Table of Contents:
- Comment from the Editor
- Short presentation of the current situation in Cyprus, as a candidate country, concerning disabled people, by Michael Florentzos
- The Turkish Cypriot blind persons' situation - an overview, by Nevzat Adil
- Idalion - a town built where the sun rises, by Barbara Lyssarides
- Nicosia - the only divided capital city in the world, by Nadia Coatsworth
- Kitchener - the man who mapped Cyprus, by Barbara Lyssarides
- Canada may lead mine removal efforts, by Menelaos Hadjicostis
- Readers Feedback
- Contact/Subscription Information
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1. Comment from the Editor
Dear readers,
After more than a seven-month break from the distribution of the last issue of the Cyprus Braille Newsletter, we are back again with issue number four, which is very extensive and we hope that you will read it with interest.
The delay of the publication of issue number four was due to many different reasons concerning:
- Technical problems
- The procedure of the publication of the Newsletter and
- Acquiring permission for publication from copyright owners.
Obtaining permission for the publication of articles from different international magazines and other copyright owners seems to be the main problem of our work. We have been asking for such permission since January 2002 from three major press corporations of the United Kingdom and the United States, but even though we have sent out reminder letters we have not as yet received any official response.
The first article of our Newsletter is a presentation of the current situation in Cyprus, as a candidate country to the European Union, concerning disabled people. This was prepared by Michael Florentzos, in his capacity as the President of the Cyprus Confederation of Organizations of the Disabled, and presented at the seminar with Disability Organizations in the candidate countries, organized by the TAIEX of the European Commission in Brussels on the 27th and 28th of November, 2001 (section 2).
The second article is a brief report from our Turkish Cypriot friend Mr. Nevzat Adil. The article deals with the situation of the blind people in the occupied area of Cyprus. We thank Mr. Adil very much for his contribution and may his hope that the day for the reunification of our beautiful country comes soon so that we can jointly work, with no hindrance for the improvement of the lives of blind persons of all Cyprus.
We now leave politics for a while and present Barbara Lyssarides' article in which she looks at the fascinating work of archaeologists in uncovering the secrets of the ancient kingdom, where Adonis may have been killed by a boar. You can read this story in section 4 "Idalion - a town built where the sun rises", which was published in the Cyprus Weekly last July.
The next article deals with different matters concerning the divided capital of Cyprus and was sent to us by its author Nadia Coatsworth to whom we are very thankful.
In article number 5, with the title "Kitchener - the man who mapped Cyprus", Barbara Lyssarides follows the trials and tribulations of the man later to become Kitchener of Khartoum and who was responsible for the first accurate triangulation of the island (section 6).
We finish with another political matter, the question of the removal of mines from the cease-fire line (buffer zone), between the free part of the Republic of Cyprus and the occupied area.
Both the last two articles were also published in the Cyprus Weekly, a Cypriot weekly newspaper published in English.
Wishing you pleasant reading and looking forward to meeting you at the fifth issue of Cyprus Braille.
Many regards and greetings from Cyprus to all of our readers.
Ch. N.
| 2. | Short presentation of the current situation in Cyprus, as a candidate country, concerning disabled people By Michael Florentzos President Cyprus Confederation of Organizations of the Disabled, Pancyprian Organization of the Blind (Seminar with Disability Organizations in the candidate countries, organized by the TAIEX of the European Commission, Brussels, 27 & 28 November, 2001) |
Both the processes of Cyprus' accession to the European Union and of harmonization with its Acquis were considerably accelerated following the beginning of accession negotiations in 1998. The accession negotiations are proceeding in a satisfactory way, as Cyprus has now closed 27 out of the 29 chapters currently under negotiations. From that point of view Cyprus is at the forefront of all candidate countries. In parallel however, an enormous and difficult effort has to be carried out in order to achieve full harmonization according to the country's national program for the adoption of the Acquis by the 1st January 2003, which remains Cyprus' target date for accession.
In the field of persons with disabilities certain laws were recently passed by the Parliament in Cyprus within the whole effort for harmonization of the Cyprus legislation. Nevertheless, certain pre-existing legal provisions and international obligations imposed this duty on the State of Cyprus long time ago.
Thus, the Constitution of Cyprus since 1960 declared that every person has the right to a decent existence, social security and is equal before the law and the administration. In 1967 and 1987, respectively, the State of Cyprus ratified by laws the European Social Charter, safeguarding the rights of people with disabilities for education and vocational rehabilitation and training and the Convention 159 of I.L.O. concerning their vocational rehabilitation and employment. It is of great importance that article 4 of Part II of that Convention, which became part of the national law of Cyprus since 1987, fully implements not only the prohibiting aspect of non-discrimination, but also the positive aspect of the principle of equality, by providing expressly that: "special positive measures aimed at effective equality of opportunity and treatment between disabled workers and other workers shall not be regarded as discriminating against other workers". This Law-Convention includes a successful, in my opinion, definition of the disabled, which lacks from the Directive of E.U 2000/78/E.C.
A Law, which was passed in 1989 safeguards the rights and provides for the protection of mentally handicapped and establishes a public Board having the care for them. It also specifies their rights and the obligations of the State towards them.
Amongst the new laws enacted is the Law of July 1999 concerning the education of children with disabilities in the mainstream, including their professional training and education. This Law imposes on the State the whole liability and expenditure needed for affording to children with disabilities the opportunity and all the necessary services and means required for their integration in the general system of education.
Another Law recently passed is Law 127/2000 safeguarding the rights of disabled and adopting the principle of non-discrimination as this principle was then provided by the Standard Rules. Unfortunately, this Law embodies only certain of the Standard Rules of the U.N. of 1993 on the Equalization of Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities, though the scope of the Law, as it is declared in its preamble is to promote and apply the Standard Rules. The Law unfortunately selected only certain provisions from the Standard Rules, which do not impose any expenditure on the State. It is true that it establishes a special fund for financial assistance and support of people with disabilities for their social integration and vocational rehabilitation. It is quite astonishing, however, that according to the Law itself all the resources of that special fund are to be raised from the private sector.
