 

from the lyceums of Larnaca and Ammochostos 

worked hard and enthusiastically 

in their free time under the well-known Cypriot 

composer Michalis Christodoulides. They 

created their own Cypriot songs with verses 

which they themselves chose and which 

they presented at a final concert. 

The Concept 

The organiser, Maro Skordi, explains the 

rationale behind the whole endeavour. "With 

Cypriot Song Composition 

our accession to the European Union the 

need to preserve our own musical heritage 

has become more pressing. We were concerned 

that pupils at our schools did not have 

sufficient contact with Cypriot music or the 

Cypriot vernacular in poetry. I wanted, therefore, 

to encourage the pupils in the belief 

that through these workshops they would 

have a good start to getting acquainted with 

Cypriot music, which encompasses a priceless 

treasure." 

The Workshops 

Mrs Skordi explained that Michalis Christodoulides, 

who uses ancient Greek music in his works 

as well as elements of Cypriot music, which 

he knows well, was brought over from Athens. 

He has written a series of very important traditional 

and “akritic” Cypriot songs. Michalis 

Christodoulides undertook the workshops, 

encouraging the pupils to write as they feel, 

using whatever sounds they know and can 

Organiser of the programme 

Maro Skordi 

and composer Michalis 

Christodoulides during 

the workshop.

Music Inspector Maro Skordi and composer Michalis Christodoulides during a rehearsal. 

express, subtracting and adding until the right 

sounds were found. 

There was some difficulty in finding verses. 

The pupils made their choices from the Cypriot 

Anthology which contains poems by accomplished 

poets, such as Demetris Lipertis 

and Vassilis Michaelides. They also found 

verses written by their fellow pupils or their 

teachers. 

The Concert 

The final concert was held at the Larnaca 

Municipal Theatre on 12th October, 2005. 

In the first part the work of the pupils was 

presented. They were free to work individually 

and in groups of two or three. Twelve 

songs were performed. 

In the second part, the "Mesoyeios" ("The 

Mediterranean") Group performed traditional 

Cypriot songs. "Mesoyeios" was founded 

in 1991 and its aim is to preserve and pass 

on the folk song. It uses traditional instruments, 

conducts research, records and presents 

the folk songs of Cyprus and the wider 

Greek space. The founder and artistic director 

is Michalis Hadjimichael. 

The music teachers of the Larnaka and Ammochostos 

Lyceums helped to make the whole 

concert a reality, with Elena Papaevripidou, 

teacher at the Archbishop Makarios III Lyceum 

acting as general coordinator. The scenery, a 

huge Cypriot garden, was the work of the 

Art teacher at the Archbishop Makarios III 

Lyceum, Mikella Psara, with the help of pupils 

at the school who painted smaller pictures 

with elements relating to the scenery. 

Commenting on their unique experience 

in the composition workshops, the pupils 

expressed their tremendous enthusiasm, 

described the joy of creation and hoped that 

they would get another chance to try their 

hand. 

99

100 

The International Committee for the Conservation 

of Mosaics (ICCM) in collaboration with 

the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the 

Institut National du Patrimoine (INP) of Tunisia 

have successfully organized the 9th International 

Conference on the conservation of mosaics. The 

conference was chaired by Cyprus University 

Professor of Archaeology, Demetrios Michaelides 

who has been the ICCM President since 1999. 

The conference took place in Hammamet in 

Tunisia, from the 29th November-3rd December 

2005, and it was supported by ICCROM, 

the Getty Foundation and the University of 

Cyprus. 

The first ever meeting on mosaics conservation 

took place in Rome in 1977. It was organized 

by ICCROM at the recommendation of a number 

of scholars. Nine specialists were appointed 

to examine a series of mosaic-related topics, 

ranging from ethics to techniques and from 

methods of lifting to methods of in situ conservation. 

They prepared a paper that was put 

forward for discussion by about 60 participants, 

after which it was agreed that the meeting would 

mark the beginning of a new chapter in mosaic 

conservation, and thus the International Committee 

for the Conservation of Mosaics was 

founded. It was agreed that the Committee 

would be truly international and included not 

just conservators, but also archaeologists and 

art historians. ICCROM agreed to serve as the 

Committee's first Secretariat, and it was decided 

that ICOM, ICOMOS and IIC should be 

observers. It would also seek co-operation with 

various international organizations, in an attempt 

to share information and co-ordinate projects. 

