The Greek Community of Alexandria

Category: CULTURE

News about culture and cultural heritage

  • Wikipedia Robots Fight Over Alexander the Great

    Wikipedia Robots Fight Over Alexander the Great

    Humans and software robots (bots) fight over the content of the Alexander the Great entry in Wikipedia, according to new British scientific research.

    The research show that bots behave more like humans than one would expect, “unleashing” a war in cyberspace concerning what to include in the Wikipedia entries.

    Alexander the Great has always been such a controversial issue and the bots have gone to a cyber “war”.

    Researchers at the Institute of Internet of Oxford University and the Alan Turing Institute led by Dr. Milena Tsvetkova and Dr. Taha Yassir, who published their work in “PLoS One” scientific journal, studied the behavior of software robots and how they interact, either by original design or by their own initiative because of their advanced artificial intelligence.

    The scientists focused on the ‘good’ bots used for years with benevolent purpose to improve Wikipedia‘s content, “purifying” the vandalism and errors, automatically inserting new information, identifying copyright violations etc.

    The study entitled “Even the good bots quarrel” – included versions of Wikipedia in 13 languages in depth of a decade.

    The key finding is that although the bots are not made by malicious designers, not only interact, but get entangled in chronic disputes with unpredictable consequences, eg changing a content which the other has added a certain word or links under the entries.

    Although the algorithms of autonomous bots make up only 0.1%  of the Wikipedia authors, their influence is much greater, because a large proportion of interventions and corrections are due to these programs.

    Regarding the “Alexander the Great” entry, it is possible that the bots are fighting between them as they see contradicting contributions from Greek authors and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia authors, with the latter trying to usurp the origin and legacy of Alexander the Great as their own.

    (greece.greekreporter.com)

  • Cavafy in the World: International Cavafy Summer School 2017

    Cavafy in the World: International Cavafy Summer School 2017

    What kind of methodological and theoretical approaches can be productive in revisiting Cavafy’s work as world literature? How does Cavafy’s appeal as a world literary figure relate to (and challenges) national appropriations of the poet in Greece? How does Cavafy’s poetry speak to present cultural, social, and political concerns and what kind of responses does it offer to contemporary local and global realities?

    These are just some of the questions that will be posed during the first International Cavafy Summer School that will be devoted exclusively to one of the most renowned and widely read Greek poets, C.P. Cavafy. Organized by the Cavafy Archive and the Onassis Foundation, this major international annual scholarly event will take place on 10-17 July 2017, based at the historical building of the Onassis Foundation in the centre of Athens.

    Themed Cavafy in the World, the first Summer School will examine Cavafy’s work in wider, indeed global, literary and cultural contexts, revisit Cavafy as a major figure of world literature and reassess the impact of his life and work on Greek and international culture. Among the topics that will be revisited are: Cavafy’s relationship to movements such as symbolism, aestheticism, decadence and modernism; Cavafy’s dialogue with other literary figures; Cavafy as a cultural myth; the place of biography in Cavafy studies; paratextual uses of Cavafy’s poems; the construction of a Cavafy “canon” through editing and translating; Cavafy’s importance for modern queer writing and culture.

    The International Cavafy Summer School 2017 will be convened by Dimitris Papanikolaou (Oxford) and Stathis Gourgouris (Columbia), and tutors will include Natalie Melas (Cornell), Maria Boletsi (Leiden), Karen Emmerich (Princeton), Michael Warner (Yale), Gregory Jusdanis (Ohio State) and Patrick McGuinness (Oxford). The deadline for applications is Monday 20 March 2017 while the working language will be English.

    It should be noted that the Onassis Foundation acquired the Cavafy Archive in the end of 2012. The Archive consists of approximately 4.000 manuscripts, photographs and personal items of the poet, while its collections comprise original poems, translations, commentary on poems, the poet’s correspondence, and his notes. The aim is to protect this invaluable material and to promote C.P. Cavafy’s work and the international character of his poetry and personality. Working towards this end, numerous projects and events take place in Greece and abroad, for the wider public and particularly the younger generations, creatively utilizing the potential of new technologies.