It is obvious that there is a gap in the implementation of a system of legislation and administrative measures, including those for employment, which on the one hand should co-ordinate the private initiative, but on the other hand should extend, above all, the care and the social policy of the State itself, independent from the uncertain and unstable private initiative. It should be said that the above-mentioned Law aims to ensure equalization of opportunities by removing physical and social barriers and to eliminate discrimination by providing people with disabilities with the required services and means. As to the opportunities of people with disabilities to be employed, this Law doesn't impose a quota system, though such a system exists but only as to the appointments of educational officers on the virtue of another Law in force since 1990 in that field of education. In addition, it must be noted that the quota system is being applied in all fields of employment in the public sector, but only in favour of war veterans and in favour of certain other categories of citizens, who are not persons with disabilities. This amounts to an apparent violation, in our opinion, of the Directive for non-discrimination of the E.U., which consists part of its Acquis. Nevertheless, that Law provides the obligation of the Government to introduce schemes for employment of people with disabilities in both the public and private sector, the creating of incentives and the establishment of certain posts in the public sector for the employment exclusively of persons with disabilities.
A reference should be made in this respect, I think, to the ratifying Law of the Parliament 27/2000, ratifying the Repealed European Social Charter, thus rendering it part of the domestic law. Article 15 of the Charter is relevant to the employment as it safeguards the right of the disabled for autonomy, social integration and participation to the community life, by affording to them the required technical support and taking the necessary measures.
It is true to say that there exists a difference of opinion, thought and intention between our Confederation and the State as to the nature and extent of the specific legislative and other materializing measures required in order to implement the said recent laws which mainly merely define the obligations of the State towards the disabled and their respective rights. This burden and liability for promoting such specific measures affording specific rights, benefits and equalization of opportunities to persons with disabilities and to persuade the Government, I am afraid, lies on the shoulders of our Confederation.
It is obvious that the role of the State should be more active and catalytic in this respect. The legislation in general is expected to regulate the whole matter in a more dignifying manner. It is obvious that in the Republic of Cyprus there exist the legal and moral foundations, upon which the relevant legislation and other measures could be developed. What definitely lacks is the basis for providing all people with disabilities, according, of course, to the nature of their disability, with all the necessary special services, means and financial support required for their employment, social integration and everyday needs. The State has never before seriously dealt with this immediate need.
| 3. | The Turkish Cypriot blind persons' situation - an overview
By Nevzat Adil Submitted by e-mail on the 21st of May 2002. |
On the other hand, the number of school-age children is very few. Although no definite number is available. It is thought that this number is not more than ten.
Only a fraction of working-age blind persons are in employment, of which almost all work as switchboard operators.
The number of blind persons with a university degree is only three and those of a high-school education are five.
Services: Unfortunately, no specialized public services are available for Turkish Cypriot blind persons. The only benefit available is the "disability allowance" given monthly to persons with disabilities not employed. The amount is 60% of the minimum wage. It goes without saying that this is not what Turkish Cypriot blind persons of working age deserve. They deserve rehabilitation services for learning independence skills in order to achieve satisfactory employment.
Although legislation exists to allocate 4% quota for people with disabilities in public and private enterprises, it is hardly implemented. This piece of legislation is very generic in letter and spirit and no mechanisms were set up to practically implement it. Thus, this generic disability law remains as a piece of paper with no value as far as specialized services for the blind are concerned.
Organizations of/for the blind: Although no specialised services for blind persons are provided by the authorities in the northern section of the island, organizations of/for the blind have attempted within their means to bring some basic services for their constituents. These services were mainly based on voluntarism and were limited in nature due to lack of professionalism and finances. The fact that these organizations were engaged in fighting each other did not help matters. The authorities, taking advantage of this situation, avoided the issue of providing services for the blind. Projects handed in for such services were ignored.
The Cyprus Center for the Blind: Faced with years of indifference to the needs of blind persons by the authorities in the northern part of the Island, the Cyprus Association of the Blind, established the Cyprus Center for the Blind in 1997 to provide rehabilitation services for blind persons. This was an initiative with very limited human and financial resources. It was based on the voluntary work of a few dedicated individuals, among them the author of this article. A small house and equipment was purchased for the purpose.
Courses were provided in Braille literacy, independent travel using the long white cane technique, basic computer skills, and skills for daily living using alternative techniques. Several blind adults and a blind child of 6 years old benefited from the specialized services provided by this Center.
The Cyprus Foundation for the Blind: With the initiative of a few blind and sighted individuals, among them the author of this article, the Foundation for the Blind was established in October 2000 to provide financial support for and to administer the Center. On the other hand, the Cyprus Association of the Blind, founder of the Center, was left to die a natural death due to lack of interest on the part of its members.
The situation: The author of this article who was the director/instructor of the Cyprus Center for the Blind in an honorary capacity for two years, is now in the United States working as a Rehabilitation Specialist for the Blind. The future of the Cyprus Center for the Blind with none in charge and with diminishing funds is now uncertain. Activity at the Center is now minimal. A retired judge blinded as a result of Retinitis Pigmentosa who received rehabilitation services at the Center keeps its doors open daily. The Turkish Cypriot blind persons are again without any specialized services, public or private.
Looking ahead: The immediate future does not look very bright as far as services for the blind are concerned in the northern part of the Island. Such services do not seem to be a priority for the authorities there preoccupied with partitionist policies and separation of the ethnic communities of the Island; but for the Turkish Cypriot blind persons it is, because their personal welfare and quality of life depends on such services.
It goes without saying that their future depends on an immediate solution of the Island's political problem preventing the reunification of the country. Only then, can specialized services for the blind of all Cyprus can be reunified to serve all blind Cypriots regardless of ethnicity or creed.
