Cyprus-Forum.com

[observer]

An open critique to Oracle.


Reviewing this, before ennui set in.

This article examines the use of numismatic iconography by the British colonial administration of Cyprus in order, initially, to legitimise its possession of the island and, subsequently, to promote an Eteocypriot, an “authentic Cypriot”, identity as counter-poison against Greek nationalism.

Many on this forum would like to see an authentic Cyprus identity. It certainly counters accusations of Britain’s having a divide and rule policy.

In this endeavour of social engineering, archaeological items and other symbols from Cyprus’ past played a prominent part. The outbreak of the Cypriot guerrilla war for union with Greece in 1955 highlighted the bankruptcy of this operation. Nevertheless, British efforts to evade Cyprus’ overwhelmingly Greek past – and present – continued unabated, even after the formal recognition of the island’s independence.

Greece is only one country that has contributes to Cyprus’ past, and its contribution is far from overwhelming. For 2000 years, nothing save religion and language. Greece was not immune to the upsurge of pan-European nationalism of the 19th Century and made claims aimed at restoring a mythical Greater Greece.

Stanley Casson described archaeological research in Cyprus as “a strange and sad history” and deplored the first years of British rule as “a long record of destruction by neglect”. Furthermore, he denounced the archaeological excavations carried out during that period as practically reduced to tomb robbing. In fact, the aim of excavations was to enrich the collections of foreign museums, which until 1905 were authorised to carry away at least one third of the finds, rather than to increase scientific knowledge.

This is accurate, but applied to all archaeology of the time, not just that in Cyprus.

The fundamental, albeit controversial, study of the archaeological policies - or rather of the ideological orientations in the field of archaeology – promoted by the British colonial authorities in Cyprus remains Michael Given’s article “Inventing the Eteocypriots: Imperialist Archaeology and the Manipulation of Ethnic Identity”, published in volume XI of the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology in 1998. In this paper the British archaeologist highlighted the way the colonial authorities in Cyprus used history and archaeology in order to counter the Greek national movement.

The author mentioned among other items, but without further elaboration, the reproduction of archaeological monuments on “postage stamps, coins, postcards, tourist posters and official publications”, all symbolical works of art laden with ideological significance.


I don’t know about the rest, but I collected postage stamps as a boy. The stamps of QE2 then were:

3 mils – a bunch of grapes
5 mils – a bunch of oranges
10 mils – a copper mine
15 mils – troodos forest
20 mils – the beach of Aphridite
25 mils – Ancient coin of Paphos
30 mils – Kyrenia harbour
35 mils – Harvest in Mesaoria
40 mils – Famagusta Harbour
50 mils – St. Hilarion Castle
500 mils – Portrait of QE2 with coins from old cities of Cyprus

A pretty neutral set I would have thought.


… and so on, and so on

Oracle, it seems to me that your “scholarship” shows very little intellectual rigour, and consists of little more than looking for articles that seem to support your nationalist agenda then posting them without thought.

[wyoming cowboy]

Why do i need to convince anyone, of my Hellinism, and defend the fact that iam of the lineage that brought Hellenism to the Hellenic island of Cyprus. If anyone is offended by this statement then thats your problem. An Englishman or a Turk, two of the biggest enemies of Cyprus and Hellenism, have been planting their racist seeds for hundreds of years, we as Hellenes have been on this island for THOUSANDS of years and will remain Hellenic. I dont care what was on a stamp during the colonial years, it makes no difference. The enemies of Cyprus have all tried to eliminate our Hellenicism and they have all failed miserably.....And yes Hellenicism has contributed immensely to the culture of the Western world and the entire world, and Cyprus's Hellenic past and future is and was a part of the contribution.....No bow legged unshowered English man/woman with crooked teeth or a never showered backward hashish smokin' Turk man/woman, can EVER convince the Hellenic island of Cyprus and its Hellenic citizens OTHERWISE.......THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WHO HAVE A RIGHT TO BE RACIST ARE THE HELLENES, BUT WE CHOOSE NOT TO BE, FOR WE KNOW OF OUR SUPERIORITY....... stick that up your arse/ass you English bozo........