    Created by the Center for Neo-Hellenic Studies and owned by the Onassis Foundation, the Cavafy Archive website contains all of Cavafy’s major works in the translation of Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard (edited by G.P. Savidis), plus select alternative translations. It also contains a wealth of unpublished material from the poet’s Archive, plus a Cavafy Companion section and up-to-date information on Cavafy’s seminal presence in today’s world, as seen through the web.

    (greeknewsagenda.gr)

  • Two Museums in Athens among 41 Most Spectacular to See Around the World

    Two Museums in Athens among 41 Most Spectacular to See Around the World

    The Acropolis Museum and the Benaki Museum in Athens are among the world’s 41 most incredible museums to visit before you die, according to the online edition of UK newspaper The Telegraph. The list was compiled by The Telegraph’s experts.

    Acropolis Museum
    As noted in the article, the Acropolis Museum — inaugurated in June 2009 and designed by Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi — displays “proud statues of the ancients and life-like stone carvings of animals”. It is also mentioned that the museum’s top floor is devoted to the marble frieze that once ran around the top of the Parthenon. “The missing pieces were removed by Lord Elgin in 1801 and are now in the British Museum in London. The Greeks have wanted them back for decades, and hope that this blatant presentation will finally convince the British to return them.”

    Benaki Museum
    Referring to the Benaki Museum, the article informs that it is housed in a neo-classical building “with a lovely roof-terrace cafe” and traces Greek art right up the 20th century. “
Top pieces include the Thessaly Treasure (a hoard of gold filigree jewellery set with precious stones, dating from the second century BC), two early paintings by El Greco, and the reconstruction of two 18th-century, wood-panelled, Ottoman-inspired living rooms.”

    Other incredible museums to visit before you die, according to the article, include New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paris’s MusĂ©e du Louvre, Rome’s Vatican Museums, London’s Design Museum, Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, Barcelona’s Museu Picasso, St Petersburg’s The Hermitage and many more.

    (news.gtp.gr)

  • Greek Culture Minister allocates €2.5 million for Amphipolis Tomb project works

    Greek Culture Minister allocates €2.5 million for Amphipolis Tomb project works

    Recently appointed  Greek Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou announced that 2.5 million euros have been allotted for restoration works executed at Kasta Hill, the excavation site of the Amphipolis tomb.

    During a press conference this week, she clarified that the funds will be made available immediately for the restoration of the site in northeastern Greece, where a huge grave from Alexander the Great’s era was unearthed.

    The so-called Kasta Tomb, also known as the Amphipolis Tomb is an ancient Macedonian tomb that was discovered inside the Kasta mound (or Tumulus) near Amphipolis, Central Macedonia, in northern Greece in 2012 and first entered in August 2014. The first excavations at the mound in 1964 led to exposure of the perimeter wall, and further excavations in the 1970s uncovered many other ancient remains.

    The recently discovered tomb is dated to the last quarter of the 4th century B.C. The tumulus is the largest ever discovered in Greece and by comparison dwarfs that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, in Vergina. The excavation team, based on findings unearthed at the site, argued that the tomb was a memorial dedicated to the close friend of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion.

    It is not yet known who is buried in the tomb, but the initial public speculation that it could be the tomb of Alexander the Great, because of its size and estimated cost of construction, was dismissed by the experts community when commenting on the published findings, as the available historical records mention Alexandria in Egypt as the last known location of Alexander’s body; it has been supported instead, that a likely occupant could be either a wealthy Macedonian noble or a late member of the royal family.

    The skeletal remains of five people were unearthed within a corresponding tomb, in the lower levels of the third chamber in November 2014. The dead of the burial are: A woman at the age of 60, two men aged 35–45, a newborn infant and a fifth person represented by minimum fragments. Further examination is underway with regard to the dating of the skeletal remains, as well as DNA cross examination between the dead of the burial as well as other skeletons from the neighboring tombs in the area.

    Monogram of Hephaestion

    At a press conference in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greek archaelogist Katerina Peristeri revealed the existence of three inscriptions apparently linking the tomb to Hephaestion, nobleman, General and close friend of Alexander the Great. The ancient Greek word “ΠΑΡΕΛΑΒΟΝ” (it means “received”) is written in the inscriptions and next to it the monogram of Hephaestion.

