Portrait of a Cypriot village – Athienou
Located in the Larnaka (Larnaca) region, the village of Athienou is a large community found midway between the city of Lefkosia (Nicosia) (38 km) and the town of Larnaka (33 km), and can be reached by following either the A3 and the B17 route, or the A2 and B2 route. Athienou is one of only four villages located within the United Nations Buffer Zone, the other three being Pyla, Troulloi and Deneia.
Athienou has been inhabited since the Neolithic period, and is the continuation of the ancient city-kingdom of Golgoi.
The village has a rich wheat growing and bread-making history, and is famous for its delicious traditional bread – known locally as ‘Athienitiko’ which visitors can watch being made – and its pastries, as well as its dairy products, which visitors can watch being made. It also has its own special handmade lace techniques known as ‘Venis’ lace (or ‘pittotes’) and Athienou Lace (known as ‘oloplouma’). These differ from Lefkara lace linens (known as Lefkaritika) and are made exclusively in Athienou. The lace craft has been recognised as part of the village’s unique heritage and added to the UNESCO National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Click here to see the video of the creation of the Exhibition “Seven Stories. Lace and Modern Art”
Athienou is famous for its bread, known as ‘Athienitiko’
Other interesting sights include the archaeological site of Athienou-Malloura, the Kallinikeio Municipal Museum (which also exhibits finds from the Malloura site), and several old, restored buildings – including a traditional flourmill, which now serves as a museum of the traditional methods of flour production.
Athienou’s churches of Panagia Chryseleoussa, Agios Fokas and Agios Georgios are particularly notable for their historically significant icons and frescoes.
Athienou is encircled by the buffer zone, in a cresent shape ironically, leaving it somewhat isolated. It used to be just 10/12 Km from Nicosia, but since 1974, the journey to Nicosia involves driving south, half way to Larnaca, across, past Dali and then back, making it 2/3 times the distance. However there is strong support for a crossing at Piroi, which would be wonderful for the village.
British woman who claimed gang rape remanded
A British woman, 19, was escorted to Famagusta district court by police on Tuesday, where she was remanded until August 7 for alleging she was gang-raped by 12 Israeli tourists almost two weeks ago. She arrived at the courthouse with her head covered at approximately 9 am, escorted by police. She had been detained overnight following a court hearing on Monday that was ultimately postponed for 24 hours due to the absence of her lawyer.
The woman, who alleged almost two weeks ago that she was gang-raped by 12 Israelis, is facing charges of public mischief after she reportedly confessed under questioning that her encounter with the teenagers was consensual. Their ages range from 15 to 18. According to information, the 19-year-old reportedly admitted that she had consensual sex with some of the Israeli teens but when she realised that others were recording on their cell phones, it angered her and she allegedly decided to get back at them by saying she was raped.
COMMENT
It is now becoming clear that this was a ridiculous allegation made by a very irresponsible and spiteful girl. What has surprised me is the number of people who have been making wild conspiracy allegations, based on information via the media. I hope that she will be prosecuted, to the full extent of the law for this, because her actions might just discourage a genuine victim to file a complaint, or discredit the law, placing women at risk.
It is hard enough to get a conviction for rape as it is and in a Europe where rape has increased dramatically, this makes the actions of this girl, all the more offensive. It appears that this case has also raised a lot of questions that we as a society must address, or risk falling further in to a moral abyss.
We know from the the constant stream of sinister events that the act of taking videos of other people’s suffering to whatever degree has got out of hand, What began years ago with ‘Happy Slapping’ has in recent years taken a vile and sinister turn on the slippery slope to where we are today.
Where young ladies are concerned, we must question if the social pressure for women to feel that it is acceptable for them to behave without any moral conscience, but at the same time, possibly as a result of the way many young women behave, along with free access to pornography when they are young and impressionable, too many young men have stopped treating women with the respect that they deserve and that is not something that a civilised society should overlook.
They took video of the girl in an intimate situation and posted it online, yet they were not charged with anything!
There is no doubt that filming this young lady was a gross act of disrespect, but everything moves incrementally, how many of us watch clips of people taken in embarrassing situations? although this may have been taken to a completely different level, it still begs the question that all of us should ask ourselves, and that is if we directly or indirectly condone the mindset of being entertained by the suffering or humiliation of others? If we accept the notion that we do, then we must also accept that this was a sinister evolution of something that we all passively allow.
In the meantime, it was not right for the boys to have filmed her, it is unclear why that they were not charged with that, but that does not mean that they should be charged with rape. There has been a shocking increase in youngsters taking videos of obscene actions, even stabbings in London, that is disgraceful of course, but there there is a lot of immorality that is not illegal.
