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CYPRUS!. Cyprus is a little state with a long history and a rich culture. It’s the third island in range in the Mediterranean.
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Cyprus is a little state with a long history and a rich culture. It’s the third island in range in the Mediterranean. It’s situated between 3continents:Europe, Asia and Africa. This position has played an important role since ancient times and it still represents a bridge between different religions, cultures and life styles. Since the Prehistoric Age, lots of foreign populations joined to autochthonous , first of all Greeks, who have spread their culture that now characterizes Cyprus. In villages traditions and life styles are still alive. In Cyprus they celebrate events dated back to many years ago, like Carnival and Flower Festival. According to the legend, Cypriots also believe Aphrodite, the Goddess of beauty and love, was born there, in Pafos sea.
LEFKOSIA - NICOSIA Lefkosia (or Nicosia for us) is situated in the centre of the island and it’s an important cultural centre. His history has started in the Bronze Age, but it’s been the Cypriot capital city since Byzantine period (XI sec a.C.)
Lefkosia is the only capital city in the world divided by a wall. In fact we saw the area of the city where the Turkish part starts and the guide explain us the history of monument situated just before the dividing wall: it’s dedicated to all those people who died during the numerous wars between Cypriot and Turkish’s arms and the words at the base of this monument talk, in Greek, about every citizen’s rights.
Byzantine museum: In his rooms are exposed more than 200 icons, of the period between IX sec and XIX sec a.C. : goblets, books and priest’s cassocks. The prestigious mosaics were brought back in Cyprus after they were removed illegally from the Turkish zone of the island. Cyprus museum: Inside you can see the Cyprus’ culture development, from Neolithic Age to Byzantine period. These collections include jewels, sculptures, pieces of pottery, terra-cotta objects and other manufactured. Between the most important pieces, we must remember the idol in a cross shape, gold jewels (Bronze Age) and the Aphrodite statue (I sec. a.C.). Saint John’s cathedral: It was built in 1662 over a site of a Benedictine chapel, dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist.. this one was transformed in a orthodox monastery. Now it’s a little orthodox church but the only one in Nicosia. Inside we can still see the original icons of orthodox religion, the choir were, in the past according to the common conception, men stayed during the celebration, while women stayed upstairs, divided.
LEMESOS - LIMASSOL It’s the second city in range in Cyprus. Here we can find important ruins and monuments, evidences of his long history. Medieval castle of Kolossi: It was built in the XIII sec. and it became the site of Templar Knights.
Kourion archeological site: In ancient times it was an important state-city; the theatre is still used for musicals and shows. Near, the Eustolio, Achille and Gladiators’ houses take their name from their beautiful mosaics floors.
APOLLO SANCTUARY: In the past, Apollo was the Kourion city protector and so this sanctuary was an important place of cult. it was composed by the temple, rooms to welcome pilgrims and a holy delimited area. . In one of the most visited parks of Lemesos, near the beach, while you walk along this park you see lots of sculptures of local and foreign artists.
Centre for handicapped people: Here they give hospitality to mental handicapped people from all the island. Some of them can stay all day long, but the night. Instead, other live there constantly. During the day psychologists and nurses try to help them for a physical and a psychological development: they’re prepared for Paralympics games, for example, and prepared to return living inside the society in the best way they are able to. Over all, some of them have obtain also a job. Here we have some photos of this structure and of the time we passed together:.
Rehabilitation centre: In the past this place was a centre for war victims. Nowadays, nurses and employees dedicate their time to the physical rehabilitation. It’s very similar to ours centers here in Italy; in fact there are employed physiotherapists, speech therapists and psychologists and they work together and in the same ways as in Italian rehabilitation hospitals.
LARNAKA Of Larnaka we have just talked about the Salt Lake. It’s one of the most important habitats for water birds in Europe. They, over all pink flamingos, find shelter here for few days in winter, during their migrations to warmer places. In the past Larnaka was a big and known urban centre, but when the city was abandoned, the bed of the sea slowly, during very many years, stuffed of rubbles and in this way the lake was born. PAFOS The Kato Pafos archeological site: It was written in the Humanity Cultural Hermitage of UNESCO. Here you can see sits and monuments dated in a period between the Prehistoric Age and the Middle Age. The wonderful mosaics floors of the 4 houses are the biggest attractive this park can boast. There are 4 houses (Dioniso, Teseo, Aion and Orfeo’s houses) and, in their most shining period, they were considered some of the most beautiful in all the Mediterranean.
Personal impressions: During these 7 days in Cyprus we discovered a foreign culture, very different, we think, from ours. At the first, we observed Cypriots life style and we didn’t like it, because it was strange for us: no teenagers along the streets, their houses seemed very poor. Going on with the week, first of all we have know better each other and we have also known better Cyprus and we like very much its view, its sea and sun. Besides, we have also improved our English in different way. So we enjoy it!
THANK YOU ALL! Valeria and Beatrice