    According to the Culture Minister, the resources will also be allocated for works to unify the archaeological sites of Amphipolis and create specially designed trails for visitors.

    Ms. Koniordou  also revealed that other current projects of the Greek Culture Ministry include the upgrade of five more ancient Greek theaters, Ancient Gitana Thesprotia, Ancient Ambracia, Nikopolis, Kassopi and Dodona that are all connected through the Epirus cultural route.

    Furthermore, the Culture Ministry plans to hire 1,314 museum and archaeological site guards for the season and they are expected to be in their positions as of early April.

    Finally, she noted that the e-ticket access will initially run as a pilot program at the Acropolis, Mycenae, Knossos and Messina sites.

    (www.tornosnews.gr)

  • Egypt’s underwater antiquities travel the world

    Egypt’s underwater antiquities travel the world

    Off the coast of Alexandria, the underwater antiquities date back thousands of years and include palaces, columns, ships, castles and statues that sunk after Alexandria witnessed a series of earthquakes throughout history. The exhibition “Osiris: Egypt’s sunken mysteries” displays many artifacts discovered through underwater archaeological excavations, and is currently on display at the Rietberg Museum in the Swiss city of Zurich. Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani opened the exhibition on Feb. 10.

    Summary⎙ Print Egyptian antiquities discovered in the now sunken city of Heracleion and nearby towns are being displayed in exhibits worldwide in a bid to revive Egypt’s declining tourism sector.
    Author George MikhailPosted March 3, 2017 

    The exhibition in Zurich displays 293 artifacts that tell the myths of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld, and Egypt’s sunken antiquities that were found in the towns of Heracleion and Abu Qir and the eastern port of Alexandria. The artifacts have been selected from several Egyptian museums.

    In September 2015, the exhibition opened in France for a period of five months. Here, more than 250 artifacts were on display. The second place to host the exhibition was the British Museum in London, where the artifacts were on display in May-November 2016. The London exhibition displayed 293 artifacts, roughly 270 of which had been pulled from the depths of the sea off the coast of Alexandria.

    Before the inauguration of the exhibition in Switzerland, Anani announced at a press conference Feb. 9 that the exhibition had been a success in the European capitals of Paris and London.

    He said, “The ministry will hold more archaeological exhibitions in various cities and capitals around the world given the high turnout of ancient Egyptian civilization lovers. The exhibition aims to introduce these fans to the archaeological treasures of the Egyptian civilization. This is the best promotional way that can help Egypt restore its touristic activity. The ministry has taken all the necessary legal and insurance procedures to protect all the exhibition’s artifacts until they return to their homeland.”

     

    Mohammed Abdul Majid, the director general of the Underwater Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, told Al-Monitor, “The exhibition positively affects the sunken monuments and draws the world’s attention to the importance and originality of these antiquities.”

    Abdul Majid said, “There are many missions that worked on the exploration of sunken antiquities, most notably the French mission led by Jacques Dumas in 1983 and 1984, which came to search for Napoleon’s fleet in the waters of the Abu Qir Bay. The mission found the L’Orient flagship as well as the L’Artemise and La Serieuse frigates. Another French mission for underwater archaeological research returned in 1986 and worked on finding a ship named Le Patriote off the coast of the Alexandria neighborhood known as “al-Max.” For its part, the mission of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology discovered the royal quarters of the ancient city of Alexandria in the city’s eastern port in 1996. Napoleon’s fleet was rediscovered in 1998, while [the ruins of] east Canopus were discovered in 1999 and the city of Heracleion in 2000.”

    He added, “The lighthouse of Alexandria is one of the most important discoveries of sunken antiquities. [Parts of it] were discovered in 1995 by the French mission of the Center for Alexandrian Studies, and the recovery operations are still ongoing in the waters of Alexandria to preserve the sunken antiquities.”

    Asked about the most important obstacles hindering the recovery of the sunken antiquities, Abdul Majid said, “Natural factors cause the main obstacles that hinder the recovery operations due to poor vision in the depths of the waters of Alexandria; the recovery operations should be carried out when the sea is calm.”

