History

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, and has existed as an independent state for the last 60 years. It has been inhabited since the Neolithic Period, as is indicated by the remains of a settlement dating back to around 9,000 years ago.

The island is generally believed to correspond to the ancient Kingdom of Alashiya, referred to in a number of the surviving texts written in Egyptian, Hittite, Akkadian and Mycenaean and known as a major source of goods, especially copper. The earliest attested reference to Cyprus is the 15th century BC Mycenaean Greek ku-pi-ri-jo meaning "Cypriot", written in Linear B syllabic script. The Greek name Kypros is believed to have been used since the Homeric times, as it is mentioned in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Through overseas trade, the island has given its name to the Latin word for copper through the phrase aes Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later corrupted to сuprum, from which the English word "copper" was derived.

Map of Cyprus (beginning of the 18th century - via Wikimedia Commons)

Greek presence on the island dates back to around 1400 BC. A major wave of Greek settlement is believed to have taken place following the Bronze Age collapse of Mycenaean Greece from 1100 to 1050 BC, with the island's predominantly Greek character dating from this period. In its long history, the island has been part of the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Empires, captured by Crusaders, annexed by the Venetian Republic and, in 1571, conquered by the Ottoman Empire. With the movement of numerous Turkish settlers, a Turkish Cypriot population was established on the island.

In 1878, the "Cyprus Convention" granted control of the island to Britain, in exchange for its support of the Ottomans during the Congress of Berlin. In 1914, following the outbreak of WWI, and the Ottoman Empire’s decision to side with the Central Powers, Cyprus was formally annexed by the British Empire. After the end of WWII, the local population embarked on a struggle for self-determination.

It wasn’t until 1960 that Cyprus gained independence from Britain; yet, tensions continued to escalate between the two ethnic communities – Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The island's Greek Cypriot majority massively supported the idea of enosis, that is, Cyprus’s incorporation into the Greek state – something the Cypriot Turks were abjectly opposed to. In 1964, a United Nations Buffer Zone, known as the Green Line, was established, and of UNFICYP troops were deployed to patrol it.

Tassos, Cyprus 74, 1974 (via National gallery – Alexandros Soutzos Museum [Athens])

In 1974, the Greek military junta carried out a coup against the president Makarios III;, a few days later, on 20 July 1974, the Turkish army invaded the island. Although this quickly led to the fall of the junta both in Greece and in Cyprus, Turkey launched a second invasion on 14 August, seizing 36% of the northern part of the island, and evicting 180,000 Greek Cypriots. To this day, Cyprus remains the only divided country in the European Union, which it entered on 1 May 2004. Turkey does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus; conversely, the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" de facto state is recognised only by Turkey.

Culture - Literature

Literary tradition in Cyprus tradition can be traced as far back as the late 7th century BC, to the epic poem Cypria by Stasinus. The modern age of Cypriot literature is believed to begin in 1878, the year when Cyprus came under British rule. The early period of modern literature in Cyprus (1878- 1920) was strongly influenced by Romanticism and the so-called "First Athenian School". Vasilis Michaelides, the national poet of Cyprus, is the most prominent figure of this period and establishing the Cypriot dialect as a linguistic medium of the island’s written poetry and thus proving its unlimited potential. He was followed in the interwar period by a generation of young writers and poets who closely followed the then-current trends in Greek and European literature: Realism, followed by Symbolism, Surrealism, etc.

The writer Costas Montis (source FB)

After the Second World War, the dramatic events of the island's history would shape the course of Cypriot literature. The authors who began publishing at that time (such as Costas Montis and Pandelis Michanikos), but also the generations that came after them, tried to convey the experience of these historical events in their work: the ardent struggle for independence (which was won in 1960), the suffering and anger caused by the Turkish invasion (1974), the forced abandonment of the ancestral land and the division of the island. As a result, in those years, Cypriot literature acquired its main characteristics which, to a degree, still define today. These are observed in the frequent representation of historical elements and exploration of self-identity, permeated by a commitment to the homeland and language free from pompous excess.

Tourism

Despite its troubled history, the third largest island in the Mediterranean has a distinct charm. It is blessed with beautiful beaches as well as soaring mountains: Mount Olympus, the highest point of the Troodos mountain range, rises to almost 2,000 metres. The Troodos Mountains, called by some the "Black Forest of Cyprus", feature some partly endemic tree species of oaks, pines, plane trees and cedars, and maintain a pleasantly mild climate even in the height of summer.

