Cyprus Solution Revisited and Turkey's Hypocrisy Unveiled: Cypriot Keryneia for 3.150 years, its mother Keryneia for 7.850

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Cypriot Keryneia for 3.150 years, its mother Keryneia for 7.850

Sign on the road Athens -Patras

Keryneia (Greek: Κερύνεια) is a Greek village located west of Corinth and Athens, north-northwest of Kalavryta and east of Aigio and Patras. Nea (New) Keryneia is a new village and its residents arrived from Keryneia which is located 4 km away. The origin of the name dates back to the ancient times and its ancient settlement, whose residents founded Keryneia in occupied northern Cyprus and gave its name. See images of the ruins of ancient Keryneia in Greece, where Cepheus and Praxandros came from, to found Cypriot Keryneia and Lapithos respectively, which by history, law and ethics can never be allowed to be Turkish.

The Keryneia district is Greek through the centuries. The town of Kyrenia as well as the neighbouring town of Lapithos, which is situated 8 miles west of Kyrenia, were centres of Greek Kingdoms in ancient times. The history of Hellenism in this area begins as early as 13th century B.C. when the Mycenaean Greeks came to Cyprus.

East of Kyrenia lays the «Coast of Achaeans». Here, according to Strabol (14.682.3), Teucer came ashore, the man who established Salamis after the Trojan war. Moreover many other testimonies from ancient writers, apart from the great number of archaeological findings, testify to the Greek character of Kyrenia since the dawn of history.

Skylax («Periplus» Muller 1, p. 77.103) says that «Near Cilicia there is the island of Cyprus and many towns in it, the following: Salamis, Karpasia, Kyrenia, Lapithos, Soli, Marion, and all Greek”.

The earliest reference made to the town of Kyrenia is found, together with that of the other seven city kingdoms of Cyprus, in Egyptian scripts dating from the period of Ramesses III, 1125-1100s BC.

The name Kyrenia is very common in the ancient Greek world. Ancient Keryneia's runis are found on a mountain in the Peloponnese, called Kyrenia, from where the first Greeks came to Cyprus. Kyrenia was built soon after Trojan war by Kefeas or Cepheus, a Greek from Achaea (Lycofron st. 856).

Lapithos was built by Praxandros who came from Laconia (Sparta). Strabo (14.682.3) says that «there is a town called Lapithos which has a harbor and shipyards and was built by Laconians and Praxandros».

Lapithos was named after the Greek hero Lapithos (12th century B.C.) who died in battle there, as Nonnos says in his «Dionysiaka» (15.422.450).

The Greek character of the region and the existence of Greek Kingdoms were preserved through the ancient times although Cyprus was occupied successively by the Assyrians (8-6th century B.C.), the Egyptians (6th century B.C.) and the Persians (6-4th century B.C).

During the victorious campaigns of Alexander the great against the Persian Empire, this Greek region happily found its freedom. During the wars which followed Alexander’s (the great) death, the Greek Kingdoms of Cyprus were divided in supporting the belligerent successors of the Great Macedonian.

Diadorous Siculus (19.79) says that in 312 B.C. Ptolemy arrested Praxipos the king of Lapithos and the king of Kyrenia, because they were on the side of Antigonos of Syria. At this time, i.e. the end of 4th century B.C. dates the wreck of an ancient Greek commercial ship and remains of its cargo which were found (by a Kyrenian diver Andreas Kariolou) and salvaged by an archaeological mission of the University of Pennsylvania, in the Kyrenia Sea.

During the Roman occupation of Cyprus a Greek inscription of 42-43 A.D. was erected by Kyrenia city Council in honour of its benefactor Tiberious Chandrias Aenias. This inscription was discover in 1898 and constitutes an indisputable proof of the Geek character of the region.

The people of Kyrenia were converted to Christianity during the first years of the Christian era, following the teaching of Saint Barnabas, as it is cited in the life of Saint Afxivios.

St. Barnabas has preached Christianity in this region together with St. Marc (46 A.D.) The Byzantine Empire succeeded the Roman occupation and ruled Cyprus till 1191 A.D. During this time along with Kyrenia flourished the city of Lampousa, the ruins of which are near the Greek village of Karavas. Here, the famous silver discs of Lampousa (7th century B.C.) were found, which now are in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, the British Museum and the Cyprus Museum. These discs as well as many other works of art, such as icons, mosaics, churches, and monasteries, such as the monastery of «Panayia Achiropiitos», the monastery of Antifonitis, etc. clearly reveal the profound Christian faith of the Greek population of Kyrenia.

The Frankish occupation of Cyprus (1191 -1489) was followed by the Venetian (1489-1570/71), the Turkish (1571-1878) and the English occupations (1878-1960).

In 1571 Sultan Selim II, after the conquest of Famagusta and just before the sea battle of Lepanto, occupied the famous Kyrenia castle and city.

The conquerors came and left and in 1960 Cyprus was declared an independent Republic. The Greek inhabitants of the region had always lived peacefully and in harmony with the small number of Muslim Cypriots, who either converted to Islam during the Ottoman era for preferential tax treatment or migrated from Asia Minor during the same period.