    He noted, “There is a project to create an underwater museum for sunken antiquities, but it requires [approval] from the Ministry of Antiquities. The state should be interested in such a project, so that all of the Egyptians can see their sunken antiquities.”

    An international competition was organized under the auspices of UNESCO to create an underwater museum for sunken antiquities, and the architectural design submitted by famous French architect Jacques Rougerie was selected. While the project was supposed to be completed in September 2009, it has yet to be achieved. In this regard, Anani said, “The establishment of an underwater museum for sunken antiquities would cost up to $350 million, a difficult task amid the financial crisis plaguing the ministry.”

     

    Asked about the sunken antiquities’ exploration stages, Abdul Majid said, “The first phase is the archaeological survey, followed by the antiquities’ evaluation and examination. Then there is the phase of excavation, documentation, drawing, photography and spotting of antiquities on the location map and the map of Egypt. The decision whether to pull out the antiquities or not is based on how much the artifacts can be restored, the effects of leaving them in the water and whether pulling them out with a net could impact their structure. The decision also depends on the artifacts’ proximity to diving sites and their potential relocation due to the waves.”

    Emad Khalil, a professor of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Alexandria, told Al-Monitor, “Holding an exhibition for sunken antiquities in Western countries such as Switzerland contributes to the return of tourism to Egypt and to introducing valuable Egyptian antiquities to the West.”

    However, Khalil criticized the Ministry of Antiquities for holding the exhibition in several European capitals, but not in Egypt. He said this is odd as “before the Westerners, the Egyptians should be made aware of the value and greatness of their own history.”

    Khalil added, “Moving forward, the sunken antiquities issue must be dealt with differently, and only historic ships that adversely affect the salty sea water must be pulled out. The other antiquities must be left under water for display.”

    (www.al-monitor.com)

  • Mostafa el-Abbadi, Champion of Alexandria’s Resurrected Library, Dies at 88

    Mostafa el-Abbadi, Champion of Alexandria’s Resurrected Library, Dies at 88

    Mostafa A. H. el-Abbadi, a Cambridge-educated historian of Greco-Roman antiquity and the soft-spoken visionary behind the revival of the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt, died on Feb. 13 in Alexandria. He was 88.

    His daughter, Dr. Mohga el-Abbadi, said the cause was heart failure.

    Professor Abbadi’s dream of a new library — a modern version of the magnificent center of learning of ancient times — could be traced to 1972, when, as a scholar at the University of Alexandria, he concluded a lecture with an impassioned challenge.

    “At the end, I said, ‘It is sad to see the new University of Alexandria without a library, without a proper library,’” he recalled in 2010. “‘And if we want to justify our claim to be connected spiritually with the ancient tradition, we must follow the ancient example by starting a great universal library.’”

    It was President Richard M. Nixon who blew wind into the sails of Professor Abbadi’s ambitious proposal. When Nixon visited Egypt in 1974, he and President Anwar el-Sadat rode by train to Alexandria’s ancient ruins to observe their faded grandeur. When Nixon asked about the ancient library’s location and history, no one in the Egyptian entourage had an answer.

    That night, the rector of the University of Alexandria called the professor and asked him to prepare a memo about the Great Library’s rise and fall.

    The task, he said later, made him realize how deeply the ancient library resonated, not only with Egyptians but also with many around the world who shared his scholarly thirst.

    Backed by the university, Professor Abbadi began developing plans for a new research institution and ultimately persuaded the governor of Alexandria, the Egyptian government and Unesco, the United Nations educational and cultural organization, to lend their support.

    In 1988, President Hosni Mubarak laid the foundation stone for what would become the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a $220 million seaside cylindrical complex. Designed by the Norwegian firm Snohetta, it comprises a 220,000-square-foot reading room, four museums, several galleries, a conference center, a planetarium and gift shops.

    It opened in 2002, hailed as a revitalization of intellectual culture in Egypt’s former ancient capital, which is now its often neglected second-largest city.

    “With the founding of the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina,” Professor Abbadi wrote in 2004, “the ancient experiment has come full circle.”