[miltiades]

Why do i need to convince anyone, of my Hellinism, and defend the fact that iam of the lineage that brought Hellenism to the Hellenic island of Cyprus. If anyone is offended by this statement then thats your problem. An Englishman or a Turk, two of the biggest enemies of Cyprus and Hellenism, have been planting their racist seeds for hundreds of years, we as Hellenes have been on this island for THOUSANDS of years and will remain Hellenic. I dont care what was on a stamp during the colonial years, it makes no difference. The enemies of Cyprus have all tried to eliminate our Hellenicism and they have all failed miserably.....And yes Hellenicism has contributed immensely to the culture of the Western world and the entire world, and Cyprus's Hellenic past and future is and was a part of the contribution.....No bow legged unshowered English man/woman with crooked teeth or a never showered backward hashish smokin' Turk man/woman, can EVER convince the Hellenic island of Cyprus and its Hellenic citizens OTHERWISE.......THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WHO HAVE A RIGHT TO BE RACIST ARE THE HELLENES, BUT WE CHOOSE NOT TO BE, FOR WE KNOW OF OUR SUPERIORITY....... stick that up your arse/ass you English bozo........

Your analysis is rather ...interesting. Where does it leave the Cypriots or do we all have be Kalamarades in order to be Cypriots.
So the Greeks are ...superior are they , how many non Greeks to a Greek would it be the same as how many non Turks to one Turk ? That figures !!
CYPRUS , THE LAND OF THE TRUE CYPRIOTS !

[Oracle]

A pretty neutral set I would have thought.
.

That's the point! Thank you for the confirmation.

We weren't allowed figures, temples etc because the overwhelming representations would then have been Hellenic!

Instead, they wanted to de-characterise/de-Hellenise the island, apart from signs of British/neutral presence. Hence symbols from Richard the Lionheart's insignia were allowed at various times (St. Hilarion's castle was probably allowed because it figured heavily during Richard's time here), to generate the idea that they had taken off the Ottomans what had once been rightfully theirs!

Being a Cypriot National by virtue of allegiance to the RoC and passport identity is one thing - but one thing that 99% of TCs probably still would not accept - and erosion of the ethnicity of the majority of the island is quite another. But then you wouldn't understand that because as we all know, it's exactly what the Turks are continuing to do in the occupied region!

[observer]

qwerty

[denizaksulu]

A pretty neutral set I would have thought.
.

That's the point! Thank you for the confirmation.

We weren't allowed figures, temples etc because the overwhelming representations would then have been Hellenic!

Instead, they wanted to de-characterise/de-Hellenise the island, apart from signs of British/neutral presence. Hence symbols from Richard the Lionheart's insignia were allowed at various times (St. Hilarion's castle was probably allowed because it figured heavily during Richard's time here), to generate the idea that they had taken off the Ottomans what had once been rightfully theirs!

Being a Cypriot National by virtue of allegiance to the RoC and passport identity is one thing - but one thing that 99% of TCs probably still would not accept - and erosion of the ethnicity of the majority of the island is quite another. But then you wouldn't understand that because as we all know, it's exactly what the Turks are continuing to do in the occupied region!

I can see the point you are making Oracle, but my take on it differs from what you claim but not far off.

The British recognise the Helenic culture in Cyprus, but were using the neutral imagery so as not to antagonise the TC feeling on the matter. It may be a simplistic view, but Britain would never deny the Helenic influence on Cyprus as a policy.IMO.

[Oracle]

A pretty neutral set I would have thought.
.

That's the point! Thank you for the confirmation.

We weren't allowed figures, temples etc because the overwhelming representations would then have been Hellenic!

Instead, they wanted to de-characterise/de-Hellenise the island, apart from signs of British/neutral presence. Hence symbols from Richard the Lionheart's insignia were allowed at various times (St. Hilarion's castle was probably allowed because it figured heavily during Richard's time here), to generate the idea that they had taken off the Ottomans what had once been rightfully theirs!

Being a Cypriot National by virtue of allegiance to the RoC and passport identity is one thing - but one thing that 99% of TCs probably still would not accept - and erosion of the ethnicity of the majority of the island is quite another. But then you wouldn't understand that because as we all know, it's exactly what the Turks are continuing to do in the occupied region!