This was the situation before the inter-communal strife of the mid 1960's. There is no reason why it cannot be the same again. The blind of Cyprus demand it! Humanity dictates it!
| 4. | Idalion - a town built where the sun rises By Barbara Lyssarides (From the Cyprus Weekly, Friday July 26, 2002, with the kind permission of the publishers) |
Aphrodite was heartbroken when her mortal lover, Adonis, was killed by a wild boar not far from Nicosia, so the story goes. But the tearful goddess recovered fairly quickly, it seems; as the goddess of love and beauty it was incumbent upon her to do so. This may have been due to a magic girdle that she insisted upon wearing and which had a devastating effect on men and gods alike. She refused to lend it to the other goddesses, says the myth. The unfortunate incident with the boar happened a long time ago, just outside the present-day village of Dhali. Today, an obscure sign marks the brush-covered hillock where the deed occurred, just the kind of place a boar might ambush a mortal.
Either Apollon, son of Zeus, or Ares, the jealous god of war, may have assumed a boar's shape to goad their hapless victim as a pay-back for grudges held against Aphrodite, continues the story. Known in ancient times as Idalion, life in the present-day village on the banks of the River Yialias reaches back at least to the Late Bronze Age some 3,000 years ago; it became a flourishing Greek city-kingdom and cult centre, resplendent with palace and temples on its two acropolises.
Milk
Now a cattle-raising village with a hefty farmers' debt just off the highway to Limassol, it provides 20% of the countries milk needs - 25 million litres a month.
Its population had climbed to 10,000 in Archaic and Classical times, and a famous tablet now in the Bibliotheque National in Paris found originally in an Idalion temple to Athena, was evidence of the earliest social security system known so far, says Dr. Vassos Karageorghis, archaeologist and former director of the Department of Antiquities here.
Athena was the patron goddess of the city.
Much later, Idalion was to become a key inland administration centre for the Phoenicians as they expended westwards through the Mediterranean
Although those seagoing traders and merchants from the shores of modern Lebanon had never actually colonised Idalion as they had Kition (Kitium or Kittim, site of present-day Larnaca built on its ancient Phoenician ruins), their Idalion holding was an important link between harbour towns here and the lucrative inland copper mines, such as nearby Tamassos.
Thrust
A brave Idalion king called Stassikypros had earlier fought off both the Persians and Phoenicians during their combined thrust inland some 500 years before the time of Christ.
But the pro-Greek town finally surrendered in 470 BC, exhausted by persistent attacks. It then remained for the next 150 years in the orbit of a Phoenician dynasty at Kition, with an appointed local or foreign administer at Idalion, whose job included overseeing copper transactions, tax collections and other details, archaeologists think.
In modern times, tomb raiders and other looters had sold off priceless ancient artefacts to visiting amateur archaeologists, including a 19th century diplomat called Luigi Palma di Cesnola, who was accredited to Ottoman-held Cyprus at the time.
During summer holidays with his family in a cool Dhali cottage amongst orange and lemon groves, Cesnola had also excavated some 15,000 Roman and Phoenician tombs there, he claimed.
Breakthrough
His finds included statues, iridescent glass, bracelets, amulets and amphora; one skull bore a diadem made from leaves of gold. Many of the finds are now in museums abroad.
Then there was R. Hamilton Lang, manager of the Imperial Ottoman Bank at Larnaca and the British consul here from 1871. At one Phoenician temple at Dhali, he had unearthed precious bilingual inscriptions in Phoenician and Cypro-Syllabic characters, an important breakthrough at the time.
Dhali's history has in fact drawn several expeditions over the years; some were early wildcat ventures, others done by amateurs, and then came professional and official teams, who excavated with Department of Antiquities approval and licence.
Fortified
The list included one led by the eminent Swede, Einer Gjerstad, ongoing expeditions begun late last century by American teams, and others still carried out by the Department of Antiquities itself.
Gjerstad, in his book, "Ages and Days in Cyprus," said that ancient Idalion was once a fortified stronghold, defended by walls of sun-dried mud brick on foundations of rough stone.
There had been towers and bastions and also a secret underground entrance 16m long. Once vineyards before their excavation, two hillsides called Ampileri and Moutti tou Arvili, mark what were once the two acropolises, while the ruins of the ancient city walls, he added, extend right up to the boundary of modern Dhali.
Its early and late Archaic periods (750 to 475 BC) had been marked with "splendour and magnificence," he wrote.
Archaeologist Miranda Marvin, in an early 1970 preliminary report on an American-directed dig on one of the acropolises, said that visible remains of ancient walls covered more than 100 acres. Historical information about its past, especially its comparatively brief Phoenician past, is still sparse, however.
Ignored
The earliest reference to Idalion, she wrote, is from a 680 BC inscription citing it as one of the 10 kingdoms of Cyprus "which contributed to the re-building of the palace of Essarhaddon" (an Assyrian king).
"No more than this is known of the city from ancient Near East sources" and as far as classical writers were concerned "Idalion was that happy city which had no history."
Its existence was also virtually ignored by ancient historians, although the poets were "profuse about Idalion," including Theocratos and Virgil.
Until only 25 years ago, confirmed Sabatino Moscati, editor of a book called "The Phoenicians" published in 1988; the very existence of a discipline called "Phoenician Studies" was debatable.
"Those who knew of the (Phoenician) language, knew little of archaeology and vice versa.
"The great transformation in our knowledge of the Phoenician world in general gook place during the last quarter century and was mainly due to archaeological finds," he wrote.
This provoked renewed interest in that world, he went on, and it is now the object of objective investigation - a civilisation re-discovered, in fact.
The entire southern coast of Cyprus had been penetrated at one time by Phoenician traders during their great sweep West, with the Kition colony established as early as the 9th century BC.
Note: Dr. Karageorghis, who has excavated there, believes it was already under the rule of Phoenicians from Tyre a hundred years earlier)
What has apparently emerged until now is that Phoenician impact in Cyprus during their 500-year stay was generally political and economic, and failed to seriously jolt the long-standing and essentially Greek nature of local Cypriot society in the cultural or artistic spheres.