    The professor did not share fully in the glory. He, like other scholars, had been critical of some aspects of the finished library and maintained that the builders had been careless during the excavation, unmindful of the site’s archaeological value.

    When the library was officially opened, in a ceremony attended by heads of state, royalty and other luminaries, he was nowhere to be seen. He had not been invited.

    Mostafa Abdel Hamid el-Abbadi was born on Oct. 10, 1928, in Cairo. His father, Abdel-Hamid el-Abbadi, was a founder of the College of Letters and Arts of the University of Alexandria in 1942 and its first dean.

    Mostafa el-Abbadi earned a bachelor’s degree with honors there in 1951. A year later, he enrolled at the University of Cambridge on an Egyptian government scholarship. He studied at Jesus College under A. H. M. Jones, the pre-eminent historian of the Roman Empire, and earned a doctorate in ancient history there in 1960.

    Two years before, in Britain, he had married Azza Kararah, a professor of English literature at the University of Alexandria, who had earned her doctorate at Cambridge in 1955. She died in 2015.

    Besides his daughter, Professor el-Abbadi is survived by a son, Amr, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara; a sister, Saneya el-Abbadi; three brothers — Hassan, a former Egyptian ambassador to Thailand and Cuba; Hani, a former Egyptian ambassador to Sri Lanka; and Hisham — and five grandchildren.

    Professor Abbadi and Professor Kararah returned to Egypt in the 1960s to be lecturers at the University of Alexandria. They held many visiting fellowships and appointments throughout their careers. From 1966 to 1969, they taught at Beirut Arab University in Lebanon.

    (mobile.nytimes.com)

  • An ancient Egyptian mystery draws tourists to King Ramses II statue

    An ancient Egyptian mystery draws tourists to King Ramses II statue

    Ancient Egyptians were known for their scientific excellence and genius, especially in the fields of astronomy, sculpture and construction. For instance, the three pyramids are considered among the Seven Wonders of the World. Pharaonic arts and antiquities still hide secrets that no scientists have managed to explain or understand.

    Every year, a Pharaonic miracle has been happening for 33 centuries.

    At the main entrance of the Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel in Aswan governorate, a solar alignment is witnessed on the face of the King Ramses II statue twice a year, once on his birthday, Oct. 22, and again on his coronation day, Feb. 22.

    Ramses II built his temple, which took 19 years to complete, in 1275 B.C. At the same time, the king inaugurated another temple for his wife, Queen Nefertari, who was said to be the most beautiful among Pharaonic queens. He ordered her shrine to be located near his own, on a mountain overlooking the Nile.

    King Ramses II, of the ninth Pharaonic family, was born in 1315 B.C. He came to power in 1290 B.C. and gained wide popularity for several reasons. For one, he acceded to the throne when he was a young, ambitious and enthusiastic man and remained king for 67 years. He also inherited a strong and rich country from his father who taught him the arts of war, rule and politics.

    Civilians and soldiers supported him, and he defeated the Hittites, the largest military power at the time. He was passionate about immortalizing his memory and honoring himself. For that purpose, he built more shrines, palaces, statues and obelisks than any other ruler before him. During his reign, Egypt built a new capital called Pi-Ramesses, which became one of the most important capitals of the ancient Near East.

    When the sun shines, its rays creep into his deep shrine, which is about 60 meters (197 feet) from the entrance, to illuminate it. The aim is for the sun’s rays to fall on Ramses II’s face from the east from a narrow opening.

    British explorer Amelia Edwards and her team detected this phenomenon in 1848, and she recorded it in her book “A Thousand Miles Up the Nile.” She wrote, “The statues of Abu Simbel Temple gain huge influence and are surrounded by an aura of praise and respect when the sunrays shine and set on them.”

    Al-Monitor attended the Aswan governorate’s celebration of the phenomenon. According to Aswan Gov. Magdy Hijazi, the governorate holds several artistic and cultural events for the occasion.

    “This year, the celebration was more organized, given the development of the work and performance to suit its grandiosity,” Hijazi told Al-Monitor. He noted that the event was made possible in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Antiquities and Culture in Aswan. “The governorate was spending large sums of money on the celebrations of solar alignment in the past, but it is currently agreeing with other parties to support and improve the celebrations as part of the expenditure rationalization policy,” he said.