The conquerors who occupied Cyprus and Kyrenia were many, but Kyrenia preserved its Greek character in all aspects of life, its Greek civilisation and language, because the Greek roots in the region of Kyrenia are historically so deep that no unjust and inhuman invasion, or, the barbarous displacement of its people by Attilas in 1974, can obliterate.

From its early days of settlement, Kyrenia's commerce and maritime trade benefited enormously from its proximity to the Asia Minor coast. Boats set sail from the Aegean islands, traveled along the Asia Minor coast, and then crossed over the short distance to the northern shores of Cyprus to reach the two city kingdoms of Lapithos and Kyrenia. This lively maritime activity (late 4th or early 3rd century BC) is evident in an ancient shipwreck discovered by Andreas Kariolou in 1965, just outside Kyrenia harbour. The vessel's route along Samos, Kos, Rhodes, the Asia Minor coastline and then Kyrenia, demonstrates the town's close maritime relations with other city kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean.

During the succession struggle between Ptolemy and Antigonus that followed Alexander the Great's death in 323 BC, Kyrenia was subdued under the rule of the kingdom of Lapithos that allied itself with the Antigonid dynasty. Diodorus Siculus(19.79) observes that in 312 B.C. Ptolemy arrested Praxipos the king of Lapithos and the king of Kyrenia. Once the Ptolemies were successful in dominating the whole island, all city kingdoms were abolished. Kyrenia however, because of its maritime trade, continued to prosper. In the 2nd century BC, it is cited as one of six Cypriot towns which were benefactors to the Oracle at Delphi, that is, it received its special representatives who collected contributions and gifts. The town's prosperity at this time is also evident from its two temples, one dedicated to Apollo and the other toAphrodite, and from the rich archeological finds dating from the Hellenistic period excavated within the present-day town limits.

The Romans succeeded the Ptolemies as rulers of Cyprus and during this time Lapithos became the administrative centre of the district. The numerous tombs excavated and the rich archeological finds dating from this period indicate however, that Kyrenia continued to be a populous and prosperous town. An inscription found at the base of a limestone statue dating from 13-37 AD, refers to ‘Kyrenians Demos' that is, the town's inhabitants. Here as everywhere else, the Romans left their mark by constructing a castle with a seawall in front of it so that boats and ships could anchor in safety.

Christianity found fertile ground in the area. The first Christian martyrs used the old quarries of Chrysokava, just east of Kyrenia castle, as catacombs and cut-rock cemeteries which are considered among the island's most important specimens of this period. Later, some of these caves were converted into churches and feature beautiful iconography, the most representative of which is that found at ‘Ayia Mavri.' From these early days, the town of Kyrenia was an episcopal see. One of its first bishops, Theodotus, was arrested and tortured between 307-324, under the reign of Licinius. Though the persecution of Christians officially ended in 313, when Constantine I and his co-emperor, Licinius, issued the Edict of Milan which mandated toleration of Christians in the Roman Empire and freedom of worship, Theodotus martyrdom and persecution only ended in 324 and it is this event that the Church annually commemorates on March 2.

Middle Ages - With the division of the Roman Empire into an eastern and a western empire, in 395 Cyprus came under the Byzantine emperors and the Greek Orthodox Church. The Byzantine emperors fortified Kyrenia's Roman castle and in the 10th century, they constructed in its vicinity a church dedicated to Saint George, which the garrison used as a chapel. Then, when in 806, Lambousa was destroyed in the Arab raids, Kyrenia grew in importance because its castle and garrison offered its inhabitants protection and security. Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus, the island's last Byzantine governor, sent his family and treasures to the castle for safety in 1191 when King Richard I of England went to war with him and became the island's new master.

Richard's rule was not welcomed in Cyprus so he sold the island first to the Knights Templar, and then in 1192, to Guy of Lusignan. Under Frankish rule, the villages of the district of Kyrenia became feudal estates and the town became once again the administrative and commercial centre for its region. The Lusignans enlarged the castle, built a wall and towers around the town, and extended the fortifications to the harbour. They also fortified the Byzantine castles of Saint Hilarion, Bouffavento and Kantara, which, together with Kyrenia Castle, protected the town from land and sea attacks. Kyrenia castle played a pivotal role in the island's history during the many disputes among the Frankish kings, as well as the conflicts with the Genoese. On numerous occasions the castle came under siege, but it never capitulated.

In 1489, Cyprus came under Venetian rule. The Venetians modified Kyrenia Castle to meet the threat that the use of gunpowder and cannons posed. The castle's royal quarters and three of its four thin and elegant Frankish towers were demolished and replaced by thickset circular towers that could better withstand cannon fire. These new towers, however, were never put to the test. In 1571, the castle and the town surrendered to the Ottoman army.