The International Committee for the Conser- 

The 9th International Conference 

for the Conservation of Mosaics 

Niki Savvides 

vation of Mosaics has functioned on an 

entirely voluntary basis and without capital for 

almost three decades. Its Board continues to 

consist of conservators, archaeologists, art historians 

and architects, which, it is felt, makes 

for a better understanding of the problems that 

mosaic conservation faces. In its 29 years of life, 

ICCM can look back at nine International Conferences 

around Europe and the Mediterranean, 

and a number of Round Tables. The Proceedings 

of all the conferences have been published, 

and there are also 11 Newsletters and a web-site 

(http://www.iccm.pro.cy). Most importantly, 

there is a steadily increasing number of paying 

members who, at present, represent different 

countries. 

ICCM can also claim to have been instrumental 

in bringing mosaic conservation (a previously 

neglected field) to the forefront of 

conservation matters, as well as in contributing 

to the vast improvement of the quality of literature 

produced on the subject. Starting with 

ancient floor mosaics, the Committee has expanded 

both chronologically and geographically, and 

at the more recent conferences there have 

been papers dealing with medieval, modern, 

and even New World floor and wall mosaics. 

Also, one of the first recommendations of the 

Committee, namely the in situ conservation of 

mosaics, has now become more or less the 

rule in mosaic conservation. The Committee 

has also played an important role in emphasising 

on the one hand the essential role of preventive 

conservation, and on the other the importance 

of maintenance in assuring the wellbeing 

of mosaics. 

The theme of the most recent conference was

Head of Achilles; detail from the Achilles Mosaic, Kourion. 

“Lessons learned: Reflecting on the theory and 

practice of mosaic conservation”. 

A total of 45 papers, 25 posters and three video 

films were presented, reflecting on theory, practice 

and decision-making processes related to 

mosaic conservation. The papers also addressed 

how these processes have changed over the 

last 30 years, and what has been learned on 

issues such as training, sheltering, reburial, treatments, 

lifting and relaying, documentation, 

maintenance, presentation and site management. 

The conference had nearly 300 participants 

from 30 different countries, the largest since 

the founding of the ICCM. A significant number 

of participants came from Arab-speaking 

countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, 

Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine 

and Turkey. 

Two papers dealt with Cypriot issues. The first, 

by Demetrios Michaelides, Professor of Classical 

Archaeology at the University of Cyprus, 

in collaboration with the archaeologist Niki 

Savvides gave a historical overview of the 

shelters constructed since the 1930s over the 

Annex of Eustolios at Kourion, and discussed 

the effectiveness of the current shelters, in terms 

of conservation, interpretation and presentation. 

As they have stated in their paper, their 

intention was not to criticize the authorities 

responsible for the shelters, but to warn of the 

negative consequences which might result in 

irreversible damages to the archaeological remains 

in case of unplanned interventions without a 

long-term perspective. 

The site of Kourion is one of the most important 

archaeological sites of Cyprus. Most of the 

monuments one sees today on the acropolis 

101

The Orpheus Mosaic is the largest single figural representation on the island. While 

its iconography, Orpheus and the Beasts, is one of the most commonly depicted, the 

arrangement of Orpheus and the Beasts within a single panel adheres to an iconographic 

tradition common throughout the Mediterranean basin, which yet 

remains quite different to those found in northern Europe and Great Britain. Orpheus 

is usually depicted plucking the strings of the cithara (lyre), with his right arm, whereas 

in the Paphos mosaic, his arm is outstretched to the right. Another remarkable 

aspect of the mosaic is the inscription above the head of Orpheus, which is the 

most important feature of the mosaic. The beginning is missing but the rest of it 

reads: "…OC INNIOC PECTITOYTOC EOIEI", where the first word can be 

read as either [TIT]OC or [°AI]OC. This is translated as "Titus (or Gaius) Pinnius 

Restitutus made it", which probably refers to the owner of the house who commissioned 

and paid for the mosaic. The rarity of such inscriptions on mosaics, make 

this one unique in Roman Cyprus.

of the site date to the Roman and Early Christian 

period. Its mosaics and in particular those 

of the Annex of Eustolios, dated to the early 5th 

century AD, were the first mosaics discovered 

on the island that acquired international importance: 

they are one of the few monuments, 

world-wide, that illustrate the passage from 

Paganism to Christianity. 