    The celebration marked the beginning of the fifth Aswan International Festival for Arts and Culture, in which 17 folk art troupes participated, including ones from China, India, Greece, Sudan, Nigeria, Armenia, South Korea and Thailand.

    Among those who participated in the event were Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, Minister of Culture Helmy al-Namnam and Minister of Tourism Yehia Rashed. About 4,000 people attended the solar alignment event, including 1,500 tourists.

    The first Aswan International Women’s Film Festival coincided with the solar alignment and was launched over six days under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism. The festival’s prize statue comes in the shape of the ancient Egyptian goddess of the moon and motherhood, Isis.

    Mohammad Idriss, the general manager of the Ministry of Culture in Aswan, told Al-Monitor, “The festival program includes performances from the participating troupes. It took place in several cultural locations and youth centers in the governorate.”

    In a Feb. 6 press statement, Houssam Abboud, the director general of Abu Simbel antiquities at the Ministry of Antiquities, said the ministry took great efforts to prepare the celebrations for the occasion, which is a boon for tourism.

    He added that the solar alignment phenomenon stems from the ancient Egyptian belief that King Ramses II was intricately connected to the sun god Ra.

    Residents of Abu Simbel also participated in the celebration and promoted their city. They held an exhibition to display their antiquities and city folklore, as well as handicrafts from the families of tribes in Abu Simbel to reflect their culture to foreigners and Egyptians.

    Aswan University participated in this global event by sending students from the Faculty of Linguistics to help guide foreign tourists who attended the celebrations.

    (www.al-monitor.com)

  • Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden attends feting of Lesbos Mayor with the Olof Palme Prize

    Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden attends feting of Lesbos Mayor with the Olof Palme Prize

    The mayors of Lesbos, Greece Mr. Spyridon Galinos and Lampedusa, Italy Ms. Giusi Nicolini were honored with the 2016 Olof Palme Prize at a ceremony held at Sweden’s national legislature, the Riksdag. In attendance were the ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus, Dimitrios Touloupas and Andreas Kakouris, Metropolitan Cleopas of Sweden and All Scandinavia, the widow of the late Olof Palme, who bestowed the prizes, and numerous public figures from the country’s political circles. This year, the Olof Palme Foundation awarded the courage, sacrifices, and humanitarianism displayed by the two mayors and the residents of their respective islands towards the thousands of refugees arriving there.
    “The name of Lesbos has become commonplace to people from all over the world, who see an outpouring of humanitarianism and solidarity in its example, as well as the society envisioned by Olof Palme. My fellow citizens are doing their humanitarian duty as they handle an enormous humanitarian crisis in an exemplary manner; a crisis that has left the international community stunned as it discovers the real proportions of the problem,” Mr. Galinos noted in his speech.
    At the end of the ceremony, Metropolitan Cleopas congratulated Mayor Galinos and invited him to visit the headquarters of the Holy Metropolis of Sweden in Stockholm. Their meeting took place on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 31, 2017, at the St. George Cathedral. The Ambassador of Greece Dimitrios Touloupas accompanied Mayor Galinos to this meeting, along with the latter’s wife, his son Michael-Mimis Galinos, and his associate Marios Andriotis.
    The meeting began with a tour of the Cathedral, where the visitors were informed about the church’s rich and longstanding history, as well as the present efforts to renovate the edifice.
    In the discussions that followed, Mayor Galinos informed Metropolitan Cleopas about the present state of the island of Lesbos, as well as the problems and challenges that local governance is managing daily as a result of the large number of refugees that they are called to host.
    In his conversation with Mayor Galinos, Metropolitan Cleopas reiterated the firm position of the Church, which has stood on the front lines of the effort to provide humanitarian aid to the refugees with all its resources right from the onset of the crisis, thus substantially aiding Greek state agencies. He also made special reference to the recent visit by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, and His Holiness Pope Francis to the refugee camp at Moria, highlighting the great symbolism of their meeting there. In addition, the Metropolitan cited the work of the Rev. Christopher Schuff, an Orthodox clergyman from the USA serving in Norway who is known for his volunteerism and organizational abilities, and who regularly visits Lesbos at his own expense to stand by the refugees.
    At the conclusion of their discussion, Metropolitan Cleopas thanked Mayor Galinos for honoring the Ecumenical Patriarch’s historic eparchy in Scandinavia with his presence and offered him a copy of his study on St. Nectarios’ ministry at the Rizareios Seminary, as a token of his appreciation. The meeting ended with the Metropolitan expressing his wishes to the mayor for a safe return, continued success in the difficult task he has undertaken, and the assurance that he will keep him in his prayers.