What of some charming terracotta produced during the overlapping Archaic period at the time - chariot groups, horses with or without riders, dancers and warriors, for example?
During one conference on early Cyprus society, expert Frieda Vandenabelle thought that "there can be no doubt that there has been a certain Phoenician influence on the Cypriot terracotta production during the Archaic period."
However, "the majority of the terracotta found reflect a local character ... as in the other arts and crafts in the island." Even the gods and goddesses seemed to have operated side by side or gently meshed. In "The Greek Myths," Robert Graves mentions that Adonis is the Greek version of the Syrian demi-god Tammuz, the spirit of annual vegetation, and that the Phoenician word, "Adon", means "lord." Tammuz was also killed by a boar.
Dr. Karageorghis further points out that while several Greek gods assimilated with their Phoenician equivalents - Aphrodite-Astarte,
Athena-Ajat, Hercules-Melqart - the eteo-Cypriot element of the population retained its own divinities.
Over the past decades, Cypriot archaeologists with the Department of Antiquities have further filled in some of the gaps regarding the Phoenician years here.
Last month, Dr. Maria Hadjicosti, who has been excavating at Idalion for the past 12 years and covering earlier periods as well, casually bent down one morning to examine a small, flat stone wedged loosely in a wall.
It was on the Ampileri acropolis, site of the first Phoenician administration centre ever found in the Middle East with economic records also unearthed; the centre was built on the foundations of an earlier palace. Dr. Hadjicosti and her team were winding down excavations for the season.
"You never know what you'll find here," she told me, carefully turning over the stone. On the back, to her delight, was a faint Phoenician inscription more than 2,000 years old.
A tax record or barter deal? A new regulation literally written in stone by some ancient Phoenician district head? A bill for use of the olive presses found on the site? Or for storage space in the giant old amphorae found in one of the excavated rooms?
When finally deciphered, the inscription will yield yet another clue to a still fairly obscure segment of Cyprus's past life.
Another 170 such inscriptions have been recovered already, including some in Cypro-Syllabic.
Dr Hadjicosti, who is also curator of Ancient Monuments here, said that temples to gods and goddesses once stood on both acropolises, one to Athena near the administration centre and other temples to Aphrodite and Apollo on the Moutti tou Arvili hill. Other finds from the Phoenician administration or earlier included vast pithoi, copper slag, names for tax collection purposes, large rectangular basins, weights, a 60ft deep well, olive pits and part of an oil mill, a head of Bes, an internal ramp and a limestone sphinx.
Unfortunately, the site had later been used as a quarry and Dr Hadjicosti's team is attempting to strengthen and conserve what's left with mud brick.
Finds dated prior to the Phoenician presence included luxury items from Greece and the East, she said. "There was a continual strong link with Greece," she said, " only the administration had changed. Greek imports and influence never altered during the Phoenician period. "One cannot say that there was a Greek city or a Phoenician city.
Life continued and nothing really changed, nothing was really different.
Theme park
Dr Hadjicosti, who studied archaeology and history in Prague, said that she hoped that a theme park and site museum would be built soon on the fascinating site. "It is so fortunate to have this great empty space in the village." An archaeologist since 1979, she has excavated with the Antiquities apartment at several Cyprus sites, including Pyla, Kition, Maa at Paphos and also with Dr Karageorghis, during earlier digs at Dhali.
She was very grateful, she said, to Dhali's mayor, Nicos Nicolaou, and villagers there for their continued interest and support in the excavations. "These are ordinary people - schoolchildren, villagers, cultural groups - yet they offer whatever help they can and even visit us at the site."
So proud is the village of its past that its visitors' brochure carries an ancient Greek inscription concerning Idalion which reads in part:
"Where you see the sun rising
You must build a town.
Oh king, I have seen the sun and
On its name I will build the town."
So they did, and it is still there.
| 5. | Nicosia - the only divided capital city in the world
By Nadia Coatsworth |
Sightseeing
The old city, its total circumference being less than five kilometres, is unfortunately divided by the Green Line, and has been this way since the Turkish invasion of 1974. However, this means that all the places of interest are within easy walking distance of each other, and armed with a map, the visitor should be able to spend enjoyable day sightseeing.
It is advisable to start your tour on the west side of the city, starting with The Cyprus Museum, which houses a fascinating collection of Cypriot antiquities and treasures from the Neolithic Age to the early Byzantine period.
From the museum, walk north to Pafos Gate, and once through, you will see the Kasteliotissa, a medieval hall, once part of a Lusignan Palace dating back to the 13th -14th centuries. This fascinating gothic building is now used for art exhibitions and other cultural events.
Next port of call should be the Leventis Municipal Museum of Lefkosia, which relives life in the capital from ancient times to the present day. This museum is situated in the Laiki Geitonia area, a renovated part of the city, which with its winding alleys, traditional architecture, restaurants and workshops, evokes an atmosphere of days gone by. Here, you will also find the Cyprus Jeweller's Museum displaying 19th and 20th century exhibits. The Cyprus Tourist Organization's office is also located in the vicinity, and you are invited to partake of the free advice and literature, and if necessary, book yourself on a guided tour.
Not far from this area, you will find the Trypiotis Church, an interesting example of Franco-Byzantine style, built by Archbishop Germanos II in 1695. Continuing eastwards, you will come across the Omeriye Mosque. This building, erected originally in the 14th century as the Augustinian church of St. Mary, but almost destroyed by Ottoman artillery, was converted by Mustapha Pasha into a mosque in 1571, as he believed the prophet Omer rested there.
A stone's throw from the mosque is the most important 18th century building in Lefkosia, which after its restoration won the 1988 Europa Nostra Award. Once the house of the Dragoman Chatzigeorgakis Kornesios, it now houses the Cyprus Ethnological Museum, and is a fine example of traditional architecture.