I can see the point you are making Oracle, but my take on it differs from what you claim but not far off.

The British recognise the Helenic culture in Cyprus, but were using the neutral imagery so as not to antagonise the TC feeling on the matter. It may be a simplistic view, but Britain would never deny the Helenic influence on Cyprus as a policy.IMO.

You haven't followed the whole story. The Brits acknowledged the overwhelming "Greekness" of the majority of the natives (see earlier quotes). But in order to maintain their hold on Cyprus, as against losing the island to Greece, since they also acknowledged (see other quote) the legitimate right of Cyprus to unite with Greece, they had to use the presence of other minorities (TCs were bit players) and influence from other minor previous invaders to neutralise the overwhelming Hellenic nature Cyprus.

They really didn't give a shit about the TCs except much later as they were sowing discord before relinquishing their major role - for future claims to the Bases.

[denizaksulu]

A pretty neutral set I would have thought.
.

That's the point! Thank you for the confirmation.

We weren't allowed figures, temples etc because the overwhelming representations would then have been Hellenic!

Instead, they wanted to de-characterise/de-Hellenise the island, apart from signs of British/neutral presence. Hence symbols from Richard the Lionheart's insignia were allowed at various times (St. Hilarion's castle was probably allowed because it figured heavily during Richard's time here), to generate the idea that they had taken off the Ottomans what had once been rightfully theirs!

Being a Cypriot National by virtue of allegiance to the RoC and passport identity is one thing - but one thing that 99% of TCs probably still would not accept - and erosion of the ethnicity of the majority of the island is quite another. But then you wouldn't understand that because as we all know, it's exactly what the Turks are continuing to do in the occupied region!

I can see the point you are making Oracle, but my take on it differs from what you claim but not far off.

The British recognise the Helenic culture in Cyprus, but were using the neutral imagery so as not to antagonise the TC feeling on the matter. It may be a simplistic view, but Britain would never deny the Helenic influence on Cyprus as a policy.IMO.

You haven't followed the whole story. The Brits acknowledged the overwhelming "Greekness" of the majority of the natives (see earlier quotes). But in order to maintain their hold on Cyprus, as against losing the island to Greece, since they also acknowledged (see other quote) the legitimate right of Cyprus to unite with Greece, they had to use the presence of other minorities (TCs were bit players) and influence from other minor previous invaders to neutralise the overwhelming Hellenic nature Cyprus.

They really didn't give a shit about the TCs except much later as they were sowing discord before relinquishing their major role - for future claims to the Bases.

Oh well, we almost agreed totally. You know what the Brits are like. Use one against the other.

With your last sentence you are wrong. They needed the moslem minority so they did in fact give a big ****..

[SKI-preo]

this topic is too uncomfortable for me. Too much hatred. Tone it down please. Maybe its better to avoid posting ammunition to be used by some Turkish Cypriots who claim all Greek Cypriots hate Turks/Turkish Cypriots.

[Oracle]

Extract from the following paper showing further evidence of how the Brits attempted to de-Hellenise Cyprus to prevent realisation of Cyprus' legitimate right to unify with Greece once the majority natives started to demand this right to Enosis.

Architectural Styles and Ethnic Identity in Medieval to Modern Cyprus

Michael Given
Department of Archaeology
University of Glasgow

Archaeologists and art historians have often attempted to identify ethnic groups by means of specific stylistic traits in their art and architecture. Close contextual examination, however, reveals that different groups in different contexts can use the same styles. This article reviews some
examples of architectural styles and features which were borrowed and transformed during the Medieval, Ottoman and British colonial periods in Cyprus (1191-1960). One building, the British colonial governor’s residence in Nicosia built in the 1930s, is particularly revealing in its
deliberate use of styles normally associated with all the other ethnic groups of Cyprus.