    (en.protothema.gr)

  • “GR80s”: get to know the Greece of the’80s through an exhibition!

    “GR80s”: get to know the Greece of the’80s through an exhibition!

    The first major participatory exhibition in Greece is a fact, and it is about the 1980s.  Besides, it is bilingual and, therefore, particularly friendly to foreign visitors of the city too. Photos, clothes, all kinds of souvenirs and memorabilia, toys, pieces of furniture, audiovisual records and anything you can imagine will be among the exhibits on the exhibition called “GR80s. The Greece of the Eighties at the Technopolis”, which is to open on 25 January. Until March, the exhibition that is hosted in the old industrial gas facilities in Athens will revive the history, the culture and the atmosphere of the ’80s, in a partnership between the “Technopolis of the City of Athens” and the “Onassis Cultural Centre”. The public and private life during the decade will be recomposed through 4,000 interactive exhibits, four subject areas, 13 kiosks, rare photos, extensive audio-visual material and more than 30 parallel events. The result is expected to be very realistic since a large part of the exhibits came from volunteers who lent authentic objects of the decade for the exhibition.

    (www.blog.visitgreece.gr)

  • Culture capital celebrations get underway in Paphos

    Culture capital celebrations get underway in Paphos

    CELEBRATIONS to mark the official opening of Pafos2017 got underway in the town on Saturday ahead of the main event later in the evening.

    A number of free events are being held in Paphos over the weekend to mark the occasion.

    Excitement is mounting in the town and the buoyant mood was further lifted by a superb performance from the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra at Kennedy Square in the heart of Paphos old town which was scheduled to start at 12 noon.

    Crowds gathered as the sun shone, braving a biting cold wind, to enjoy the hour long performance which also featured the Concert Clemens Choir and the Music Lyceum of Paphos Choir.

    The musical offering got off to a late start due to a technical sound issue which was resolved during the performance, but which didn’t manage to dampen the spirits of the performers or the audience.

    Cypriots, ex pat residents of all nationalities and visitors also enjoyed complimentary local wine and zivania.

    Aarhus and Paphos, the two European Capitals of Culture for 2017, will be connected throughout the year by a series of common projects and actions, of which this performance is the first.

    The work of the internationally renowned Danish composer, Lars Mþller, was composed specifically for the opening event of the European Capital of Culture – Aarhus2017.  He was in Paphos to present his work with the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, the Concert Clemens Choir and the Music Lyceum of Paphos choir.

    The Paphos choir also performed at the Aarhus cultural capital opening celebrations in Denmark last weekend.

    The Aarhus Jazz Orchestra is conducted by Lars MÞller, the Concert Clemens Choir by an energetic conducted Carsten Seyer Hansen.
    At the end of the concert, crowds were reminded to show their support and attend the main event later in Paphos which gets underway in the newly revamped town hall square at 7pm.

    A walk around the city and the main venues of the Pafos2017 European Capital of Culture also got underway at 10am. Information points and volunteers provided information to the public.

    Five recitals from five soloists, musicians and singers, performing works from the classical and the modern repertoire started at 10.45am at Vintage Art Café, Ananas 8Bit Coffee, Deloubak Espresso Cuisine Co, Beanhaus Coffee Roasters and Let them Eat Cake.

    Free parking for the weekend’s events will be available at a number of places including: Karavella, the new public parking behind the old police station, the 7th Elementary school stadium, Iakoveio Gymnastirio [Korinos] and underground parking at the government buildings.

    (cyprus-mail.com)