The "Tombs of the Kings" in Nea Paphos (via Wikimedia Commons)

In the capital, Nicosia, visitors can taste traditional Cypriot cuisine, a mixture of cooking cultures from three continents, with a strong Mediterranean character. The southwestern city of Paphos, considered an important metropolis in ancient times, is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world's heritage for its ancient ruins and was also selected as a European Capital of Culture for 2017. The Paphos Archaeological Park encompasses four large and elaborate Roman villas, a theatre, and a necropolis of underground tombs, many of which date back to the 4th century BC, known as the "Tombs of the Kings"; the Archaeological Museum of Paphos also showcases important findings from the Bronze Age.

Originally published on Griechenland Aktuell by A. Lambrou. Adapted into English by N. Mosaidi. (Intro photo: Georgios Pol. Georgiou, The Rebirth of Cyprus, 1960 [from the State Gallery of Contemporary Art - SPEL official Facebook Page])

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Vasilis Michaelides: A Tribute to the National Poet of Cyprus

The post Cyprus – History and Culture appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Sozos Yiannoudes (Cyprus, 1946) is a graduate of the School of Fine Arts. From 1972-2004 he taught fresco painting and portable icons technique in the Athens School of fine Art. In 2004 the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew honored him with the title of Grand Master for the 10 years of missionary service in Korea. He has worked in Greece, Cyprus, Korea and England. In his interview with Greek News Agenda* he talks about his experience as an iconography teacher in Korea. The initiative of these workshops was taken by His Eminence the Most Reverend Metropolitan Ambrose (Zographos) of Korea who,in addition to his service, is also full professor at the newly established Department of Greek Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea.

How did you decide to come to teach iconography in Korea?

It was in 1994 when former Metropolitan of Korea, and current Metropolitan of Pisidia (Turkey), Mr. Sotirios Trambas, invited me to paint the Metropolis of St. Nicholas in Seoul. I always wanted to go on a mission trip and so I accepted his invitation. Since then I have painted around ten churches in all of South Korea.For the implementation of this difficult project, I worked with a team of students from the Athens and Thessaloniki Schools of Fine Arts, various other collaborators and my children. We all worked on a volunteer basis.His Eminence the Metropolitan, strangled to find sponsors both in Greece and abroad to cover our travel and subsistence expenses. In exchange, we decorated the churches that the Metropolitan had so painstakingly built during the previous years. When the economic crisis hit Greece, sponsorships came to an abrupt halt. As a result, iconography in Korean churches stopped for a long period. Two years ago, I received a request from both the former and the new Metropolitan of Korea, Mr. Ambrose Zographos, to organize a one-month byzantine iconography workshop in Korea. We are now on our third year and the interest is great.

What is your impression of the Korean Orthodox community?

My experience from the Orthodox Community in South Korea has profoundly marked my life. The community has currently 6500 to 7000 adherents, many of whom used to be atheist, areligious, Buddhist, Protestants or belonged to other religions. Their love for our Orthodox Church has impressed me very much. There are worshipers who travel up to four hours just to come to the Sunday mass. They sing with devotion, they know the service, the psalms and the order of the canons. The majority has received formal music education and they contribute to the service in an effortless manner. Sometimes I feel awkwardly when I realise that they know so much more than I do. They love their community that revolves around the church, which they consider their refuge. The decisions are always taken collectively. They discuss things and together they reach a decision. When I first went to work there, they told me what kind of religious paintings they wanted me to paint. I had to follow the byzantine style of course, but, at the same time, take into account their tradition, their customs and their experiences. For instance, they feel fear when the eyes of the Saints look at them straight in the eye or when the scences are too densely painted. They also do not like colours when they are too bright. I respected all that. I also give my own intepretations. One would be that in the entrance of the Buddhist temples, there are the so called "protectors of the temple", four figures on the right and left of the entrance with fierce looking faces and protruded eyes. Also, the Buddhist temples are very densely painted with very bright colours. It is possible that the Orthodox Community does not want its churches to look like Buddhist temples.

What is the profile of your Korean students? What do they seem to appreciate the most in byzantine art?