Under Ottoman rule, Kyrenia district was at first one of four, then one of six, administrative districts of the island and the town remained its administrative capital. The town's fortunes declined however as it was transformed into a garrison town. The Christian population was expelled from the fortified city, and no one was allowed to reside within the castle other than the artillerymen and their families. These men terrorized the town's inhabitants and those of the surrounding villages, Christian and Muslim alike, with their arbitrary looting and crimes. The few local inhabitants who dared to stay were merchants and fishermen whose livelihood depended on the sea. They built their homes outside the city wall, which through time, neglect and disrepair, turned to ruin. The rest of the inhabitants moved further out to the area known as Pano Kyrenia or the ‘Riatiko' (so called because it once belonged to a king) or fled further inland and to the mountain villages of Thermeia, Karakoumi, Kazafani, Bellapais and Karmi.

The town revived again when bribes and gifts paid to local Turkish officials caused them to permit local maritime trade with Asia Minor and the Aegean islands to resume. In 1783, the church of Chrysopolitissa was renovated. Then in 1856, following the Hatt-I-Humayum, which introduced social and political reform and greater religious freedom for the various peoples of the Ottoman Empire, the church of Archangel Michael was rebuilt on a rocky mount overlooking the sea. At about this time, many of the Christian inhabitants of the surrounding villages re-established themselves in the town. Local agriculture and maritime trade, particularly the export of carobs to Asia Minor, allowed the people of Kyrenia to have a comfortable living, and some even to educate their children and pursue other cultural activities.
British rule

In 1878, following a secret agreement between the British and Ottoman governments, the island was ceded to Great Britain as a military base in the eastern Mediterranean. At first, Great Britain did not undertake major administrative changes, so Kyrenia remained the district's capital. A road was constructed through the mountain pass to connect the town to the island's capital, Nicosia, and the harbour was repaired and expanded to accommodate increasing trade with the opposite coast. The town's municipal affairs were put in order and the municipal council took an active role in cleaning and modernizing the town. In 1893, a hospital was built through private contributions and effort. By the first decade of the 20th century, Kyrenia was a buzzing little town with a new school building, its own newspaper, social, educational and athletic clubs. It was also a favoured vacation spot for many wealthy Nicosia families. Many homes were converted into pensions and boardinghouses and in 1906, the first hotel, "Akteon", was built by the sea. These first decades of British rule however, also saw increased economic hardship for the population. However, high taxation, frequent droughts and a world economic depression were precipitating factors for a mass exodus of people from the town and district, first to Egypt and then to the United States.

In 1922, the episcopal see of Kyrenia relocated back to the town after the completion of a new metropolitan building. That same year, the Greco-Turkish war brought to a halt all trade with the opposite coast causing a serious economic depression. To the rescue came Costas Catsellis, a young repatriate from the USA who built the town's first modern hotels, the ‘Seaview Hotel' in 1922 and the ‘Dome Hotel' in 1932, having a foreign tourist clientele in mind. Kyrenia's mild climate, picturesque harbour, numerous archeological sites, panoramic views that combined sea, mountains and vegetation, coupled with modern amenities, soon attracted many travellers and Kyrenia's economy revived through tourism. After the Second World War, more hotels were built and the town remained a favoured vacation spot for Nicosia residents and foreign travellers alike. To the town's Greek and Turkish inhabitants were added many from Great Britain who chose Kyrenia as their permanent place of residence.
Cyprus independence

In 1960, Cyprus gained its independence from Great Britain. However, the intercommunal conflict that broke out in 1963-64 between the island's Greek and Turkish population again eroded Kyrenia's prosperity. While skirmishes in Kyrenia were minimal, Turkish Resistance Organisation blockaded the Kyrenia-Nicosia road and occupied Saint Hilarion castle. Despite these difficulties, the 1960s and early 1970s was a period of lively cultural and economic activity. A new town hall was built and a Folklore Museum established. The ancient shipwreck already alluded to was reassembled, together with all its amphorae and cargo, and permanently exhibited at the castle. The number of new hotels and tourists multiplied and a new road was constructed in the early 1970s connecting the town to Nicosia from the east. The town's cultural activities greatly increased. Other than the many traditional cultural and religious fairs and festivals annually celebrated, flower shows, yachting races, concerts and theatre performances were organized. Kyrenia, the smallest of Cypriot towns, was undoubtedly the island's most precious jewel.

The town's inhabitants, Greek, Turk, Maronite, Armenian, Latin and British peacefully coexisted and cooperated in their daily affairs and the town had grown beyond its two historic neighbourhoods of Kato (Lower) Kyrenia and Pano (Upper) Kyrenia. It expanded towards the mountain slopes to form the new neighbourhood of "California", and eastward it had just about reached the outskirts of Thermia, Karakoumi and Ayios Georgios.

In 1974, there were 47 villages in the district of Kyrenia. Greeks and Maronite Cypriots constituted 83% of the total district's population, Turkish Cypriots constituted 15% of the total district's population. On July 20, 1974, the Turkish army invaded the island of Cyprus landing at 5-Mile point, east of Kyrenia town. Gaining a ground against the local forces it reached the town of Kyrenia on July 22, 1974 during the UN sponsored cease fire. It occupied the town and subsequently and methodically ethnically cleansed it of all its Greeks Cypriot, Maronite Cypriot, Armenian Cypriot and Latin inhabitants, altered its demographic constitution through settlers from Turkey and destroyed most of it cultural and religious heritage. The town remains to this day under Turkish occupation.