Agios Prokopios – Northern Cyprus Heritage (9)

Posted on July 29, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Agios Prokopios

In Sinirürstü / Syngrasis stands the church of Agios Prokopios. The building looks strong and healthy, and looks better now than it did on a photograph on this site (http://patrimundianorthcyprus.e-monsite.com/rubrique,ayios-prokopios,545036.html), that gives you by the way lots of information about heritage in Northern Cyprus.
The inside is not well preserved and pidgeons seem to rule the place which is not favourable for conservation of course. On the walls of the church’s courtyard we still find the words EOKA and ENOSIS: visible memories of fighting times. Is it a coincidence that the graveyard with its crosses in this courtyard was destroyed?

Other blogs you may like:
Agios Ambrosius church – Northern Cyprus Heritage (14)
Agios Chrisostomos – Northern Cyprus heritage (2)

Gaidhouras – Northern Cyprus Heritage (8)

Posted on July 29, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Gaidhouras church

The Gaidhouras church in Lefkoniko / Gecitkale is still in a good state. Until five years ago it was used as a mosque. Now the new cami is ready and the church stands empty. Pigeons have conquered the side aisle and this becomes dirty.
Locals say Greek Cypriots visit the church on a regular basis and told the church is much older than the presence of the Greeks in Northern Cyprus. I could not find any evidence about that information, no information at all actually about this church: if you have, it’s welcome!

The inside has a completely intact floor, very beautiful and a spectacular, undamaged wooden upper-floor.

Gecitkale also has a cemetery that is largely intact, although clearly neglected, unlike some other places (see my posts the coming days).
This place has been a bit away from direct fighting, and that works out better for heritage.

Antiphonitis – Northern Cyprus Heritage (7)

Posted on July 28, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Antiphonitis monastery church

The Byzantine monastery church of Antiphonitis lies lonely but strategically in the hills on the north side, not far from Sourp Magar (see blog Heritage (1). It has a special and beautiful architecture. Inside it has frescoes dating from the 12th to 15th century. Part of the frescoes have been looted, but others are still there.
Greek Cypriots have heavily blamed Turkish Cypriots for the looting, even suggesting that this was part of a bigger plan of the Turkish army to make all Greek signs disappear from their point of the island. Indeed there was a proven case of a Turkish art robber, cooperating with a Dutch one (see: http://www.cyprus44.com/kyrenia/antiphonitis-church.asp. But concerning the harm done to frescoes by visitors, I found hundreds of Greek writings on unique frescoes. Many of them seem to date from before the conflicts on the island, at least the dates that people marked in (!) the frescoes are all before 1975, dates like 1910, 1929 and 1960. This suggests that the Greek Cypriots didn’t care so much or protect this heritage themselves. Just a few pictures to show the serious damage done:

There is nothing Turkish there… it is too easy to blame ‘the enemy’, it is beside the facts and rather paranoid to blame the Turks for a deliberate appraoch in this destruction.

Mavi Kösk Blue House – Northern Cyprus heritage (6)

Posted on July 27, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Mavi Kösk Blue House

There are several sites describing the beauty of the Mavi Kösk Blue House between Camlibell and Sadrazam Köy. Although it is recent heritage (built in 1956) and most probably some army propaganda (see: http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/48200.asp), worth a visit everybody said. Info sites mention large opening hours so what could go wrong? But when I arrived, I was not rewarded by an entrance ticket but by learning more about car diversity.

The Mavi Kösk Blue House lies in a military camp so you pass along a soldiers barrier before approaching it. It is close to the monastery Agios Pandeleimon that I also visited. But I couldn’t pass, the guy said, because my car was a rental car from the South of Cyprus. First I thought he made a joke, but he was serious. Here I am, a Dutch person speaking quite some Turkish and visiting Northern Cyprus since many years and I was left out while others entered because I had the wrong car. Being discriminated because of your car only, I really never heard about that kind of ‘ayrimcilik’ before. Neither is it mentioned on any site about the Blue House, but the guy seriously told me ‘go change your car’, these were the rules. My offer to park the car and walk to the Mavi Kösk Blue House (only 500-1000 meters) was fiercely rejected because civilians can’t walk on a military site. Could have known that, Turks never walk anyway.