As I have said before, rape convictions are ridiculously low as it is, I fear that somewhere, somehow, a genuine victim will not get justice because of this, either for fear of being ridiculed or because so many people have come to their own conclusion that these young men were guilty and somehow they were freed because of a back door deal, which also sends out a message that it is possible to get away with rape. Perhaps there should be less information released to the public until the full facts are gathered, but that in itself opens the door to further corruption behind the scenes, so it remains a very challenging fine line.
People have been taken to court and fined for appearing in people’s photographs that they have posted on Facebook, which is not actually the law, but an abuse of the law. As it stands, throughout Europe, the filming of anything or anyone in public is legal, including anything visible from a public place, unless you pursue people to photograph them, then that is harassment.
However, anything taken on private property must have the permission of the owner, hence the reason that photography is not allowed in the Cyprus Mall.
In this case, according to the law, they were on private property, but it depends on the way the law interprets consent for filming. I would have thought that at the very least, there would have been grounds for a case against the young men who posted the video, either under privacy laws or under the ‘revenge porn’ laws.
As it stands, the Cypriot authorities have made a statement that it is not an offence to do this and that is not acceptable.
Portrait of a Cypriot village – Kalopanayiotis
History
Kalopanayiotis is located in the evergreen valley of Setrachos river on the northern slopes of the Troodos range. It is one of the fourteen villages of the Marathasa area, the most mountainous area of Cyprus. The village is 70 km away from Nicosia and Limassol and is the first village to come across as one enters the Marathasa valley driving up from Nicosia.
Coming from Nicosia follow the road to Kykko Mon turning left at Astromeritis and right just before Evrichou heading towards Kalopanayiotis – Kykko. Driving up from Limassol the easiest route is to drive towards Moniatis – Saitas turn right just before Moniatis through the village of Kato Amiantos, past Kakopetria and Evrichou and left at the junction 3 km past Evrichou torward Kalopanayiotis – Kykkos.
History and Tradition
The area in which lies the village of Kalopanagiotis been known since ancient times but the village did not exist before the eleventh century. According to Mr. Myriantheas (“Studies”, 1991), during the pre-Christian period due to sulphide mineral springs, was hydrotherapy, dedicated to the god Asklepios (Asklepieion), which operated under the protection of the kings of Solon, where later They built the monastery of Ag. Irakleidios and Ag. Ioannis Illuminator. The buildings of spas that seems only used to house the “patient” and the spa was a stone basin that was carved in the position flowing from the thermal waters, the bed of the small “river” Setrachou. Spas can see a visitor today, a few meters away from the monastery, near the Venetian bridge.
History & TraditionTon 4th century AD after the Edict of Milan on religious tolerance (which put an end to the persecution of Christians) and the start of the movement of monasticism, pagan Asklipieio converted to Christian hydrotherapy as a monastery erected just beside the church of St. Irakleidios. It was the first monastery founded on this site in the 4th century AD Saint Herakleidios baptized Christian Apostles Paul and Barnabas Setrachou the waters of the river near the present monastery, while they were en route to Paphos which at the time was the capital of Cyprus.
History & Tradition after death of St. John the Illuminator, built by his parents in a small church, next to the church of St. Irakleidios where Saint John became a hermit for three years. Saint according to a report in “Lampadistou Code”, lived during the period of Emperor Nikiforos Fokas, 963-969 AD
The fame of St. John, who died young (age 22 years) and was worshiped for the wonders he has accomplished expelling demons (time Leontiou knife) and healing daimonizomenous, spread and clouded his reputation Ag. Irakleidios so that the monastery was by then known as the Monastery of St. John the Illuminator.
The Establishment of village Kalopanagiotis History & Tradition
In the eleventh century (shortly after the foundation of the monastery of St. John the Illuminator) appears the first resident to Panagiotis name that builds his house very close to the monastery of St. John. He was very good Christian and wanted to serve St. Panagiotis followed by other settlers created their own families and they built their own small churches. It was the ambition of every large family has its own chapel and at least one member to become a priest. Someone Sergius built the chapel of the martyrs Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Athanasios church of Saints Andronikos and Athanasia, George chapel of Ag. Georgios Kyriakos the chapel of Saint Kyriakos, creating nuclei for the 5 parishes of the village one sixth parish of “gel” that was originally monastic settlement with a church that of Archangel Michael. The churches are still preserved and some are under the protection of the Antiquities Department.