Just a few hundred metres further northwards you will see the Archbishopric, the centre of the Cyprus Orthodox Church. The new Archbishopric was built in neo-Byzantine style in 1960 and is dominated by the imposing statue of Archbishop Makarios III, the late first President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Behind the new Archbishopric are three other places of interest. Firstly, the old Archbishopric itself, which is now home to the Ethnographic Museum, formerly called the Cyprus Folk Art Museum. Here you can see a wide collection of Cypriot folk art of the 19th and early 20th century, including embroidery, tapestry and pottery, together with examples of leatherwork, metalwork and woodwork. The Makarios Cultural Centre contains the Byzantine Museum, holding the largest collection of icons on the island, and two art galleries. The first is the European Art Gallery displaying works by Van Dyck, Rubens, and Delacroix to name but a few.
The second is the Greek Independence War Gallery containing maps, lithographs and other Greek items of interest. Just behind the old archbishopric is yet another museum, this time containing memorabilia of the 1955-59 National Liberation Struggle. Nestling in between the old and new archbishoprics is the tiny but splendid Agios Ioannis Cathedral. Built by Archbishop Nikiforos in 1662, the 18th century wall paintings depict scenes from the Bible and the discovery of the tomb of Saint Barnabas at Salamis.
When the Venetian walls and their eleven heart-shaped bastions were built, there were only three gates into the city, one of these being the Porta Giuliana, situated on the eastern side where you should now find yourself, and now called Pyli Ammochostou or Famagusta Gate. Beautifully restored, it is the site of the Lefkosia Municipal Cultural Centre, and is used for exhibitions, conferences and lectures.
If you continue northwards, towards the Green Line, you will discover two unique churches.
The first, Chrysaliniotissa Church, is considered to be the oldest Byzantine church in Lefkosia, and is thought to have been built by Queen Helena Palaeologos in 1450. It is famed for its rich collection of old and rare icons. Nearby is the Chrysaliniotissa Crafts Centre, housing a complex of traditional workshops nestling around a central courtyard. The second is Agios Kassianos Church, which has amongst its possessions, a silver helmet believed to have been worn by the saint after whom the church is named.
If you now stroll back westwards along the Green Line, towards the centre, you will eventually reach Faneromeni Church. Built in 1872 on the site of an ancient Greek-orthodox nunnery, it is the largest church within the city walls. As you conclude your own sightseeing tour within the old walls of Lefkosia, you can walk up the famous Ledra Street, now pedestrianised, enjoying the plethora of shops it has to offer. By this time you will probably be in need of some refreshment, and one of the most convenient places to stop and recuperate, is the Shakolas building, housing the Woolworth store and the Ledra Museum-Observatory. On the 6th floor there is a cafeteria where you can eat and take in the panoramic view. On the 11th floor you will find the specially designed and equipped museum-observatory where, using the telescopes provided, you will be able to revisit the sites of your tour.
If you enjoyed your morning of sightseeing and are prepared to venture a little further a field, take a car journey and visit some of the other places of interest. In the municipality of Aglantzia you will find the Museum of Natural History containing a variety of preserved animals and birds. The Museum of the History of Cypriot Coinage is located in Strovolos, and hosts a find numismatic collection dating from 6th century BC to the present day. Not far from here is the Pancyprian Geographical Museum housed in a renovated inn. For the keen philatelist, the Cyprus Postal Museum in Agiou Savva Street houses an interesting collection of stamps dating from 1800 onwards.
If you head out of Lefkosia on the Lemesos road, after less than 20 kilometres or so, you will come to the Dali region. Just outside of the village of Dali itself lies the ancient kingdom of Idalion, which is currently under excavation. According to mythology, Adonis, lover of the goddess Afrodite, was killed by a wild boar, sent there by her jealous husband. The Byzantine church of Agioi Apostoloi can be seen at Pera Chorio. It contains frescoes dating back to the late 12th century, which are some of the finest examples of Komninian style in Cyprus. Around the village of Potamia there are the medieval ruins of a Frankish palace as well as those of a Gothic church. In the village of Agia Varvara, to the west of Dali, there is a small technological museum.
West of Agia Varvara, near the village of Analiontas, is the Archangelos Mikhail convent. This Byzantine church was founded by Archbishop Nikiforos whose tomb can be seen in the narthex. In 1713 it was purchased and renovated by Kykkos Monastery and now houses a research centre. Five miles northwest is the village of Politiko. This was the site of the rich city-kingdom of Tamassos, renowned for its copper mines. Archaeological excavations have brought to light the Royal tombs and copper workshops associated with Afrodite-Astarte. Also in Politiko is the Agios Irakleidios Convent. When Saints Paul and Barnabas came to Cyprus, they were guided to Tamassos by Irakleidios, whom they later consecrated as Bishop of Tamassos. He was martyred and buried in the cave where he had lived and preached. The monastery, founded in 400 AD, was destroyed and rebuilt several times until Archbishop Chrysanthos renovated it in 1773. The relics of the saint are kept in a silver gilt case.
Some 10 kilometres south of Politiko, set in a valley in the Machairas muntains, is a monastery bearing the same name. Founded by two monks in 1148, when an icon of the Virgin Mary was discovered in a nearby cave, the monastery houses books, manuscripts, icons and other religious artefacts. Just a short distance away is the village of Fikardou, which has been declared an 'ancient monument" in order to preserve the remarkable woodwork and folk architecture of the 18th century houses.
Finally, some 27 kilometres out of Lefkosia, on the Troodos road, is the village of Peristerona. The Saint Barnabas and Hilarion church was founded here, and is a fine example of Byzantine architecture, its five imposing domes forming a cross.
Shopping
Lefkosia is a shopaholic's paradise. On your tour of the old city, you will have already seen the traditional shops selling handicrafts, embroidery and pottery in the Laiki Geitonia area, and the local boutiques and shoe shops in the parallel streets of Ledra and Onasagorou. If you head over to Eleftheria Square, past the Tsauosis store on Omirou Avenue, which claims to sell over 1,000,000 items, you will see the Capital Centre, one of the shopping plazas of the city. This building stands at the beginning of what is probably the most famous shopping street in Lefkosia, Makarios III Avenue.