The people who take part in the workshop belong to different religions and are eager to learn more about the interpretation and the symbolism of each icon. Many are Fine Arts graduates so they already know how to draw and how to use color and composition. Thus, they are able to quickly determine the subject-matter. Nevertheless, through the workshops they try to approach the symbolism, the style and the expression of the Byzantine icon and to appreciate its transcedental and rich content. My students are mostly Koreans. They are diligent, organised, meticulous, kind and they appoach what they do with great respect and love. Their love for the environment and nature is also remarkable. At this point, I would like to take the opportunity and talk about something that impressed me a lot. After the war, both South and North Korea were completely burned by Napalm bombs. Once a year, everything used to be closed by law so that the citizens could go and plant trees. This law was abolished almost twenty years ago but by now the country has been fully replanted from one end to the other. I wish our beautiful country would follow the example of Korea. I try to do so by planting trees inside and outside my house even though I have received not only positive but also negative comments about it.

What deeply impacts my students as they immerse themselves in the expressive richness of the icon, is the diversity and the explanation behind each brushstroke that is charged with symbolism. Once they understand the icon, my students get to love it so much that I feel they take something away from my own immense love for it. In order to appreciate the byzantine icon, they need to understand its philosophic interpretation: the illustration of any natural or perishable element is to be avoided; the illustration of a sainctified, transcedental face is very different from a common portrait or photograph; the rule of the two dimensional illustration with the abolition of dephth and perspective; the beauty of the illustrated face which is understood once we analyse the proportions and the inclination of the face (always in three-quarter view). Finally, the rich colour palette that is used for the dresses as well as the way a woolen dress is differenciated from a silk one are some of the various elements that highlight the unique artistic expression of the byzantine icon and raise many questions with my students.

Have the workshops inspired your students to learn more about Greece and the Greek culture? 

Koreans know a lot about Greek civilisation and culture and want to come to Greece to see for themselves all the things they have read about or learned during the workshop. For instance, they are familiar with Manuel Panselinos, Theophanes the Cretan and Theophanes the Greek, the teacher of Andrei Rublev. They also express great love for the ancient civilization and a great interest for its continuation, the Byzantium. Many ask me to be their guide when they visit Greece. They are good-souled people, eager to enrich their knowledge of the Greek civilisation and tranfer it to their own country.

I would like to digress a moment to note that in the basement of the Metropolitical Church of Seoul there are a lot of plaster casts of ancient works of art (donated by Melina Mercouri when she was Culture Minister). They include works of Cycladic, Minoan, Archaic, Classic, Hellenistic, Roman and, of course, Byzantine art that is taught up to date. A result of that teaching is the decoration of the Metropolitan Church of St. Nicholas that was completed in three phases of 20 days each.

Are there similarities between byzantine iconography and Korean traditional painting?

There are indeed some similarities between the Byzantine and the very old Korean and Chineese art. An exemple would be the halo that we find in both Buddha and Jesus. Of course the halo is something that exists since the Hellenistic times, and it is to be found around the heads of Dionysus and Apollo (see the mosaic of the birth of Dionysus, in Paphos, Cyprus) and other Greek Gods. Other similarities would be the fine, clear line, the pastel coulours, the flat surfaces in the dresses and faces. Also, the casual placement of the figures on the surface, like a child who places all figures in the foreground. On the other hand, there are huge differences that have to do with the symbolism and the dogmatic interpretation of the two arts.

*Interviewed by Lina Syriopoulou

The post The man who teaches Koreans Byzantine art appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Sia Anagnostopoulou is a SYRIZA MP and associate professor of History at the Department of Political Science and History of Panteion University. She has been visiting professor at the New York University, the University of Cyprus and the Έcole des Hautes Έtudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. Her main research interests are nationalism in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus and colonialism in Cyprus. She has published two monographies: Asia Minor. The Greek Οrthodox Communities, 19th century-1919. From the Rum millet to the Greek Nation (Athens 1997, in Greek) and The Modernization of Turkey. Islam and Turkish-Cypriots in relation to Kemalism (Athens 2004, in Greek).

Professor Anagnostopoulou is a member of the Paneuropean Committee of the Academy for European History created by Transform! Europe, a member of the Greek Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI) and a member of  the Board of the  Nicos Poulantzas Institute.

From 2000 to 2003, Anagnostopoulou headed the Cypriot Foreign Ministry's research team on issues concerning Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community. In the January 2015 Greek legislative elections, Anagnostopoulou was elected as a SYRIZA Member of the Hellenic Parliament for the prefecture of Achaia and was appointed alternate minister for European Affairs. Following the last legistlative elections of September 2015, she was appointed alternate minister for Education, Research and Religious Affairs until November 2016.