History & Tradition
The village was originally known as “Village of Panagiotis” which for the Franks was known as Casale Panayiotis, Kazalopanagiotis and where corruption Kalapanagiotis. Later during the English domination started when the official map of the island, the name Kalopanayiotis used. The village, built by the first settlers (Panagiotis, Sergius, Athanasius, George and Lord), was a small development of 5 or more independent family parishes constantly growing. The integration, however, the village in a continuous and integral whole continued after the destruction of Troullinou (1614 AD) and the dispersion of the inhabitants of the surrounding areas.
Cypriot History – Leontios Machairas
Leontios Machairas or Makhairas (Greek: Λεόντιος Μαχαιράς, French: Léonce Machéras; about 1380-after 1432) was a historian in medieval Cyprus.
The main source of information on him is his chronicle, written in the medieval Cypriot dialect. The chronicle documents events from the visit of Saint Helena to Cyprus until the times of the Kingdom of Cyprus. Machairas was Orthodox Christian but wrote with respect for the pope and the Catholic ruling class of Cyprus for whom he was working. He is the only source on “Re Alexis” rebellion of Cypriot serfs, which he condemned. Following usual Byzantine practice, he only used the word “basileus” (Greek for sovereign) for the Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, and referred to the king of Cyprus as “regas” (from Latin rex king). Machairas was also present at the Battle of Choirokoitia. The text as we have it became abbreviated after 1432, and historians believe the remainder of the text is a subsequent accretion.
There are manuscripts of the Chronicle at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice, and Ravenna. The Oxford manuscript was copied in Paphos in June 1555, according to an additional paragraph after the end of the chronicle. The chronicle was published by Konstantinos Sathas as part of his Medieval Library in Venice in 1873. The chronicles of Cyprus by Francesco Amadi and Diomede Strambaldi published by Rene de Mas Latrie in Paris in 1891 were translations of Machairas’s chronicle into Italian.
The chronicle was published again by Richard M. Dawkins with an English translation as “Recital Concerning the Sweet Land of Cyprus Entitled ‘Chronicle’– The chronicle of Makhairas” in Oxford in 1932. The Ravenna manuscript has not yet been incorporated into a critical edition.
The main source of information on him is his chronicle, written in the medieval Cypriot dialect. The chronicle documents events from the visit of Saint Helena to Cyprus until the times of the Kingdom of Cyprus. Machairas was Orthodox Christian but wrote with respect for the pope and the Catholic ruling class of Cyprus for whom he was working. He is the only source on “Re Alexis” rebellion of Cypriot serfs, which he condemned. Following usual Byzantine practice, he only used the word “basileus” (Greek for sovereign) for the Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, and referred to the king of Cyprus as “regas” (from Latin rex king). Machairas was also present at the Battle of Choirokoitia. The text as we have it became abbreviated after 1432, and historians believe the remainder of the text is a subsequent accretion.
There are manuscripts of the Chronicle at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice, and Ravenna. The Oxford manuscript was copied in Paphos in June 1555, according to an additional paragraph after the end of the chronicle. The chronicle was published by Konstantinos Sathas as part of his Medieval Library in Venice in 1873. The chronicles of Cyprus by Francesco Amadi and Diomede Strambaldi published by Rene de Mas Latrie in Paris in 1891 were translations of Machairas’s chronicle into Italian.
The chronicle was published again by Richard M. Dawkins with an English translation as “Recital Concerning the Sweet Land of Cyprus Entitled ‘Chronicle’– The chronicle of Makhairas” in Oxford in 1932. The Ravenna manuscript has not yet been incorporated into a critical edition.
I am still researching this man, if you have any further information about him, please feel free to contact me….thank you.
Portrait of a Cypriot village – Lefkara
Lefkara is where the Cypriot folk needlecraft art is born – the famous “lefkaritiko” – which the reputation of has gone beyond the frontiers of Cyprus and has become known in most of the European countries but not only there.
Lefkara owes its welfare and prosperity as always spotted to this needlecraft art and to its trade launched in the late 19th century, flourishing during the 20th century first thirty years.
GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION – CLIMATE – POPULATION
The village is situated at the foot of the Troodos Mountains in the south eastern region, 650m above sea level, 45 km from Nicosia, 30 km from the Larnaca airport and just 12 km from the Nicosia – Limassol highway. It is not really far from the sea, yet, it is located high enough for the moist air coming in from the sea to get dry by the time it reaches the village. Therefore, Lefkara becomes an excellent destination during summer time because of the relatively low humidity from May to October and also the mild temperatures in the region.
Today, the population of the village, which in the post-second-world period exceeded 2500 inhabitants, is not more than 1000 inhabitants amongst whom there are many expacts, because of emigration and rural-urban migration. A significant number of locals have been living in New York, London, South Africa and even Australia. The name of Lefkara village derives from the colour of the surrounding calcareous rocks: “White rocks = Lefkara”. Considering the archaeological findings, the Lefkara region has most probably been inhabited for centuries. Though there is not any relevant evidence, the settlement is likely to have progressively been established and has developed reaching its current status during the Arab raids between the 7th and 9th century A.D.