In Makarios III Avenue you will find many notable international chain and designer stores; Marks and Spencer, River Island, Miss Selfridge, Benetton, Levi Strauss and Gucci, to name but a few. Not far from Laura Ashley, again situated in the same street, is the Irish Pub called Finbars. This is a great place to stop if you are in need of some liquid refreshment or indeed a bite to eat.
Stasikratous Street, running parallel to Makarios III Avenue, is known for its exclusive range of boutiques housing designer clothes, shoes and lingerie. Silverware, fine porcelain and cosmetic and perfumery shops are also to be found in this road. Just off Stasikratous Street is Preveza Street, and here you will find Estiades, a restaurant famed for its fine buffet-style dining.
As you will soon see, shopping in Lefkosia could not be easier: everything is within walking distance! And, if you are in need of a break, there are countless coffee shops, tavernas and pizzerias in which to indulge and recuperate.
Sporting activities
One of the most popular sports in Lefkosia is tennis. Two of the most attractive venues are the Eleon, near the American Embassy, and the Field Club. The latter is situated in the moat on the west side of the old city, and has ten courts, all under floodlight. Many of the hotels too have courts, in particular the Hilton, which has four. Its other facilities include a squash court, indoor and out door swimming pools, and a superb health club. All day dining is available too at the Hilton in the excellent Fontana restaurant.
Similar facilities are offered at the Forum Inter-Continental, which is located in the suburb of Engomi. Next to the Forum is the Kykko Ten Pin Bowling facility, and if you are taking the children, McDonalds is just around the corner! In the summer months, the Municipal Pool (outdoor) in Agios Dometios has a cafeteria on site, making it a great day out for all the family.
If you enjoy sport, but would prefer to spectacle than to take part, then the Nicosia Race Club, also located in Agios Dometios, is the place to go. Once described by The Sporting Life as "the most picturesque race track in the world", the venue boasts a host of facilities including computerised betting and flood lighting for evening meetings. Race days are Wednesdays and Sundays in the winter, and Wednesdays and Saturdays in the summer.
Whatever you decide to do on your day out in Lefkosia, make sure you keep some energy in reserve, because there is just as much to do at night.
| 6. | Kitchener - the man who mapped Cyprus
By Barbara Lyssarides (From the Cyprus Weekly, Friday April 26, 2002, with the kind permission of the publishers) |
Horatio Herbert Kitchener may not have been the first to put Cyprus on the map, but at least he triangulated it. It was a process spanning three years and involved Cairns, trigonometry and a dedicated surveyor's mind. It also presupposed a nimbleness of foot, not only in the bush, but when circling bureaucratic swamps as well.
Kitchener was a young lieutenant in Britain's Royal Engineers when he landed at Larnaca back in 1878, the year the Ottoman Sultan handed over the administration of Cyprus to Britain. A major problem facing the newcomers, besides heat, fever, drought and crop failure was the absence of a detailed and accurate map of their new acquisition. Modern There had been no significant survey or land mapping since a late Mediaeval effort produced by a Venetian artist and on which Ottoman Turkey had relied to invade and occupy their tiny island-neighbour over 300 years before. It fell to the 28-year-old junior lieutenant Kitchener, soldier, amateur archaeologist and cartologist with earlier mapping experience in Palestine to produce the first modern and scientifically prepared map of Cyprus. Almost immediately there had been glitches. Appointed by the Foreign Office to the task, Kitchener was soon in confrontation with the new High Commissioner here, Sir Garnet Wolseley, who was to shut down Kitchener's early mapping effort abruptly on economic grounds. The real reason was Wolseley's demand for a hurry-up map for revenue adjustment purposes here and to right certain wrongs in the tax system. When Kitchener pressed for a more thorough job, he was abruptly ferried off the island to Asia Minor and a new assignment there. Within a year, however, Kitchener was back in Cyprus under a new High Commissioner; this time there was to be a proper triangulated survey and mapping of the country.
Handpicked surveyors and other men from the Royal Engineers assisted Kitchener and altogether 3,000sq. m. were eventually delineated and scaled one inch to a mile. Meanwhile, what is triangulation and how was it carried out over 125 years ago?
Baseline
According to author and lecturer Rodney Shirley, an international expert on old maps who has lectured in Cyprus on the subject, Kitchener and his men launched the survey in November 1878 when a four-mile baseline was measured on level ground close to Kaimakli village, north of Nicosia. A 100-foot chain from the Ordnance Survey was used, and from each end observations were made to clearly defined adjacent points; these were usually triangulated cairns (markers, sometimes a mound of tones) constructed on tops of hills from which further "trig points" could be seen, Shirley told listeners. Angular measurements were carefully noted and adjustments made for differences in altitude.
By degrees, the whole island was thus covered with a series of 137 linked and angularity-measured triangles, he went on. Every part of the island was to be visited from a series of simple camps from which the fieldwork and subsidiary observations or further triangulations were made at right angles to primary lines, said Shirley. "Recorded sightings might include towers or churches, hilltops, prominent trees or river junctions... ascribing correct names to localities was always a problem, as Greek and Turkish names might vary or be expressed in some local dialect."
Mirrors
The camp supervisor usually sought the services of a guide or interpreter, he added, and advice was also needed regarding historical or archaeological sites. For the more technically minded, here is Shirley's explanation of the full methodology as used by Kitchener in Palestine, with similar methods "very likely used here," he pointed out. "A camp having been established, points suitable for trigonometrical stations were visited and stone cairns built six to ten feet high. "These cairns or house rooftops or domes of sacred buildings were whitewashed, mirrors were used for flashing signals between them, and, by this means, rounds of angles were taken with a theodolite (an instrument for measuring horizontal and vertical angles). "These angles to visible points were plotted on sheets and distances calculated by fixing the intersection of directions determined by angles from three or more stations. "The task of tracing these points within a radius of 8 or 10 miles from camp (or less in difficult country), was divided between the surveyors, who proceeded individually to sketch in the detail of their allotted areas by interpolation with a prismatic compass. "Measurements by chaining may also have been used and the results incorporated into the daily record." In Palestine, according to Shirley, the men might have been equipped with three to six tents with seven horses and seven mules to carry equipment and supplies. The number of servants, grooms, muleteers, guards, guides and interpreters could vary from 10 to 20, but in Cyprus the total was probably fewer.
