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

Freedom Day Northern Cyprus

Posted on July 20, 2011 by wordpressgrethe

Freedom Day Northern Cyprus

Today I met with an old Cypriot friend. He sees his identity in the first place as Cypriot, then also as Turkish Cypriot. We saw each other in the center of Girne (Kyrenia) in the very North of Cyprus where the celebrations for the freedom of Northern Cyprus, the Turkish side of Cyprus were fully happening. 20th July 1974 the Turkish army started their action to take over charge of this part of the island, a peace operation in the eyes of some, an illegal invasion in the eyes of others. This date is now called Freedom Day.

Many people came today to the harbour of Girne for Freedom Day to see the military flight show that was indeed impressive. I tried to take some photographs but the jets should have slowed down a bit for more successful pictures – you see some poor results above this blog, couldn’t do any better sorry.

Discussion was heard whether showing freedom by military force was:
1. a male expression of freedom – women would show it otherwise
2. a middle eastern way of expressing – western europe would show it otherwise
3. a way to impress and frigthen the Greeks – in this version, the jets first made a tour around the green line to make the Greeks nervous before arriving in Girne for the show
4. just fun – it was indeed a perfect and exciting show
5. a way to make the Turkish Cypriots feel safe: look how much power we have, and we protect you

My friend as well as many other Cypriots was desillusioned when there was the UN-referendum for the unification of Cyprus in 2004 and the Turkish Cypriots said yes while the Greek Cypriots said no. Strange enough the Greek Cypriots were consequently rewarded by EU membership and the Turkish Cypriots were left out. Time will show whether this was the last (spoiled) opportunity for the Greek Cypriots to restore a common Cypriot identity, above national ‘homeland’ feelings and group identities. The North of Cyprus is now developing as a more independant Turkish identity, mainlanders start to live there and bring an ‘all Turkish’ culture in – the Turkish Cypriot identity is hardly surviving in these circumstances.

When I met my friend earlier today he asked me ‘did you really come over to see this event?’. I said in a joking tune, I wouldn’t miss any opportunity to celebrate Freedom Day on Northern Cyprus. ‘Oh, I feel so free’ he said. He didn’t travel for many years because the Turkish Cypriot passport would not be recognized by any country but Turkey. The Greek Cypriot passport does not apply. And he refuses to ask for a Turkish one that indeed he can obtain and that will be recognized. His identity does not formally exist.

The Turkish army, I do believe that, has guaranteed safety for the Turkish Cypriot community here. But after 37 years they are still on this island because the necessary followup – the political and economical support for Turkish Cypriots – was never realized. So the question is not: why are there military flight shows on a Freedom Day? But the question is: which politicians and entrepreneurs will bring better alternatives for Cyprus – when?!

Other blogs you may like to read:
Gaziantep castle: panorama and nationalism
Gaziantep war museum
Alaniçi: moving memories of 1955 – 1974 (5)

Grethe van Geffen

culture and diversity

Tag Archives: northern cyprus

Vrysi – Northern Cyprus Heritage (3)

Agios Christostomos – Northern Cyprus Heritage (2)

Sourp Magar – Northern Cyprus Heritage (1)

Freedom Day Northern Cyprus