The inhabitants of the island were forced by the situation due to the raids to move from the coastal areas where they were living in this period to the inland ones, looking for safer places to settle. However, the very first written historical statement about Lefkara is brought out in Cypriot big type letters: Saint Neophytos the Recluse, who was born in Lefkara in 1134, according to the information provided by him.
During the occupation period by the Franks, Lefkara became the see of the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Limassol, Amathus and Curium and was one of the four Orthodox Bishops’ sees. This occurred following a papal decision according to which the Cyprus Church administration should be placed under the jurisdiction of the Latin Archbishop resulting to the Greek Orthodox Bishops being forced to abandon their sees in the cities and settle in the rural areas.
Later Lefkara during the occupation period by the Venetians (1489 – 1570 A.D.) is referred to as a summer resort for the Venetian nobles and their families. According to some researchers, the Lefkara needlecraft known as “lefkaritiko” goes back to this period and the nobles’ wives influenced to some extent the technique used by the Lefkara women. Furthermore, it is said that Leonardo da Vinci, the big Renaissance artist visited Cyprus in the late 16th century as a guest of Catherine Cornaro – Queen of Cyprus. He then visited Lefkara and bought a big tablecloth embroidered on all sides, which was donated to the Milan Cathedral.
In 1570 the Turks conquered Cyprus and according to historical sources of the western world, Lefkara made its submission to the Turks and obtained some prerogatives. Yet according to more recent data contained in the folk poem “The Lament of Cyprus” a totally different version is provided, giving evidence of the large village where civilians arrived to save themselves, ending up in being the first victim of the Ottoman incursions.
Therefore, the village was ransacked and its population was massacred. A further significant event likely to have occurred during that period is the small surrounding settlements being abandoned for safety reasons and the fact that their population moved to the main Lefkara settlement. Some years later, the British colonization occurred in 1878 and namely in 1883 Lefkara and Morphou were declared the first rural municipalities in Cyprus. A Town Hall becoming operational there has been a determining fact for the further development of this large village, contributing drastically in its progress and its inhabitants’ welfare. Then a number of regulations were enacted, setting in order so many things in the large village.
An abattoir, a municipal market with a distinct butcher’s shop and a pig meat shop were established. Street lamps were installed to enhance local electrification. A group of experts in street lamps lighting and road sweepers were appointed. The problem of water scarcity is dealt with, whereas in 1934 an electric generator was installed in Lefkara to supply all houses with electricity resulting from an agreement co-signed by the Municipality and a private company. In 1938 a telephone line connecting Lefkara with Larnaca was installed.
Portrait of a Cypriot Village – Koilani
Among Krasochoria in Limassol, Koilani is one of the most famous, with a rich, long historical tradition and cultural heritage. It is built in the eastern part of Afamis and its vineyards cover a vast area, lying adjacent to Omodos, Madria, Pera Pedi, Sylikou, Lofou and Vouni. There are remnants and place names from ancient times in the village. It is an Arcadian colony, which is attested to by many place names. The name “Koilani” comes from Kyllini in the Peloponnese, Mount Afamis from Euphemus Zeus in Arcadia, as well as Kremmos of Goddess Ira.
There were found several tombs with Roman pots. There are also remnants from the Early Christian Times, the Frankish Period, the Turkish Occupation, and of course our island’s recent history. According to Dean Kyprianos, author of “The Chronological History of the Island of Cyprus,” who came from Koilani, at the time of the Turkish Occupation, the village used to have about a thousand houses, was granted permission to produce and process silk, and it paid–along with other villages–a special tax for the army. There are also mentioned its products: grapes, wine, fruit and vegetables, just like today. It also boasted lowland products, coming from the fields in Paramali. Koilani was the capital of the prefecture of Koilanion, one of the sixteen administrative peripheries into which the Turks divided Cyprus for administrative and tax purposes. It held the same position during the Frankish Occupation, which it kept during the British Period up until the ‘40s.
During the British Occupation, Koilani was an administrative centre with a Register, Court, Police Station, Medical Centre, and a Post Office. It also boasted a number of small industries and labs, such as blacksmith’s shops, shoemaker’s shops and carpenter’s shops. At home, women had silkworms, produced silk, wove and manufactured handkerchiefs, breeches and belts. They also embroidered pipilla, crochet, lefkaritika, and many more. Their textiles were exquisite, and they also made the noted eftaliotika handkerchiefs.