The second paper was an "Evaluation of the 

Orpheus Mosaic Project, Paphos, Cyprus" and 

was presented by Dr Martha Demas, from the 

Getty Conservation Institute, written in collaboration 

with Neville Agnew, Thomas 

Roby, Demetrios Michaelides, Giorgio Capriotti 

and Niki Savvides. The conservation of the 

Orpheus mosaic was a project carried out by 

the Getty Conservation Institute in collaboration 

with the Department of Antiquities of 

Cyprus in 1988-1992. It involved the conservation 

of the floor mosaic depicting Orpheus, 

from the homonymous house in Paphos, by lifting 

it using the rolling method and relaying it 

in situ. As this was a method infrequently used, 

the project was seen as an opportunity to 

combine a training component by allowing the 

participation in the project of a group of conservators 

from the Mediterranean. The project 

concluded with the installation of a prototype 

temporary shelter over the mosaic, and was 

followed by a publication analysing the philosophy 

and the approach behind it. As the shelter 

is still on site, it was decided that this was a 

good opportunity to evaluate a well-known project, 

by assessing the effectiveness of both the 

shelter and the conservation method used for 

the mosaic. 

Generally speaking, the conference pointed out 

the current trends in the conservation of mosaics 

and the management of archaeological sites. 

The presentations showed that the approach to 

mosaic conservation has not been static over the 

last thirty years but has evolved immensely from 

one offering limited options for a single 

mosaic (namely detachment), to one involving 

complex decision-making and planning with a 

range of viable in situ alternatives. The significance 

of sustainability, cultural heritage values, 

long-term planning, and stakeholder participation 

in the decision-making process 

were also widely acknowledged. Regarding stakeholder 

participation, many papers discussed the 

importance of collaboration between archaeologists, 

conservators, architects, and the local 

people in making decisions concerning the conservation 

of cultural heritage. 

The conference included excursions to archaeological 

sites with mosaics and sites where mosaic 

conservation projects are currently running: 

Thuburbo Maius, Jebel Oust, Carthage, Neapolis 

(both the site and the regional museum with 

the magnificent mosaics, perhaps the best of 

their kind in Tunisia). A reception was hosted 

at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, a spectacular 

17th century palace, which houses one of the 

best collections of mosaics in the world. There 

was also an optional post-conference excursion 

to some of the spectacular archaeological sites 

of Libya. Starting with Tripoli, the participants 

visited the Castle, the Medina and Tripoli Museum. 

But the visit to sites of Tripolitania - 

Leptis Magna and its museum, Sabratha and 

Villa Silene were the highlights of the tour. 

During the conference, Demetrios Michaelides, 

was re-elected President, for the next triennium. 

The next international conference of the 

ICCM will take place at Palermo in Sicily, in 

2008. 

The present shelter at the Annex of Eustolios, 

looking SW. 

103

104 

Annita Santorineou in Sophocles’ "Antigone" – THOC. 

The 9th International Festival of Ancient Greek 

Drama held between July 9 and August 7, 

2005 offered its discerning audiences the chance 

to watch international productions of drama, 

music and ballet of great cultural diversity. 

The venues were the Paphos Ancient Odeon, 

the Curium Ancient Theatre and the Makarios 

III Amphitheatre in Nicosia. 

Over the years, the Festival, which is very popular 

among both residents and tourists of 

Cyprus, has acquired greater prestige and consequently 

an increasing number of theatre and 

ballet companies have shown interest to participate. 

