Pictures from the Past
by Nikitas » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:20 pm
Great post, one of the best on this forum.
Found the details of architecture and everyday work tools fantastic. The men sawing the log with those push pull saws was a revelation. The architectural details are interesting too. Seems that the houses with adobe bricks are from lowland villages, whereas she stone houses are from higher elevations. Head dress would date the pics from the days before hats became fashionable, or affordable. On the whole we see how poor our ancestors were. We have come a long way since then!
Nikitas
Found the details of architecture and everyday work tools fantastic. The men sawing the log with those push pull saws was a revelation. The architectural details are interesting too. Seems that the houses with adobe bricks are from lowland villages, whereas she stone houses are from higher elevations. Head dress would date the pics from the days before hats became fashionable, or affordable. On the whole we see how poor our ancestors were. We have come a long way since then!
Nikitas
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by kafenes » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:27 pm
Nikitas wrote:Great post, one of the best on this forum.
Found the details of architecture and everyday work tools fantastic. The men sawing the log with those push pull saws was a revelation. The architectural details are interesting too. Seems that the houses with adobe bricks are from lowland villages, whereas she stone houses are from higher elevations. Head dress would date the pics from the days before hats became fashionable, or affordable. On the whole we see how poor our ancestors were. We have come a long way since then!
Nikitas
Nikitas, yes we have come a long way and may I add that the arrival of the Armenian refugees in the early 1900s was one of the main reasons of the turnaround. And I am not just saying that because I am of Armenian background.
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by Nikitas » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:34 pm
Kafenes,
Changes in societies often come from unexpected, seemingly unrelated developments. Modern Greeceowes a lot to the refugees from Turkey in 1922, so I am sure the arrival of Armenians had an effect in Cyprus.
One thing I would like to research, as an amateur, is the origin of village Cypriot architecture with the arched entrance. There is nothing like it in Greece or Turkey. Turkish houses are more intricate and more protective of privacy. The archway is fascinating both for the openess and its complexity, it must have cost a lot (by those days standards) to employ stone masons to work the stone. Fascinating stuff, or maybe it is just me and my obsessions!
Changes in societies often come from unexpected, seemingly unrelated developments. Modern Greeceowes a lot to the refugees from Turkey in 1922, so I am sure the arrival of Armenians had an effect in Cyprus.
One thing I would like to research, as an amateur, is the origin of village Cypriot architecture with the arched entrance. There is nothing like it in Greece or Turkey. Turkish houses are more intricate and more protective of privacy. The archway is fascinating both for the openess and its complexity, it must have cost a lot (by those days standards) to employ stone masons to work the stone. Fascinating stuff, or maybe it is just me and my obsessions!
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by kafenes » Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:59 pm
Nikitas wrote:Kafenes,
Changes in societies often come from unexpected, seemingly unrelated developments. Modern Greeceowes a lot to the refugees from Turkey in 1922, so I am sure the arrival of Armenians had an effect in Cyprus.
One thing I would like to research, as an amateur, is the origin of village Cypriot architecture with the arched entrance. There is nothing like it in Greece or Turkey. Turkish houses are more intricate and more protective of privacy. The archway is fascinating both for the openess and its complexity, it must have cost a lot (by those days standards) to employ stone masons to work the stone. Fascinating stuff, or maybe it is just me and my obsessions!
One of best friends has a passion for stone houses. He has finished building his house with stones (he collected every single one by hand and masoned it to a perfect square) and he also built a perfect arch in the middle of house. If you need any info I can ask him some questions for you.
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by Nikitas » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:10 pm
Kafenes,
Thank you for the offer.Yes definitely need info, how the deisgn originated, and in which parts of Cyprus it is most popular. How did your friend learn stone masonry? It is hard work, the man must have a real passion for architecture!
My grandfather was the engineer in his village, everyone called him Mastro, so the entrance to his house was stone, but the remainder was adobe brick with stucco covering. This mix of stone for the entrance and adobe for the rest was (my guess) a way of economising yet achieving a respectable looking house. Any info on these points would be welcome. I am guessing that they would interest the others in the forum. It is not all politics I hope!
Thank you for the offer.Yes definitely need info, how the deisgn originated, and in which parts of Cyprus it is most popular. How did your friend learn stone masonry? It is hard work, the man must have a real passion for architecture!
My grandfather was the engineer in his village, everyone called him Mastro, so the entrance to his house was stone, but the remainder was adobe brick with stucco covering. This mix of stone for the entrance and adobe for the rest was (my guess) a way of economising yet achieving a respectable looking house. Any info on these points would be welcome. I am guessing that they would interest the others in the forum. It is not all politics I hope!
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by T_C » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:39 pm
Talking about arches I took a picture of a really nice Ottoman house in the backstreets of Famagusta while I was in Cyprus. I absolutely fell in love with this building! It's such a shame because it's not being used by anyone and the inside looks like no ones been in there for years.
Saying that, the arch is used as a road so it's not exactly safe for anyone to live there and walk out of their house to get run over but still....
This is the house
Underneath the arch.
Saying that, the arch is used as a road so it's not exactly safe for anyone to live there and walk out of their house to get run over but still....
This is the house
Underneath the arch.
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by Nikitas » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:10 pm
Krstianikos- re Camels
A faint memory I have of camels is from a caravan with camels, and I mean a REAL caravan, we came across on a trip to Apostolos Andreas, must have been in the late 50s or very early 60s. It was in the Mesaoria plain, northeast of Nicosia. A man dressed very much like the camelier in the photo posted was leading a caravan of twenty or so camels, all of them Bactrian, the kind with the two humps. It was such an incongruous and suprising sight that none of the people in the car remembered to take a picture!
From what we were told then, the keeping of camels was an exclusively Turkish Cypriot activity. Do any Turkish Cypriot guys here know anything about these Cypriot caravans? How were they used? Most likely the owners carried goods to market for pay. Where were they based? I have been all over Cyprus but never saw camels in stables or house yards.
Nikitas
A faint memory I have of camels is from a caravan with camels, and I mean a REAL caravan, we came across on a trip to Apostolos Andreas, must have been in the late 50s or very early 60s. It was in the Mesaoria plain, northeast of Nicosia. A man dressed very much like the camelier in the photo posted was leading a caravan of twenty or so camels, all of them Bactrian, the kind with the two humps. It was such an incongruous and suprising sight that none of the people in the car remembered to take a picture!
From what we were told then, the keeping of camels was an exclusively Turkish Cypriot activity. Do any Turkish Cypriot guys here know anything about these Cypriot caravans? How were they used? Most likely the owners carried goods to market for pay. Where were they based? I have been all over Cyprus but never saw camels in stables or house yards.
Nikitas
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by Nikitas » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:14 pm
TC,
That house in Famagusa with arches, does it have a date of construction carved on its entrance? IT will give us a clue about the age of such an old building. From the overall use of stone and the relief carving on the stone it seems to be a rich person's house. It is interesting to see how the archway was a means to extend the house over the public road. A ply used in many places in Mediterranean countries.
That house in Famagusa with arches, does it have a date of construction carved on its entrance? IT will give us a clue about the age of such an old building. From the overall use of stone and the relief carving on the stone it seems to be a rich person's house. It is interesting to see how the archway was a means to extend the house over the public road. A ply used in many places in Mediterranean countries.
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