Sia Anagnostopoulou spoke to our sister publication Grèce Hebdo* on the progress of the ongoing negotiations on the Cyprus issue, the European contribution to the Geneva Cyprus talks, the importance of installing an institutional framework for the coexistence of two communities of different religions and ethnic groups in one european state as an act of resistance against a galloping nationalism and the EU-Turkey refugee deal:

How would you evaluate recent developments on the Cyprus issue?

Very significant progress has been made. The negotiations between the leaders of the two communities, the Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community, are at a very good point. First of all, there is a historic development, symbolically and literally speaking: it is the first time since 1974, after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, that the two communities have exchanged maps outlining territorial proposals.

This is important because the leaders of the two communities are trying to define their space -the "border" between their communities- by themselves and through negotiations. In fact, the two communities are trying to reconstruct a "border" of trust and peace between them, thus in practice annulling the consequences of the invasion that has violently imposed a frontier of hatred, dividing the Cypriot area into two worlds, two enemy "countries". Through the presentation of maps, the Cypriot leaders claim that they, and not the Turkish army, are the ones with the responsibility to manage the Cypriot area. This is a first step towards the solution, and it is indicative of the determination of the two Cypriot leaders to move forward.

What is your assessment of the European contribution to the Geneva Cyprus talks?

This is the first time that the European Union has become more actively involved in the Cyprus issue. In my opinion, it is necessary to get more involved, especially since Cyprus is the southeastern border of Europe, the border between Europe and the Middle East. The solution of the Cyprus problem must be at the heart of European policy. Also, through Cyprus (not only Cyprus, of course), the European Union will reinvent itself; it will reinvent its "world" and its region, and the values ​​that prevail in its relations with its neighbours.

The solution of the Cyprus problem, the border problem of Europe, will give out the message that: 1) the European Union has political responsibility for its borders; 2) It does not permit the perpetuation of "grey zones" in its territory, and of zones that lead to the division of its frontiers between a “Christian world” and a "Muslim world", one against the other; 3) It puts a definite end to its colonial past and to nationalist politics that undermine Europeanization efforts of its region; and 4) it turns its borders into a bridge with its neighbours and not a "wall of hatred” between the  European world and the "barbarians".

In short, the resolution of the Cyprus problem, especially at a crucial time for the future -not only of Europe but of the whole world- will demonstrate that European values persist and that the world (on a local, European and global level) is not divided by criteria of culture, colour and religion; on the contrary, respect for democratic institutions, equality and justice is the basis of coexistence. Therefore, the solution of the Cyprus problem, i.e. the formation of an institutional framework for the coexistence of two communities of different religions and ethnic groups under the same state -Cypriot and European- can be an act of resistance against a galloping and threatening nationalism.

Some argue that "no solution" on the Cyprus issue is always the best solution. Do you share that view?

Not at all. First of all, by adopting this view, we accept the consequences of the post-colonial period, of ethnic conflicts and, above all, of the Turkish invasion, as something that happened "naturally", without political intervention. As a result, we passively comply with the notion that at this very intense historical moment in time, when problems in the Middle East and Turkey create a framework of instability, Cyprus -at least part of its area- is prey to this instability.

This means that we accept that Cyprus is potentially a gate to the importation of this instability onto European soil. In reality, allowing almost half of the territory of a European area to be outside European control and outside the control of the Cypriot state is not a good sign for the future, particularly at this time when the future does not seem so peaceful.

What is your view on the implementation of the agreement signed between the EU and Turkey on 18 March 2016 on the management of refugee flows?

This agreement could show that Europe is cooperating with neighbouring countries in order to solve a serious problem, a humanitarian problem, in order to more efficiently protect refugees from traffickers etc. However, this agreement is not the result of a humanitarian policy but an emergency management policy, dictated by the rationale of retaining the problem outside European borders. The European Union, which is very effective at imposing economic regulations, proves uninterested in applying humanitarian rules with the same zeal. So the European Union has capitulated to the threats and nationalist policies of member-states that do not accept refugees on their soil, but refuses to deviate somewhat from its economic rules when it comes to countries like Greece, which face a humanitarian crisis and which, at the same time, provide a humanitarian roof for refugees.

*Interview by Irini Anastopoulou, translated to English by Ioulia Livaditi

The post Sia Anagnostopoulou on the progress of Cyprus talks appeared first on Greek News Agenda.