The Festival Selection Committee, 

Festival of Ancient Greek Drama 

consisting of representatives from the Cyprus 

Centre of the I.T.I., the Cultural Services of 

the Ministry of Education and Culture and 

the Cyprus Tourism Organisation undertook 

the arduous task of making the final choice. 

The eight companies that participated in the 

Festival this year were: the Cyprus Theatre 

Organisation with Sophocles’ "Antigone"; the 

Russian Ballet Moscowia with a ballet inspired 

by Aeschylus’ "Prometheus", the myth of 

the Titan who violated Zeus’ orders to offer 

mankind the gift of fire; the Company: 

Collisions with a tour-de-force performance 

of Euripides’ "Medea" using striking visual

imagery that seduced the audience; the Larissa 

Municipal Regional Theatre of Greece with 

Aeschylus’ "Prometheus Bound" presenting 

the hero as the originator of inventions and 

progress; the Yerevan State Youth Theatre of 

Armenia with Aristophanes" attack on education 

and morals: "Clouds"; the National 

Theatre of Northern Greece with Aristophanes’ 

pacifist attack on war-making: "Peace"; Opsis 

Theatre from Canada with "Electra" by Hugo 

Hoffmanstahl after Sophocles and Scala Theatre 

from Cyprus with Aristophanes’ rollicking 

comedy "Frogs". 

As every year, this year too, the Cyprus Centre 

of the International Theatre Institute organised 

between 18 and 24 July, the International 

Aeschylus’ "Prometheous Bound", Municipal Regional Theatre of Greece. 

Meeting and Festival of Theatre Schools. In 

this major activity of the I.T.I. the seven schools 

which presented scenes from ancient Greek 

drama in their own language and cultural 

approach were: the Orenburg Institute of Culture 

from Russia, the Latvian Academy of Arts, 

the Lebanese University of Beirut, "Vladimiros 

Kafkarides" Theatre School, the U.S.A. Pomona 

College, Budhi Drama School from Shrilanka, 

and the City University of New York. 

The Professional Session of the International 

Summer Institute for Ancient Greek Drama 

ran for four weeks, between 11 July 

until 5 August 2005. Eleven participants were 

involved in the four-week workshop production 

of Euripides’ "Iphigenia in Aulis" 

105

106 

under the direction of Nicos Shiafkalis (Director 

of the Institute) and Professor Heinz-Uwe 

Haus (Academic Chair of the Institute). 

The tutors of the Summer Institute were: Prof. 

Michael Walton, Prof. Freddy Decreus, Prof. 

Heinz-Uwe Haus and George Mikellis. 

Aristophanes’ "Peace", Theatre of Northern 

Greece. 

Iphigenia in Aulis 

A Workshop Production on the Land of Aphrodite 

Ancient Greek Drama is still having a universal 

appeal. The reason why can easily be 

explained and I believe that as long as man 

will continue trying to understand himself 

and the others, to understand himself through 

others and to improve as homo-politicus plays 

such as King Oedipus and Oresteia, the only 

extant trilogy, will always be present. 

This universal appeal and a desire to learn 

more about the Ancient Greek Drama brought 

a number of drama students from various 

countries to Droushia, a picturesque village 

in the mountains of Paphos, the land of 

ancient goddess Aphrodite, to attend the 

International Summer School for Ancient 

Drama and Theatre, organized annually by 

the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre 

Institute. They worked with experts on the 

theory and practice of Ancient Greek Drama, 

watched relevant performances in the 

ancient theatre of Paphos and on video, 

and contributed greatly in discussions which 

followed the performances. They also participated 

in a workshop production of Eurupi- 

George Mikellis, Philologist - Theatrologist 

des’ Iphigenia in Aulis under the guidance 

of distinguished directors Dr Heinz-Uwe 

Haus and Nicos Shiafkalis. The aim of this 

production was purely paedagogical. It aimed 

at involving the students in the process of 

giving life to a special kind of drama, giving 

solutions to problems and in general getting 

acquainted with a unique piece of art 

and its requirements, as well as with characters 

who have no equivalent in the world 

of drama. The whole process was of educational 

benefit to them. The fact that the audience 

who attended their performance on 

August 3rd 2005 enjoyed it greatly came as 

a natural consequence. 