Down, in the verdant valley, the River Kryos peacefully flows, irrigating the gardens full of apple trees, pear trees and other fruitful trees.
In older times, the river waters turned the flourmills, which constituted an important part of the village’s trade. People used to come from the surrounding villages to have their wheat ground and shop, or even make transactions at the governmental offices. All this attracted people from the surrounding villages and brought liveliness and mobility.
Justifiably, Koilani was the name of the village capital of Krasochoria and Koilanion Prefecture. Up until 1946, the village had a population of 1,300 Greek and 85 Muslim inhabitants. The Muslims had their mosque and a muezzin, as well as a school with 2 teachers. The mosque used to be a Christian temple of Aghia Sophia. Our primary school had 230 students and 5 teachers back in 1946. The social phenomenon of urbanisation from the ‘50s, which still goes on today, literally evacuated the village. Seldom are there any weddings held, while our primary school has been left with two, at times one, teachers. Nowadays, it does not operate.
The two churches of the village, the one dedicated to Holy Mary (Panaghia) and the other to the Only Begotten Son of God (Monoghenis), with the two priests each, nowadays operate in turn, for there are a few people and there is only one priest. We nostalgically reminisce about life in the village, back in those hard but beloved years, when toil and hard work took the sting out of any human impiety and selfishness. Human relations were cordial, entertainment was a match for the masses’ happiness, and pain was common ground.
Despite its desolation, the village still maintains most of its former characteristics. Up until now, it has retained its traditional architecture, since new houses are rarely built. Its characteristic style includes its narrow, uphill alleys, with many impasses. In addition, high walls with gates, arched, vaulted or rectangular, lie imposing, shutting small yards away from prying eyes. It is evident that family asylum was of utmost importance and was highly protected.
The whole village is densely built, literally squeezed into whole blocks with terraced houses, adjacent to each other. Decades ago, housewives used to whitewash their walls, adding the noted blue (loulaki), which gave a bright blue hue. The women of Koilani are characterised by neatness, industriousness and prudence. They work in the vineyards, in the home, while in earlier times they used to weave and knit the noted pipilla or the crochet of smilios, and many more. Today, the ones left behind continue with the same deftness all the traditional works, such as the needlecraft, the rusks, glytzista, and keep our folklore tradition.
Men are equally hardworking and neat. Deep inside of them, there is unique love for progress and diligence, which positively contributed to Koilani’s having so many successful inhabitants, who nowadays comprise the Cypriot society. It is noteworthy that this tradition has deep roots. Koilani is the birthplace of Dean Kyprianos, the 18th century enlightened scholar who wrote “The Chronological History of the Island of Cyprus,” as well as Archbishop Paisios.
Their oblations bear testament to their love for their village. An epitaph offered by Dean Kyprianos and vestments by Archbishop Paisios are still with us in the Holy Temple of the Only Son (Monoghenis). Besides, Koilani is the birthplace of Scholar Leontios Efstratios, Anthemios Patriarch of Antiochia, Ecumenical Patriarch Gerasimos Kassavetis and Metropolitan of Dimitrias, Athanasios Kassavetis. Teacher Constantinos Michaelidis (Koilaniefs) fought and got killed in Kilkis in 1912, during the Balkan Wars. Maintaining its old architecture, its inhabitants’ traditional pastimes, with all those tools and utensils of viticulture and the processing of grapes, the village could be said to constitute in itself a Museum, where tradition is kept immutable and long-established works are effortlessly adjusted to new conditions.
Wandering around the village, the visitor gets a feel for times past and lives the peace of another era. In Koilani’s two museums, the Ecclesiastical and the Viticultural one, there remain notable samples of our ecclesiastical tradition and folk art. Apart from the two churches, the village boasts many chapels. The most noted one is that dedicated to Saint Mavri (Aghia Mavri), with significant murals and unusual architecture, under the huge plane tree in a majestic environment. The Association of Koilanians, from the very first years of its foundation, in collaboration with the Community Council, endeavours to revive the village, while maintaining its characteristics.
In this vein, the Association helped build two museums and restore the olive mill, while the Department of Antiquities maintained the little church of Aghia Mavri and the Only Begotten Son of God, made cobbled paths, and many more. Besides, there has been an attempt to bring life and mobility to the village, while offering Koilanian emigrants and friends the opportunity to get together. In this framework, Afamia, Palouze’s celebration, is held at the first weekend of October.
Afamia had already become an institution. Against a beautiful, autumn backdrop, where aromas of grapes and must waft in the air, Koilani celebrates its most exquisite event and invites everyone to join in. It invites them to enjoy a great artistic programme, try the Koilanian palouze, walk along the village’s roads and alleys, visit its museums, churches, school, police station, where painting and photography exhibitions are hosted, and buy products from their source: rusks, soutsouko, nuts, molasse (epsima), raisins, and many more. It also celebrates the opening of the jars (Pithoigia) in November. The village and Aghia Mavri also boast five wineries and several cafe-restaurants.