They didn’t offer me a hike to make the bridge between these few meters, they really sent me off. I think it was my first time in thirty years meeting with Turks that hospitality was denied. My experience so far was: they always find a solution, especially when you speak the language and know the culture. So they left me in shock.

It made me think of Germany some time ago. In the Netherlands, we used to drive the car we want. One could see a millionaire in a Fiat (a former Prime Minister was known for that) and a poor man in a BMW. In Germany this was not possible at that time. Every class had its car and everybody sticked with the rules and that made the world orderly and predictable. Germany changed, and so will hopefully one day the Turkish army. It is not the car that is the enemy, but the person inside it. The next spy might show up in a Turkish car….or in a car rented in the North of Cyprus. Hope Turkish soldiers will learn to see the difference 🙂

Other blogs you may like:
Elections in Turkey
A kastel is not a castle in Gaziantep
Museum of the history of Cypriot coinage
Alaniçi: moving memories of 1955 – 1974 (5)

Agios Pandeleimon – Northern Cyprus Heritage (5)

Posted on July 27, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Agios Pandeleimon monastery

The monastery of Agios Pandeleimon, patron saint of physicians, in Camlibel was in closed militairy area untill recently. The church is late 16th century, the 18th century monastery was already abandoned in the ’50’s and contained little of interest. The site shows an incredible negligence. Why not clean things a bit up before you leave them open to the public, I’d say to the army; it makes a much better impression. This looks like the army has really worn out the place and when there was nothing left, withdrew from it. Even if we keep in account that the monastery was already empty for some time it is a great pity.

The place is extremely beautiful and could be developed for new functions although I know that the Greek Cypriot Church is fiercely against that. However, like this a precious site is just falling into pieces. Why was the army so inconsiderate with this place? I think it is the same problem as for Agios Christostomos: when a church acts like a political factor, its buildings will be treated like that too. This is how valuable heritage is lost.

On a pillar of the church I found the words: ‘sleep quiet’, obviously written by someone with Turkish background as they always write the way they speak (‘slip kwot’). Although quite some Turkish Cypriots criticize the role and influence of the army, they never deny the core function of their presence: that since the army is here, they can sleep quiet.

Agios Ermelaos and Lapta – Northern Cyprus Heritage (4)

Posted on July 26, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Agios Ermelaos and Lapta

Sirinevler is a rather poor village. It is located not on the coastal side of the northern part of Cyprus where life is flourishing but behind the Besparmak ridge in the large Mesaoria plain that lies in between the Besparmak mountains in the North and the Troodos mountains in the South; in the middle of the Mesaoria, the Green Line dividing the island in two parts. On the Turkish side in the Mesaoria there are mainly farmers. Life is hard there, cold in winter, hot in summertime.

Where in the very North the EU is only present with some signs about improvement concerning environment, in the Mesaoria villages we find the EU improving the infrastructure and look of the villages themselves; this is really a poverty issue.
The church in Sirinevler that was called Agios Ermelaos before, is in a terrible state. It is a more simple church than the ones with frescoes and all, but it certainly doesn’t deserve this status. It is a little beauty that deserves to be there in all pride.

I think the pictures of Agios Ermelaos are clear: this is dreadfull…

And now a few pictures from two churches in Lapta on the northern side of the Besparmak ridge. There are more than 2 churches in Lapta but the overview is the same: these churches are preserved better and respected more. Lapta is much richer and more international than Sirinevler; this works out well for heritage conservation!

So when you are confronted with a diversity issue, do not assume too easily that the problem is diversity itself; it might be poverty and isolation. Solutions that you propose depend highly of the view you have about the situation: go for an indepth analysis!

Vrysi – Northern Cyprus Heritage (3)

Posted on July 26, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Vrysi

This piece was written July 2011. For update after visit December 2018, see below.