The performance showed its paedagogical 

character in a very clear way. It obviously 

lacked experimentation, because one has first 

to master the traditional form and then to 

experiment. The co-directors had wisely 

planned to give emphasis to the structure 

of the tragedy and succeeded in creating a 

synthesis of the component parts. 

The chorus danced, sang the lyrics and recit-

ed the verses, putting into practice what had 

been taught about the function of the ancient 

chorus. 

The characters came out of the chorus 

where they returned when they finished their 

part. The directors’ intention was obvious. 

They wanted to make their young students 

aware of the fact that ancient tragedy started 

when the chorus leader of dithyrambus, a chorus 

hymn in honour of Dionysus, separated 

himself from the chorus and recited his 

part. 

The costumes were inspired by paintings on 

ancient vessels and care had been taken to 

choose the right colours. 

The whole production was characterized by 

a unity of style and aesthetic harmony. I consider 

this an achievement because the young 

actors had a different background and culture 

and this could have undermined the synthesis 

of their contribution. However, thanks 

to their hard work and the guidance, they had 

received, not only did they avoid this danger 

but they functioned as a well trained group. 

Concluding, I have to point out that although 

the purpose of this project was for the students 

to gain what the Journey of Ulysses back 

to Ithaca had to offer, quoting the Greek poet 

C.Kavafis, they managed to complete the journey 

having become wiser. 

The enthusiasm of their audience confirmed 

the above mentioned. 

107

108 

The Theatre Organization of Cyprus (THOC) 

conferred the Theatre Awards covering the 

2003-4 and 2004-5 theatre seasons during a 

ceremony that took place at Latsia Municipal 

Theatre on 12 December, 2005. This year’s ceremony 

was dedicated to the memory of Cyprus 

theatre pioneer, Nicos Pantelides. 

The THOC Major Theatre Award was given to 

veteran director and actor Nicos Charalambous 

for his outstanding contribbution to the arts. 

The President of the Republic, Tassos Papadopoulos 

presented the award to Nicos Charalambous 

who was acclaimed with standing ovations by 

the packed theatre hall. 

The awards in other categories were as follows: 

• Best Male Performance prize went to Neoclis 

Neocleous for his role in Beckam Borchert’s 

"Outside the Door" - a 2003-4 THOC production, 

directed by Heinz–Uwe Haus. He treated 

aptly the subject of the human indignation 

roused by the cruel reality in tune with the antimilitaristic 

spirit of the writer. 

• Best Female Performance Award went to 

The President of the 

Republic Tassos 

Papadopoulos congratulating 

Nicos 

Charalambous on 

receiving the THOC 

Major Theatre 

Award. 

Marina Maleni (left) 

presenter. 

THOC Theatre Awards 

The Minister of Education and Culture, Mr. Pefkios 

Georgiades conferring the Best Director Award to 

Heinz-Uwe Haus. 

Marina Maleni, presenter. 

Stella Phyrogeni for her performance in Virginia 

Wolf’s "Orlando" – a 2004-5 Persona Theatre 

Group production, directed by Lea Maleni. The 

actress used with great artistry the words and the 

movement when dealing with the major topic 

of the relationship between sex and identity. 

• Best Director Award was won by Heinz-Uwe 

Haus for Beckam Borchert’ s "Outside the Door" 

- a 2003-4 THOC production – an object les-

Yiorgos Neophytou, Chairman of the Board of Directors of 

THOC, Andis Partzillis, Director of THOC. Marina 

Maleni, presenter, and Harris Kafkarides, Best Set Design. 

Actor Neoclis Neocleous, Best Male Performance Award. 

Actress Stella Phyrogeni, Best Female Performance Award. 

son in stage-directing with a crystal clear concept 

in pursuing its objective. 

• Best Set Design Award was given to Harris 

Kafkarides for his work on Michalis Pieri’s "The 

House" - a 2003-4 THOC production, directed 

by Evis Gavrielides, for conveying to the 

house space a spiritual entity. 