Koilani is waitng for you to pay a visit.
Portrait of a Cypriot village – Kokkinotrimithia
Kokkinotrimithia is a village in the Nicosia district in Cyprus and it is about 11 kilometres from the city of Nicosia. According to the inventory in 2011 it had 4.077 residents. It borders with Mammary which is at the north of the village, the Paleometocho which is at the south and Akaki which is to the east. The residential area of Kokkinotrimithia is divided into three zones, A and B communities and the central village. Also Kokkinotrimithia is the industrial area of the capital.
The population of Kokkinotrimithia is 5000 residents according to the inventory in 2013. History Kokkinotrimithia appeared on the Venetian maps as Tremitousa and according to Voustronius, is was given to Belaraz during the 14th century. According to the same historian during 1464-1468 it was given to the Venetian Louka Bragdine. However the history of Kokkinotrimithia becomes lost in the depth of history until the Age of the copper.
The village became well known was a prison camp where thousands of Greek-Cypriots were taken prisoners during the freedom war of EOKA 1955-1959. The prison camp was built by the English so that the political prisoners would be held there. It is located about 2km from the village and it operated during the end of 1955 until the beginning of 1959.
The camp is made up of many tall rows of wire, with wooden towers for the guards. After the Turkish invasion in 1974, the village had many refugees which increased the population and extended the residential area with the two refugee communities. To the north of Kokinotrimithia is the building of the Police Station which originally was a train station which operated in Cyprus during the first half of the 20th century. Architecture The centre of the community exhibits very nice samples of the local architecture.
Kokkinotrimithia has a total of five churches, four which have an interested due to their antiquity. In the centre there is the church of the Virgin Mary which is dated back to 1905. A little further there is a beautiful chapel of Saint George , which seems to be built on the ruins of an older church built during the 11th or 12th century and is a true gem for the community.
At the old cemetery there is an old church of the Archangel Michael which was built during the 16th century. The community churches The church of Entry of the Virgin Mary It is located between two churches, Archangel Michel and Saint George and it is devoted to the entry of the Virgin Mary.
According to witnesses, they began building the church in 1900 and it was completed in 1906. The church is built with stone and is celebrated on the 21st of November every year. The church of Archangel Michael It is the most ancient church in the village and the exact date which it was built is unknown.
In historical books it is mentioned as the 16th century and in others in the 17th century. From the description of the church it is definite that it was completed by 1615. According to witnesses, this small chapel seems to be a chapel of the medieval feud because it is known even today as being Venetian.
To the right of the church there is a mural of Archangel Michael in very bad condition. The surrounding area of the church is used as a cemetery. The church of Saint George According to tradition the four churches in the village form a cross and that is why the fifth one was built later on. One of these churches is that of Saint George. It was built in the area which were the ruins of an older church and the residents lit candles to honour Saint George.
The builders managed to preserve some of the parts of the first chapel and it was rebuilt in 1989. At the church courtyard there is a monument in honour of the fallen and missing persons from the 1974 war. The church of Saint Mamandos It is located at the west of the village, in the area of Petrakoura. It was built a little while after the invasion at the first refugee community.
The church is about 6×14 metres. It is dedicated to Saint Mama the Saint of the Akrites to remind everyone the town of Saint Mamantos, Morfou and the neighbouring villages. The church is celebrated on the 2nd of September. The church of Apostle Varnavas Besides the ancient churches which are in the village, there is also a new one built during the last few years, dedicated to Apostle Varnavas the founder and protector of the church of Cyprus. This church operated for the first time during Christmas in 2005. It is the largest and most impressive church in the community. Education In the community there is a community kindergarten which existed since 1982 and during the year 2007-2008 the new public kindergarten operated as well.
The village of Kokkinotrimithia has two primary schools. The A ‘Primary school has operated since 1883 and the B’ Primary School since 1994-1995. It also has a regional gymnasium which operated in 2002. The M.Koutsofta and A.Panagidi Lyceum is also at the borders of the village and is in the Kokkinotrimithia region.
The Misandry of the legal system in Cyprus
I recently came a cross this post in a group, it was posted by a Cypriot man, who is being pursued through the courts by his ex-wife and daughter to force him to pay for his daughter’s university fees.
In Cyprus, the law regards your children as dependants until they are TWENTY EIGHT years old! this means that they are entitled to demand financial aid from their father until this age.