The neolithic site of Vrysi (ca. 4000BC) is an important site where many artefacts were found – to be seen in Girne’s museum. It is located inside the Acapulco Resort close to Catalköy, between the new restaurant and the sea and can only be reached via a ‘staff only’ backpath along the kitchens. However, all of the staff will be happy to help you out for a visit (just don’t ask for Vrysi cause they wouldn’t know but for ‘old houses’ and ‘history’) and with the purpose of visiting Vrysi, one has free entrance (checked that 🙂 to the Acapulco resort where every other thing has its price.

Vrysi is in a very bad state, apparently nobody is looking after this site. Of course it is difficult (see this book page) to preserve a site built of rubble and mud. Well, as far as I can see neither the Acapulco resort nor the Turkish Cypriot government give it even a try.

Some walls crumble down, others are invaded by the anemons that won’t do them any good, for sure. Maybe it is the site’s luck and survival that so few people visit Vrysi that Acapulco just built a new restaurant in front of it and that the staff doesn’t even know it’s name. However if this situation lasts another ten years, Vrysi might be lost.

Update after visit December 2018
I tried to visit the Vrysi site again through the backpath along the kitchens. A member of the kitchen staff stopped me in a rather intimidating way, an unusual way. There were no historical remains there, he shouted, there had never been a site like I described: ‘did I understand or what?’

terrace view

I left surprised but decided not to be sent off just like that. I entered the restaurant and spoke to two staff members who also denied the existence of a neolithic site. One of them called the manager. That manager was absolutely not happy but he did know what I talked about and said he would show me the remains of Vrysi. We went to the terrace outside where men were working to renew the terrace. From this spot I could take some pictures. Then the manager led me outside and waited until I left. He was polite and very unfriendly in the same time.

vrysi beach view

Acapulco is developing on all sides (hotel, casino, spa, beach, restaurant) and it is a beautiful place. Nothing wrong with this complex, their only bad luck is that they have Vrysi on their site that possibly hampers their ambitions. On the other hand, they could do something for it. Acapulco clearly thrives; why not spend a little bit of money and care to neolithic heritage? Think of the way Hotel Derlon in Maastricht has integrated Roman findings in their concept.

Other blogs about prehistoric findings you may like:
Gay caveman in Czech Republic
Museum of Art and Archaeology of the Périgord
Travels with Herodotus

Agios Christostomos – Northern Cyprus Heritage (2)

Posted on July 25, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Agios Christostomos

The church of Agios Christostomos was located in military area until 7 or 8 years ago. The Bogaz region where it stands was for many years, from 1963 to 1974 the middle point of severe fights. Most probably the status of the church was better before all this started. Looking at its exterior, there is not a big problem but when you look inside you can really see the negligence and the absolute destruction of unique frescoes:

Clearly for Turkish Cypriots this church is not felt as their heritage or their responsability. Agios Christostomos lies in the region where fightings among Greek and Turkish Cypriots in the ’60’s and ’70’s were most fierce. And that memory is alive, it appears, maybe also because there has always been few recognition for the problems of Turkish Cypriots. I made two other photographs here of recent graphitis:

The picture on the left is clear I guess, the one on the right has, if you look carefully, yellow graphiti mentioning ‘Hamitköy’. Hamitköy was the village where hundreds of refugees had to stay for over ten years in sheds and tents. They ran from Omorphita that was 80% Turkish and attacked by EOKA troops during christmas 1963. There was looting and killing and until today 150 persons are missing. It is significant that ‘Hamitköy’ is painted as a graphiti on a church.

Many Turkish Cypriots see the Greek Cypriot Church as the great inspirator of anti-Turkish feelings on the Greek side. For example at the moment Greek Cyprus has an electricity problem. Turkish Cyprus helps them out. The Greek Cypriot Government has accepted that, but the Greek Cypriot Church has heavily criticized this acceptance, as in their views anything from the North of Cyprus must be boycotted.

However unique the frescoes are, they will not be saved as long as this kind of discussions continue. Where people fight, heritage is suffering.