• Best Costume Design Award was won by 

Stavros Antonopoulos for his costumes in Nicolai 

Gogal’s "The Inspector General" - a 

2004-5 THOC production directed by Yiannis 

Jordanides. His costumes acquired a morphoplastic 

quality reflecting the writer’s excessively 

sharp satire. 

• Best Music Award went to George Rodosthenous 

in recognition of his compositions for 

Rona Munro’s "Iron" - a 2004-5 Ethal production 

directed by Varnavas Kyriazi. The dominating 

theme of unbounded cruelty is aptly 

blended with motifs of human suffering or love. 

• Best Choreography/Movement Award was given 

to Arianna Economou for her work in 

Peter Schaffer’s "Equus" - a 2004-5 Theatre Ena 

production. Her choreography succeeded in 

rendering the double-faced nature of dream and 

nightmare. 

• Best Lighting Design Award was won by Andreas 

Christodoulides for the impressive atmosphere 

of mystery and tenor he achieved through 

his lighting effé in Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation 

of Susan Hill’s novel "The Woman in 

Black" - a 2003-4 Theatre Ena production directed 

by Andreas Christodoulides. 

There was no prize for Best Theatre Writing/Adaptation. 

The Award’s Judging, Committee 

was chaired by lawyer Yioula Ioannou 

and made up of literary and language expert 

George Georgiou, teachers and literature experts 

Nona Moleski and Kika Olympiou and teacher 

Costas Georgiou. 

The text of the ceremony was written by Andreas 

Paraschos and presenters were Marina Maleni 

and Andreas Tsouris. 

109

110 

The "Cyprus Film Days 2006" festival opened 

as a sequence of the "Film Horizons 2001- 

2003 ", an event greatly appreciated by the 

Cypriot audience. Organised by the Cultural 

Services of the Ministry of Education and 

Culture in close cooperation with the Rialto 

Theatre, the Cinephile Club and Media Desk 

Cyprus, the Festival was held between January 

8 – 14, 2006, with two venues, namely 

the Rialto in Limassol and the Opera 1 cinema 

in Nicosia. 

The 12 films presented include top prize 

and award winners at the Cannes and Karlovy 

Vary festivals and were personally selected 

by internationally acclaimed critic Nino Fenek 

Mikellides, the Artistic Director of the Festival 

and Director of the successful film festival 

of the Athens daily Eleftherotypia, known 

Cyprus Film Days 2006 

as: "European Film Panorama". 

In his address at the opening of the festival, 

Nino Fenek Mikellides stressed the fact that 

"at a time when audiovisual arts are rapidly 

evolving, while American film industry continues 

to expand at a dangerous pace, further 

consolidating its dominance in the context 

of the rapacious globalization, a festival 

promoting national film industry is not 

only necessary but also imperative". 

"Especially in the case of Cyprus, considering 

the role it can play in this area between the 

east and west as a member of the European 

Union, the cinema should have a significant 

position in its cultural affairs," Mikellides 

added. "As a means of artistic expression, and 

also of contact and understanding amongst 

people of different views, counties and reli- 

My Nikifor, Director Krzysztof 

Krauze, Poland 2005.

Eleni’s Olives, Director Yianna Americanou, 

Cyprus 2004. 

gions, a film festival can play an important 

role in relationships, mutual understanding 

and cooperation." 

Cyprus Film Days 2006 presented European 

films as well as works from other continents: 

Northern and Southern America and 

from Asia. European films included: 

"The Beat my Heart Skipped" by Jacques 

Audiard, from the Cannes Film Festival, the 

British film "Gypo" by Jan Dunn, "Wrong 

Side Up " from the Czech Republic, the Russian 

"The Sun" by Alexandr Sokurov , the German 

"The Wild Blue Yonder" by Werner Herzog, 

the Polish "My Nikifor" by Krzysztof 

Krauze which received Best Actress award 

Fool Moon, Director Longinos Panagi, Cyprus 2004. 

at the Karlovy Vary Festival, "How I Killed 

My Angel " from Fyrom. 

From South America there was the touching 

film "Viva Cuba" by Juan Carlos Cremata 

Malberti, and from Asia the exquisite film 

"Old Boy" by Chan-wook Park. 