The full text of the post:
Μεγάλη αδικία σε βάρος πατεράδων ( το τελευταίο διάστημα ) που για κάποιους λόγους χώρισαν κι έχουν παιδιά.
Και δε μιλάω για τη διατροφή ως τα 18…
Μιλάω για την ανικανότητα ή τον υπερβολικό ζήλο κάποιων απ’ τους δικαστές ή δικαστίνες ( ίσως και των νόμων ) που δίνουν την κηδεμονία (κατ’ αρχάς ) σε ανίκανες ( όχι σωματικά, αλλά πνευματικά, εγγεφαλικά) μανάδες οι οποιές στρέφουν τα παιδιά ενάντια στον ΠΑΤΈΡΑ και μέσα απ’ την ανικανότητά τους, τους βάζουν να κινήσουν αγωγή τους ΠΑΤΕΡΆΔΕΣ ΤΟΥΣ για……..
ΦΟΙΤΗΤΙΚΉ ΔΙΑΤΡΟΦΗ??????????
Και κάποιοι ΑΧΑΠΑΡΟΙ ΔΙΚΑΣΤΕΣ, ΔΙΚΑΣΤΙΝΕΣ επιβάλλουν αυστηρότερες Διατροφές από τις προηγούμενες που δεν προσδιορίζουν και χρόνο λήξης……..
Ο ΠΑΤΈΡΑΣ δλδ πρέπει να φτάσει σε ακραία σημεία και η ΜΆΝΑ η Α
ΑΝΊΚΑΝΗ ( και οι δικαστές – δικαστίνες ) να νιώθει – ουν δικαιωμένη – οι για όλη την ΑΝΙΚΑΝΟΤΗΤΑ που τους διακατέχει…
Νομίζουν οι Δικαστάδες ότι δικαιώνουν τη μια πλευρά, και δε βλέπουν ότι καταστρέφουν την άλλη με όλη αυτή την υπερπροστατευτικότητα. Είναι ΕΓΚΛΗΜΑΤΊΕΣ….
Great injustice against fathers (lately) who for some reason broke up and have children.
And I’m not talking about eating until 18 …
I am talking about the incompetence or the exaggerated zeal of some of the judges or judges (perhaps even of the laws) who give the guardianship (firstly) to incompetent (not somatic, but spiritual, bureaucratic) mothers who turn children against PATERA and through their incompetence, they put their FATHERS on their ……..
STUDY SUPPORT ??????????
And some HUGE JUDGES, JUDGES impose stricter support than previous ones that do not specify and end time ……..
FATHERS are forced to reach extreme situations and MANA or A.
INCOMPETENT (and judges – judges) feel – they are justified – for all their INCOMPETENCE that they possess …
Judges think that they justify one side and do not see that they destroy the other with all this overprotection. It’s CRIMINAL ….
COMMENT
Cyprus is no place to be if you are a man, caught up in a legal system where women can do no wrong, the blatant contempt for men within the legal system in Cyprus has already caused a massive shift in social behaviour, with more and more men, taking a back seat in life and not starting a family. I have personally been a victim of the failed legal system in Cyprus and the arrogance of Judges who decide to play God when they are actually capitulating to the ubiquitous misandry of the legal system as a whole. Sadly, this is little more than an extension of the blatant degradation and legal subjugation of men, that has spread throughout Europe in the last few decades.
When I filed for my divorce, I went above and beyond to do the best by my child as well as my ex-wife, but it seems that from a legal perspective, as well as a social perspective, men in Cyprus are considered to be little more than Sperm donors and providers with bottomless pockets. As time went by, it became clearly obvious, that no matter how bad my ex-wife was as a mother, the Social Services, the Law as well as social pressure was always on her side, even when there was a need for my daughter to be taken in to care.
My ex-wife even declared that she did not want her, so I arranged for her to come to live with me in the UK, but on her arrival, I told my ex-wife that I would no longer be paying her child support as my daughter was now in my care, whereby she immediately applied through the courts (all paid by the Government) and I had to bear the cost and the suffering of fighting to protect my child in the High Court of London. In the end, the judge ordered her to be returned and I had to hand her over kicking and screaming to a court official.
It did not last long, Social Services were aware of her terrible situation and the following year, they gave my ex-wife an ultimatum, to either send my daughter to me, or they would take her in to care, so she agreed, but not before having me arrested like a common criminal for non-payment of child support, even for the period that my daughter was with me. The sad thing was that the damage was already done, even though I spent the next decade raising my daughter alone, her mother’s influence continues to poison her mind and the law is behind her.
“Is one small victory for individual women in danger of being detrimental to womankind as a whole?”