Plotting
Two days are allowed for calculations and plotting before the camp moved to the next site. Kitchener did not leave behind a diary, and many of his papers have been lost or destroyed. Shirley's lecture on Kitchener and his mapping methods was sponsored by the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, which later published his talk along with a number of old maps, photographs and sketches. Included was Kitchener's own "Notes from Cyprus," which had appeared originally in Blackwell's Magazine in 1879.
Fertile
Kitchener had observed much about the island's people, its archaeology and customs, along with its beauty. He was to travel the entire country, over mountains and hills where he found abandoned rock-cut wine presses, along the length of seashores and into inland villages, and through valleys and plains, where he found water almost everywhere from 18 to 20 feet beneath the surface. Because of its fertile soil, almost anything could be grown if carefully cultivated and irrigated, he wrote, and along the hillsides there were ample springs and river lets. Unfortunately, much ran to waste because of the "inertness of the people," he was to observe. Kitchener was mapping the island in the era when some 40sq. m of the Akamas was offered for sale for just over £200, but nobody seemed interested.
The Akamas extended to Cape Arnaouti, he wrote, and had the most beautiful slopes for vines, with low-lying plains along the shore watered by several springs. Surrounded by sea on all sides but one, the coast was indented with little bays and creeks, he wrote. He thought that these plains could be covered with orange groves and fruit trees. Some of Kitchener's other impressions: Most of the land lay idle here, although good cotton and many cereals could have been grown. The Turks had earlier stopped tobacco production because of heavy taxation. He thought the two races "very distinct types" with the Turks taller and generally more active than the Greek Cypriots, more independent and less submissive. "They were not at all fanatical about their religion and, although good Moslems, do not share the sterner precepts of the law of Mohammed."
The Turks preferred white-and-red stripped Manchester stuffs for their clothes; he went on, whereas the Greeks almost always dressed in blue indigo-dyed stuff of home manufacture.
Kitchener thought the Greeks "fine-made" men, mild and humble of expression, but timid. "They hide in villages as a government official passes through, without any real cause. They are very religious, generally go to church every evening and keep a great number of saints' days." They also believed every superstitious story. While there were exceptions to the rule, most of the Greeks declined steady work, especially after earning a few shillings to tide them over.
The Maronites, or Druzes, of Lebanon were better workers, he thought.
He was not impressed by either the appearance or the voices of local women - "not particularly good - looking, and Turkish women veiled their faces." But the women did much of the manual labour, fetching water and accompanying their lords to the fields to reap the harvest, thresh and help in everything except ploughing and sowing, he observed. There were a good many landed proprietors of a superior class, looked up to by fellow townsmen and with a great influence in the villages. Many villages had one of these magnates, who had more land and a better house than anyone, Kitchener recorded. Unlike the Turks, the Greek proprietors rarely lived on their land, preferring to live in the largest district town and either letting their land or appointing an agent to farm. A few Armenians also had large possessions, but lived in the towns, however. The local Greek monasteries owned large properties, derived from various sources including grants from the Sultan, purchases and legacies.
Boundaries
Boundaries were unclear and there were no hedges or ditches to mark out land generally.
All communications from government passed through the local mukhtars, or headmen, who collected taxes, fined offenders and kept order.
The village priest was next in the social scale, was married and tilled the land as any peasant. They were admired by the people as they could usually read and write.
Flocks of goats and fat-tailed sheep roamed through the country in large herds, he wrote, eating dried-up herbage.
In the mountain districts of Limassol and Paphos they gave a good milk supply and much cheese was exported from Limassol. A spring at Kythrea, one of the gems of Cyprus, he said, produced four thousand gallons of water a minute in summer and winter - bright, clear and warm.
In conclusion, Kitchener was also to write: " We have had our eyes on Cyprus as a desirable position for some time as early as 1876 it appears something had been decided, for the innumerable and very bad maps of the island issued from the War Office are all stamped with that date." "We know the advantages of a sea-girt shore. No complications of holy sites and sentimental interests." After a long and colourful military career, Kitchener was to be torpedoed in 1916 aboard the Hampshire near Scapa Flow as he sailed for Archangel during World War I for a rendezvous with the Tsar. He was 66-years-old. At his death, the man who triangulated Cyprus was Field Marshal The Right Honourable Herbert Earl Kitchener of Khartoum and Broome.
| 7. | Canada may lead mine removal efforts
By Menelaos Hadjicostis (From the Cyprus Weekly, Friday January 25, 2002, with the kind permission of the publishers) |
Desolation
Although each mine costs only $20 a piece, removing just one can $1,000. The more desolate of the 48 mine fields untouched since the 1974 Turkish invasion pose a potentially lethal threat to the 8,000 mostly Greek Cypriots who cultivate the land inside the UN-controlled buffer zone, at some points stretching to three km wide. The spokesman said that the army "has no objection" to the start of de-mining because it would not diminish the island's defence capabilities.
The green light de-mining comes as the government is fast-tracking through the House of Representatives a bill to ratify the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty, which Cyprus signed in December 1997. Papapetrou denied the government's hand was forced into giving the unilateral go-ahead for de-mining under the weight of its Treaty obligations. "A number of countries began ratifying the treaty after Cyprus signed it and it is in this sense that some representations have been made to all signatory countries to move in the same direction," said Papapetrou.
Aware
Marina Laker, Political Counsellor at the Canadian High Commission in Damascus, said there no formal request for Canada's help in de-mining has been made yet, although her government had been made "informally aware" of Cyprus' intention in early December. "Canada has been encouraging Cyprus to proceed with de-mining and sees this as a welcome proposal that could add to the positive atmosphere created as a result of the direct talks currently underway," said Laker.
