Greek Community of Alexandria

Category: CULTURE

News about culture and cultural heritage

  • Five Greek geoparks in UNESCO list

    Five Greek geoparks in UNESCO list

    ΓενικάDuring the 38th session of UNESCO’s General Conference (Nov 3-18), the 195 Member States unanimously agreed to ratify the creation of the ‘UNESCO Global Geoparks’.

    This new branding formalises a relationship with Geoparks and expresses governmental recognition of the importance of managing outstanding geological sites and landscapes in a holistic manner, promoting the conservation of the planet’s geological heritage, and encouraging sustainable research and development by communities concerned.

    Aegean University professor and director of Lesvos Petrified Forest Museum, Nikos Zouros, who represented Greece in the Sciences Committee, noted that Greece already has five areas designated in the ‘World Geoparks of Unesco’.

    In a total of 120 geoparks listed from 33 countries, the five Greek areas participating in the new program are the island of Lesvos, the areas of Psiloritis and of Sitia (in Crete), the national forest of Vikos-Aoos (in the Epirus region) and the national park of Chelmos-Vouraikos (in the northern Peloponnese).

    While a UNESCO Global Geopark must demonstrate geological heritage of international significance, the purpose of a UNESCO Global Geopark is to explore, develop and celebrate the links between that geological heritage and all other aspects of the area’s natural, cultural and intangible heritages.

    In this context, the organisation is striving to raise awareness of geo-diversity, as well as promoting the best practices for protection, education and tourism.

    Together with World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks form a complete range of sustainable development tools and make an invaluable contribution to the realisation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by combining global and local perspectives.

    (neoskosmos.com)

  • Greek University Students Win World Law Debate Competition

    Greek University Students Win World Law Debate Competition

    ΠολιτισμόςTwo law students from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) claimed the first spot in one of the categories of the World Universities Debating Championships, January 3, in the city of Thessaloniki.

    The victorious team composed by speakers Maria Rousi and Thodoris Dounias was competing in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) category. After going through the qualifying rounds held between December 29 – 31, the NTUA students were among the four teams to go through to the final.

    The topic of the final debate was the use of photographs in the ongoing refugee crisis, by various humanitarian campaigns. The NTUA students, as well as students from UKIM Skopje of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) had to debate in favor of permitting such photographs while students from the German FSU Jena and from Brawijaya University in Indonesia had to speak on prohibiting the photographs.

    The annual competition that was held in Thessaloniki this year, included 1,200 students from 350 institutions hailing from 70 different countries, according to Huffington Post Greece.

    Team A from Harvard Law School won the Open category (English as a First Language Competition), while team A from De La Salle University won the English as a Second Language (ESL) category. Michael Dunn Goekija won the Open Best speaker award.

    (greece.greekreporter.com)

  • Disappearing Greece: Bye bye kastana man, send my regards to the laterna player

    Disappearing Greece: Bye bye kastana man, send my regards to the laterna player

    ΠολιτισμόςPoverty gave rise to traditional professions, but is now sweeping them away in post-bailout Greece. Catch them before they disappear altogether.

    Desperate for revenue, the Greek government is clamping down on the poorest professions in Greece. The story of the elderly kastana (chestnut vendor) who was rendered unconscious by over-zealous policemen caught fire on social media. The vendor could not afford a license, and became one of the latest victims of the economic crisis. Here are some traditional professions struck by the crisis in Greece.

    ΠολιτισμόςKastanas – Chestnut vendor

    As the weather cools down, chestnut vendors appear on street corners offering the roasted treat. Unfortunately, with less people buying them there are less vendors selling.

    Salepi vendor

    The chilly Salepi is a thick and frothy winter drink that is just rightΠολιτισμός to warm up on your insides. Not only does the drink offer steamy warmth on a cold winter day, but thanks to its semen-like texture it has been considered for centuries to be an aphrodisiac.

    ΠολιτισμόςKoulouras – Koulouri bread vendor

    Greece’s tastier response to the U.S. bagel, street koulouria are sold almost everywhere for just 40-60 cents.  A bargain!

    ΠολιτισμόςPeripteras – Kiosk owner

    The kiosk (periptero) is an important part of Greek daily life as you can found anything here – newspapers, cigarettes, gums, beer, etc. The periptero owners are something like a mini-market/neighborhood watch/info stand in their area, but have fallen victim to the economic crisis with the institutions demanding their closure as part of the prior actions Greece has pledged to.

    ΠολιτισμόςLaterna (piano barrel) player

    Laterna (piano barrels) players once walked up and down the streets with their instruments. Made popular by the film, “Laterna, poverty and goodwill” (Laterna, Ftohia ke filotimo) and its sequel, the laterna players survived on the kindness of passers-by. Now, they need to cut receipts for their donations.

    (en.protothema.gr)

  • Archaeologists claim they cracked Phaistos Disk’s code

    Archaeologists claim they cracked Phaistos Disk’s code

    ΠολιτισμόςArchaeologist and coordinator of the program Erasmus of Crete Technological Institute Gareth Owens gives a different version of Phaistos Disk mystery.

    He said that following new data found in his research the focus is no longer the “pregnant mother”, as originally estimated, but a “pregnant goddess” that takes shape in the face of Astarte, the goddess of love.

    The goddess of love, the Minoan Astarte, seems to be the key figure that unlocks the mystery of the Phaistos Disk, according to Mr. Owens.

    “There is no doubt that we are talking about a religious text. This is clear from a comparison made with other religious words from other inscriptions from the holy mountains of Crete. We have words that are exactly the same. I suspect that the Phaistos Disc is a hymn before Astarte, the goddess of love. Words such as those mentioned on the disk have been found on Minoan offerings and as with today’s offerings, people pray when they are troubled, because of health problems or personal reasons. Man doesn’t change, after all.”

    He also said that he believes that one side of the Phaistos Disk is dedicated to the pregnant mother goddess and the other one to Minoan goddess Astarte.

    http://en.protothema.gr