Many of the British colonial rulers of Cyprus at the beginning of the 20th century were classically trained. For them, the Greek revival style signified education, culture and history, or at least their understanding of such things. The Cyprus Museum, finished in 1907, was in a brownstone version of the Greek Revival style, plus an Ionic porch in Pentelic marble added by the Curator of Monuments George Jeffery, based on the Athena Nike temple of classical Athens. Similarly the colonial Agricultural School of 1913, designed mainly by the High Commissioner, used a central pedimented gable with pilasters and flat Ionic capitals.

As Greek Cypriots increased their demands for union with Greece during the 1910s and 1920s, the Greek Revival style took on a very different meaning. Because of the links which Greek Cypriots saw between themselves and the glorious classical past, the style was appropriate for
Greek nationalist statements of identity, above all in the main carriers of the national message: the schools (Given 1997, 66-9). Thanks to Theodhoros Fotiades, a Greek Cypriot architect who had been trained in Athens and worked in Alexandria, the towns and villages of Cyprus saw a huge number of Greek Revival schools built in the 1920s, beginning with the Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia in 1923 and emulated with varying degrees of skill in a host of other Greek Cypriot schools across the island. The holding of nationalist events such as the staging of classical plays
and ceremonies such as ‘Flag Days’ with this architecture as a backdrop demonstrates the new nationalist associations that this style had.

The popularity of the style then spread to Greek Cypriot domestic architecture, with Fotiades and others designing grand town villas with imposing Ionic façades and verandas. As happened so often, this elite style filtered down into the standard townhouse vernacular, and the 1920s and 1930s saw a huge number of townhouses built with more or less schematic classical façades. Often the style brought its political significance with it, but on some occasions it clearly did not. The
Evkaf headquarters in Nicosia, built in 1928, has a façade broken by flat, schematic classical pilasters and mouldings; added to that are two large doorways set in Gothic pointed arches and flanked by Renaissance rusticated quoins (Keshishian 1990, 217). At one level the traits and
features of Greek Revival have been added to the broad architectural vocabulary of the Cypriot architect and mason; at another it is directed towards a very specific expression of ideology.

Government House: transformation and representation

Throughout the history of architecture in Cyprus, styles have been continually adopted by different groups and given different meanings. The reasons for such shifts varied from unconscious emulation of specific social groups to deliberate imitation, borrowing or transformation. During the British colonial period, especially in the 1920s to 1950s, we have many clear examples of the deliberate manipulation of architectural style for political and ideological purposes. This is not because the British were the first propagandists, or because modern ideologies were any more overt. The only difference is that for the first time we have extensive and detailed documentation about the intentions and opinions of architects, clients and viewers. An examination of a particular case from this period demonstrates how people give meaning to style for specific, local purposes, rather than accepting some already existing deeply pre-ordained significance.

On the 31st October, 1931, a mass of Greek Cypriot demonstrators demanding union with Greece set fire to the old Government House. Being largely wooden, built from a prefabricated kit sent from England in 1878, it burnt to the ground. For the current governor, Sir Ronald Storrs, the
building of a replacement was not just a matter of convenience for himself and his family, it was a chance to recover the colonial regime’s lost prestige and authority, and more importantly to project his image of Cyprus. The new structure was to represent a deeply historical Cyprus, but one without any trace of Hellenic nationalism, and one which was unified and consummated in British rule (Given 1997, 70-1; Schaar et al. 1995, 75-8 ).

With the construction of the new building with its ideological aim of representing Cypriot history and all its ethnic groups, the two arches from the Konak were repositioned so that they faced the rear façade of the building on the same axis . The pointed arches of the ‘Cypriot’ building replied to the original pointed arches, and gained authenticity and authority from them.

The message is clearly that ‘Cypriot’ character, to the British, consists of a mélange of Byzantine, Medieval, Ottoman and colonial stylistic traits. The classical – associated with the Greek Cypriot nationalism that burnt down the building’s predecessor – is conspicuous by its absence. This ‘Cypriot mélange’ (Caröe 1933) characterised much British colonial architecture in
Cyprus from the 1930s to the 1950s, such as Harrison’s Teachers’ Training College in Nicosia.

Government House, however, was the most prominent structure in this style. What better stage on which to present the architectural definition of ‘Cypriot’ identity than the residence of the island’s ruler and so the embodiment of the state itself?