Having lived back in Cyprus since she was 18 at her request, my ex-wife continued to poison my daughter’s mind, to demand more and more from me, because in Cyprus, being a father is all about paying, eventually within the last year, my ex-wife has conspired with my daughter and I am fighting 4 different cases through the courts, none of them justified, 2 have been thrown out already, the other 2 will also amount to nothing, but I have once again been left with massive legal costs, because the law despises men.
I consider the current climate to hold men in such contempt, that I understand why men increasingly shy away from marriage and quite justifiably so. In the end, women have been riding the wave of feminism for so long, that they have become oblivious to the fact that this has only served to undermine the family unit and is actually causing social meltdown, because like the UK, men in Cyprus are beginning to withdraw and that will have dire consequences.
Most under 30/35 do not even want to get married, of those who do, many are simply pressured, cajoled or oblivious to the horrid agenda that awaits them.
Cypriot Villages Makrasyka
A visit to occupied Makrasyka
The village of Makrasyka(incirli), is located in the occupied part of South-west Cyprus, just north of the crossing at Pergamos.
Historical Population
Makrasyka was always an exclusively Greek Cypriot village. During the British period, the population of the village increased considerably, from 181 in 1891 to 747 in 1960.
Displacement:
All of the village’s inhabitants were displaced in 1974, as they fled from the advancing Turkish army to the southern part of the island. Currently, like the rest of the displaced Greek Cypriots, the Greek Cypriots of Makrasyka are scattered throughout the island’s south, with small pockets in the Larnaca district. The number of the Makrasyka Greek Cypriots who were displaced in 1974 was around 950 (920 in 1973 census).
Current Inhabitants:
Today the village is mainly inhabited by displaced Turkish Cypriots from villages in the Paphos district, such as Asprogia(296), Melandra(325), Anadiou(290), Mamountali(321) Kidasi(310), as well as from Avdimou(260) village in Limassol. In addition, some Turkish nationals from Adıyaman and Adana provinces in Turkey settled in the village in 1975-76. The 2006 Turkish Cypriot census puts the village’s total population at 432.
Switching to fuji – one year later
In this video, I summarise the most important benefits to myself since I changed to fuji. In Photography it is very easy to spend a lot of money on equipment that you don’t need or won’t really use. If money were no object, many of us might rush out and buy a Nikon D850, or Hasselblad along with some of the best lenses, but is that what you really need? If you are working in a studio, producing high end images that are priced accordingly, but that is not most photographers, that is not even most professional photographers.
If you are a dedicated sports or nature photographer, once again, you may actually need a Nikon D500/D5 with a 600mm f/4, but once again, that is a fraction of photographers.
As for me, I have been a Nikon fan since I was at school, apart from my first camera which was a Zenit e, I have been Nikon all the way, but at one point, I began to tire of the size and weight, perhaps I got carried away and had too much equipment with me, but I knew that I wanted a more enjoyable option.
I tried switching to Sony first, but it was not for me, image quality is great, but I did not like the way they feel in your hand, I do not like the menu system and I found them too fiddly. I then decided to try fuji and I have never looked back. As soon as I got hold of the Fuji x-t1, I loved it, I love the way it feels in the hand, it feels like a pro-build camera, I opted for the Chrome version, which I love. suddenly, I feel that I am using one of my old Nikon cameras but digital.
My favourite lens on this camera is the Smayang 12mm f/2, I absolutely love it. Fuji do not make an equivalent lens, although they do make the 8-16 f/2.8 which is around £2k, much heavier and actually defeats the object of having lighter gear. I don’t often feel that I need a wider lens, although I will add the Samyang 8mm f/2.8 fisheye, which once again, is small and very high quality.
As I’ve mentioned before in my lens buying strategy video, it is very wise to actually have a lens strategy, it is actually worth buying lenses in focal lengths that double, otherwise you easily end up with redundant lenses. in my case, I have opted for 12mm, 23mm and 56mm plus a fisheye and the 18-55mm as my travel or video lens.
The greatest benefit of all for me personally, that the fuji system offers is the film effects. When I was shooting Nikon, I always shot RAW, this meant that every time I went out on a photo walkabout, I would have to come home and sift through hundreds of images in Lightroom. Now that is all well and good if it is something important, a Wedding, a specific image that I want to create, a Panorama, etc, but for everyday photography it became tedious. since I switched to fuji, I have the benefit of the wonderful film effects, which means that I can switch from Velvia to Astia, or Provia plus many more while I’m out shooting, meaning that I can get the effect I want in camera, saving me a lot of time. Not to mention the fact that I can see exactly what an image will look like through the viewfinder, before I shoot, then I have a completed images that I can sned to my phone or tablet and upload as I go, which makes the whole experience a pleasure.