Sourp Magar – Northern Cyprus Heritage (1)

Posted on July 23, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Sourp Magar – Armenian monastery

Who is responsible for the heritage of buildings like churches and monasteries in Northern Cyprus? It is not that there is no money to preserve these monuments. Recent times have shown the construction of a number of new monuments showing the greatness of the Turkish state, celebrating the so-called freedom and peace operation of 1974 or setting Atatürk as a symbol for the Turkish Cypriots.

However, churches and monasteries are left in a very poor state, falling in decline and subject to vandalism and the expression of frustrations. The coming days I will show some examples.

This blogs shows you the Sourp Magar monastery, started as a Coptic monastery in the 11th century and in the 15th century taken over by the Armenians, see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourp_Magar . It was an important pilgrimage destination until 1974 (when the Turks took hold of Northern Cyprus). Now the monastery is in serious decline and needs immediate restauration if any of the beautiful parts are to be preserved for future generations.

It is such a pity that no responsability is felt for heritage within Turkish Cypriot borders. There is money here, and even a lot more than 10 years ago, that is visible everywhere.
However, monuments from Christian traditions are left to fall apart; the picture of the destroyed cross above this blog, taken in the Armenian Chapel is meaningful for the underlying feeling: that the fight is not just about human rights but also religious.

You may also like to read other blogs with an Armenian component:
Apostolos Andreas Monastery – Northern Cyprus heritage (21)
Minorities in Gaziantep
Gaziantep castle: panorama and nationalism

Gay caveman in Czech republic

Posted on April 12, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Gay caveman in Czech Republic

Archaeologists in the Czech Republic say that they found the first ever known gay caveman from Prehistory. Why interprete that our caveman was gay? Good question because, as you might suspect, only a skeleton was found so it could not be determined from his appearance or so. Well there are two main reasons for that:
1. he was buried head to the east like women always were, men were buried head to the west
2. he was buried with pots and jugs, not with weapons and tools like a real man would be
Read all about it at http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/04/07/2011-04-07_archaeologists_discover_firstever_gay_caveman_in_czech_republic_man_buried_with_.html

News articles like these are really funny, they show us not a lot about Prehistory but all about perceptions in the 21st century. Why would a man that was buried in a traditionally women’s way be gay? What has gay got to do with femininity? Some people in the 21st century think that being gay is close to being a woman, but we haven’t got a clue whether Prehistory had the same kind of stereotyping ideas about masculinity and femininity.

I have another suggestion, I think our caveman might have been some kind of prehistoric karate teacher. When I remember my karate teacher, I still see the eyeliner and other make-up he used in a time when not one single man was using make up in the Netherlands and not one tough guy would support being in the neighbourhood of such a man. All the tough guys were talking about it but non of them would dare to say a word about it when the karate teacher was there. They’d just shut up and follow his instructions….

So I think the caveman was a some kind of prehistoric karate teacher who loved to cook and who didn’t care to be different. His power was so strong that even after his death they followed his instructions for burial though it was contrary to all traditions. Let’s face it: don’t we all just love this type of karate teachers?!

Blogs you may also like:
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Social safety at work for gays and lesbians

Beware of the dog

Creating your dream: Efteling

Posted on January 6, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Creating your dream: Efteling

Yesterday me and my colleagues visited this beautiful Dutch Park called Efteling, in January even more attractive as Winter Efteling. It started as a project in 1952 to create in real life what was designed by Anton Pieck in his rather romantic drawings: a park with fairy tales and fantasy houses and castles.

I visited that park already as a small child with my parents with hundreds of other people. Nowadays, they are millions to come and see and enjoy, and the Efteling has grown, flourished and created so much more fairies and dreams.

As an entrepreneur it is encouraging to see what can evolve from initiatives when creative people have a dream and dare to make that come true in reality. Everybody dreams but the steps to creating your dreams in reality are often not made or proven unsuccessful. It must have been a very risk taking business for a person who’s core quality was drawing and designing, not running a park whatsoever – but he did it and it became a wonderful parc to visit for people from all over the world.

So my wishes for 2011 for everybody including myself is: may this be the best year for creating your dream and may millions enjoy it!

Grethe van Geffen

culture and diversity

Category Archives: Museums and heritage