She added the Mine Ban Treaty is "user friendly" in the sense that it does not apply intense pressure on a signatory country to immediately ratify or comply with its provisions. Canada has repeatedly offered its help in de-mining efforts on the island and last year donated US$30,000 worth of computer hardware and software that will better enable UNFICYP personnel to keep track of shifting mine fields. "The equipment will help us get a better picture of what is going on in the buffer zone. Such records would play a significant part in any de-mining activity taking place there," said Kelly.
Papapetrou said the government's decision is not directly connected to the ongoing Clerides-Denktash settlement talks and that no deal has been made with the occupation regime for simultaneous de-mining.
Occupation
"A similar move on the part of the occupation forces would certainly be welcome, but the government's decision is not associated with this and will proceed even unilaterally," Papapetrou said. Defence experts said the ball is now in Rauf Denktash's court on whether to consent to de-mining on his side of the ceasefire line. Turkish Cypriot officials have insisted that land mines "are a manifestation of conflict" and not readily disposed without key security guarantees.
8. Readers Feedback
You have now turned to your own page, where we publish your thoughts and opinions and requests for pen pals.
Brother K. Selvaraj, Founder and Director of BBSF, Nampikkolli state of Kerala, India, mentions in a second letter to our Organization that in India the blind people are facing a lot of problems and are enjoying very few facilities from the part of the government. There are 18 million blind people in India. Most of them are dependant on others for their daily living. There are many organizations working to support the blind, but still the blind people are in a difficult situation, receiving only 110 rupees as monthly support from their local government, which is less than two (2) American dollars. There is a provision from the Ministry for Social Welfare to support charitable organizations. But the ruling local governments are showing partiality in this matter. BBSF is running an institution for blind women and there are now 25 blind women from three different states living there. They have not received any kind of financial support from the government for the last 7 years. They are also given training in Braille, envelope making, making cane chairs, and daily living requirements.
In e-mail message to our Organization Arpit Jain expressed his thanks for receiving Cyprus Braille Newsletter. He is hoping that with the help of our magazine he will be able to know more about Cyprus.
Concerning the political conditions in Cyprus, he expressed the opinion that the Turks should be punished for the illegal occupation of the northern part of our country.
* It is true that the occupation of other countries is illegal according to the constitution of the United Nations. It is however, in recent history, uncommon for occupying powers to be sanctioned.
* We also inform Mr. Jain that the blind people in Cyprus mainly use the Hal screen reader and Lunar (Supernova) produced by Dolphin Systems in England for accessing computers because these products can be used to access Greek documents. Except for Jaws for Windows, which seems to be the most popular screen reader in the world, there is a great number of other software programmes such as Zoom text, Magic, windows Eyes, Blindows, Outspoken, etc, which enable the blind to access computer programmes. Some programmes are more useful in windows and data processing and some others are better at surfing the Internet.
Mr. Arpit Jain also informed us that the large population of blind and partially sighted people in India would like to know more about the world. However they are facing the problem of lack of resources. There are of course millions of good books available in English, but they are unfortunately not transcribed into braille for the blind people of India.
* We agree with Mr. Jain that it would be very useful if our newsletter was published in Hindi but our Organization is not in the position to produce it in any other languages apart from English. We unfortunately don't have the appropriate personnel and the necessary technical facilities and software programmes.
He finally asks to correspond with people from all over the world. His hobbies and interests are reading, writing, listening to the radio, enjoying music, debating on different subjects, learning about many cultures, making and visiting friends, playing chess, singing, collecting coins, going for walks, learning about the history of different countries, collecting books and lending them to his friends, etc. His address is:
Arpit jain,
87 PO. rajgarh
District dhar MP. India. Pin 454116.
We also received a letter from Mr. Butani Rakesh H. also from India, in which he states that his mother tongue is Gujarati, the local language of the state of Gujarat in India and he studied English Literature with sighted people. His hobbies are reading, listening to the radio, making friends and maintaining friendships with them and talking on the phone in order to be aware of what is happening around him in all fields.
Khalid Zakariya Ayd Postal Code 32873, Ezbet Abu Yusif, Egypt, would like to correspond with blind and visually impaired people from Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and other areas of the world. He is totally blind and was born in 1977. He is interested in matters about blindness and culture and some of his hobbies are foreign languages, reading, exchanging ideas and opinions. He would like to receive letters in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. He would also like to receive an English-Turkish and Turkish-English dictionary in Braille.
Mr. Rashedur Rahman from Dhaka, Bangladesh would like to make friends with blind women irrespective of religion for a possible relationship. He has a post-graduate degree from the university of Dhaka. His interests are reading English books, collecting stamps, listening to the BBC radio and to the Voice of America, talking on the phone, etc. His address is:
Rashedur Rahman, 192/1 Bara Mog Bazar, Wireless Railgate, Dhaka, 1217, Bangladesh.
Finally, we received a letter from Mr. Denis Bui, from 1101, rue St. Joseph Appt 103, Sherbrooke (Quebec), H1J 3B5 Canada, e-mail: fanta590@yahoo.com, in which he states that he would like to find pen-pals from around the world. He is 38 years old and his interests include travelling, computers, books and music. He would like to correspond in German, Russian, English, French, Italian and Spanish in Grade 1 Braille.
As already specified we welcome any form of feedback.
Your ideas and contributions would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
9. Contact/Subscription Information
If you would like a copy of this newsletter in electronic form please send an e-mail to:
pot@logos.cy.net
Subject line: Subscription to Cyprus Braille
If you require a braille copy of the Newsletter sent by snail mail please send a letter to:
Christakis Nicolaides, Editor
Cyprus Braille
Pancyprian Organization of the Blind
P. O. Box 23511
1684 Nicosia
Cyprus
Or fax your request to:
Fax: 00357 22495395
For direct contacts please call:
Mob: 00357 99657467
The end