Cyprus was represented by some award winning 

short films: "Eleni’s Olives " by Yianna 

Americanou, "Chronos" by Ioachim Mylonas, 

"At Kafka"s Trial Room" by Kyros Papavassiliou 

and "Fool Moon" By Longinos Panayi. 

Finally, the programme included documentaries, 

a genre which has managed to regain 

the attention of the audience, through the topics 

presented which are not merely recorded 

but also interpreted and commented upon. 

From the United States there was John Rossiter’s 

independent production "Mondovino". 

Chronos, Director Ioakim Mylonas, Cyprus 2004. 

Greece was also represented in the festival with 

last year’s two award winning documentaries: 

"Buzz" by Spiros Taravoras and "Black Baah" 

by Thodoros Marangos. 

During the festival, the audience had the opportunity 

to participate actively in the event 

through the "Audience Award" prize, by 

voting for the best film. 

Within the framework of the festival, an open 

discussion session with the general public, film 

directors and Cypriot professionals from the 

film industry was organized with the support 

and cooperation of Media Desk Cyprus.The 

event was hosted at the Artos Foundation. 

111

112 

New State Orchestra Conductor 

Spyros Pisinos is the new artistic director and 

chief conductor of the Cyprus State Orchestra. 

Emerging as one of the most versatile and charismatic 

conductors of his generation, Spiros Pisinos 

has recently made his successful debut with 

the Philharmonia Orchestra of London in two 

different programs. In addition, he has conducted 

St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Young Philharmonic 

Orchestra, Genoa’s Carlo Felice Opera Orchestra, 

the Cyprus and Thessaloniki State Orchestras, 

the West Australia Symphony, the Orchestre 

National de Montpellier and the Nuremberg Symphony 

both in Nuremberg and on tour to the 

Rheinland region. 

In 2001 he was engaged as cover conductor by 

the New York Philharmonic under Maestro Kurt 

Masur. As a result of his work in New York he 

also filled this position at the Orchestre National 

de France actively assisting Maestro Masur in 

major productions. 

In the operatic realm, Spiros Pisinos conducted 

Rigoletto at Dusseldorf’s Deutsche Oper am 

Rhein, and Cosi Fan Tutte in a multinational coproduction 

with Germany’s Bremen Opera, Cyprus’ 

Rialto Theatre, and the Israel Camerata Orchestra. 

In 1999, he was asked by Maestro Antonio 

Pappano (Music Director of Royal Opera Covent 

Garden) to undertake orchestra, choir and soloist 

rehearsals for Lohengrin, at the Teatro Carlo Felice, 

in Genoa, Italy. In 1996, he was offered the position 

of coach and conductor at the Nationaltheater 

Mannheim, where he actively worked 

in all capacities on an extremely diverse repertoire 

ranging from the baroque to contemporary. 

In addition to conducting symphonic and 

operatic repertoire, he performs chamber music 

as a pianist. Noteworthy performances include 

his collaboration with the Jerusalem String Quar- 

tet and the Vienna String Soloists, an 11-member 

ensemble of the Vienna Philharmonic led by 

the Philharmonic’s concertmaster Rainer Honeck. 

Born and raised in Cyprus, Spiros Pisinos 

began piano studies in 1970, at the Ethnikon 

Odeon Kyprou under Loulou Symeonidou. In 

1978, Spiros Pisinos successfully earned his diploma 

in piano performance and was granted the 

conservatory’s Medal of Outstanding Achievement. 

In 1978, he was offered a full scholarship 

to further his piano studies at the Moscow 

Conservatory; he chose, instead, to undertake 

private instruction under Enrique Barenboim, 

father and teacher of Daniel Barenboim. 

A recipient of the Paris-based Leventis Foundation 

scholarship, Spiros Pisinos completed 

studies in orchestral conducting at the Vienna 

Conservatory under Professor Georg Mark and 

the late Professor Rheinhard Schwarz from where 

he graduated in 1996. In 1982, prior to devoting 

himself exclusively to music, Spiros Pisinos 

had studied Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania 

and had subsequently carried out radiological 

research at M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute 

of Technology) and Massachusetts General 

Hospital.

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