Olympic Games 2008 Beijing, China 5.6.2008

The Olympic Games created by the Ancient Greeks and now belonging to the entire humanity, constitute an institution through which the noblest ideals of the human spirit are expressed. The Olympic Games were organized for the first time in 776 BC in ancient Olympia, having as first competition the "stadium", namely a 200-yard dash. Subsequently, 23 other competitions were added and the games gradually developed from a simple athletic event into a mental and spiritual creation and into a place fordisplaying virtue, morals, mental and spiritual cultivation. The apex of these morals is the concept of "truce", namely the suspension of hostilities for the unhindered conduct of the games and noble emulation far from wars, vain competitiveness, political expediencies, ideological contradictions and racial hatreds. The Olympic Games were revived in modern times, in 1896, by French Baron Pierre de Coubertin and the first contemporary Olympic Games took place in the same year in Athens.

Cyprus was participating for the eighth consecutive time in the summer Olympic Games Which took place in 2008 in the capital of China, Beijing. On this occasion and to honour the event, Cyprus issues the commemorative stamps series established since 1964. This series consists of four stamps representing the competitions of sailing, high jump, tennis and shooting, competitions in which Cypriot athletes participate.

Thank you Merja.

EUROPA 2001 - Rivers - Cyprus 3.5.2001

This FDC sports two stamps in the EUROPA series for 2001 with Rivers as its theme. The rivers depicted on these stams are The Akaki, a river of central Ethiopia. It is a tributary of the Awash River on the right side. Two smaller rivers join the Akaki at the Aba-Samuel reservoir. These two rivers are the Little Akaki and the Great Akaki; the former is on the western side of the Akaki and the latter on the east.

The city of Addis Ababa has made the Akaki its waste disposal site. This puts the rural population living in the fringes of the city at risk since the Akaki is a source of drinking water for them. The Akaki is vital for numerous bird species. The Akaki–Aba-Samuel wetlands have been identified by the Birdlife International as a crucial staging ground for winter migratory bird species. The wetlands have been known to support as many as 20,000 water birds.

The second stamp depicts The Diarizos River. The 4th river in terms of length in Cyprus is Diarizos. From its two sources (where its name comes from), until its mouth, it covers a distance of 42 kilometres.

Its sources are found on the southeastern slopes of Kykkos, one next to the Milikouri village, and one on the slopes of Lemithou. These sources never stop giving their water, thus filling the riverbed all year round.

Diarizos has formed a huge valley. It is called the valley of Diarizos. It begins from the Venetian bride of “Tzielefou” and ends up at the beaches of Paphos. The valley, at its most is cultivable and planted with citrus trees.

Humans lived in this valley from ancient years and today there are 14 villages in total.

From its sources until the Venetian bride of Tzielefos, there is a narrow gorge with a width of 11 kilometres and dense plantation. The pine trees are probably the highest that exist in Cyprus. The sun hardly passes from the dense leafage of the trees. One road, a dirt road follows the river’s route during the whole journey.

A controlled and equipped picnic area offers its visitors the opportunity to prepare food. A little further, towards the river’s source, you will find the waterfall of Chantarra.

Thank you Merja.

4th International Congress of Cypriot Studies - Miniature Sheet 4.4.2008

The institution of Cyprological Congresses was founded in 1969 by the Society of Cypriot Studies. Up to now, three congresses have been organised (1st in 1969, 2nd in 1982, and 3rd in 1996). The 4th International Cyprological Congress took place in Nicosia from 29 April to 3 May 2008. The impressive meeting of a large number of researchers (about 350 people) from all continents, as well as the
quantity and quality of the announcements prove the huge scientific interest represented by Cyprus and the international recognition acquired by the Cyprological Congress as an institution. The aim of the meeting is mainly the direct exchange of specialized archaeological, historical, philological and other information about Cyprus. The Congress is divided into three sections: Ancient (prehistoric roman periods), Byzantine-Medieval (330-1571 AD) and Recent (1571 up to nowadays) and covers a wide spectrum of subjects related to Cypriology. This impressive miniature sheet is a very good representation of the history of Cypriot study through archeology. I was lucky to get this minisheet from an envelope sent to me from Cyprus by my dear friend Merja.

Mother Teresa 12.9.2002

Cyprus issued this stamp and FDC on 12.9.2002. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), more commonly known as Mother Teresa, was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950. For over 45 years, she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity's expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Following her death, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta".
Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity at the time of her death had 610 missions in 123 countries including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programmes, orphanages and schools. She received numerous awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and the Bharat Ratna in 1980. Merja gave me this nice FDC commemorating this Saint.

Europa 2010 - Children's books 5.5.2010

Merja sent me this FDC Commemorating the International Children's Day The Cyprus Post issued a set of postage stamps in the EUROPA 2010 series on 05 May 2010 ; the theme is "Children's books". The stamps with values of ˆ0,51 were designed by Christina Vasiliadou, Limassol.

"Children Day", as an event, is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, in particular to honour children. Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation. Children's Day is often celebrated on other days as well. Children's Day in India is celebrated on November 14, the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first Prime Minister of India after independence.

Pope Benedict’s First Papal Visit to Cyprus 4.6.2010

Pope Benedict XVI’s overseas travels typically involve vast crowds of adoring Catholics, often squeezed into sports stadiums or public venues for large-scale Masses.
But when Benedict made the first official papal visit to Cyprus in June 4-6 2010, his total flock numbered just 25,000, and his main speech was held in the sports field of an elementary school. Even so, Benedict’s words and gestures during his brief visit resonated far beyond the divided island nation. The momentous issues on his agenda include the Catholic Church’s relations with Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and the plight of Christians throughout the Middle East.
As indicated in a document released earlier that year, major topics of the Vatican synod included religious freedom in Muslim countries, Islamic extremism, Israel’s “occupation” of the Palestinian territories, and the recent exodus of Christians from the region.
Benedict also met with Archbishop Chrysostomos II, leader of Cyprus’s 800,000 Orthodox Christians, in the latest sign of warming relations between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, which split nearly 1,000 years ago. In December of the previous year, the Vatican and Russia finally established full diplomatic relations — a move previously opposed by the large and influential Russian Orthodox Church, which long resented Catholics for allegedly attempting to convert Orthodox believers.
Benedict’s visit could also highlight a source of conflict between Orthodox Christians and Muslims. For three and half decades, the island has been divided between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus in the south, and a northern sector seized by the Turkish military in 1974, which is now almost exclusively Muslim.
Although travel between the zones has been permitted since 2003, reunification is not in sight. Orthodox leaders are especially vehement about the desecration and destruction of the churches they were forced to abandon in the north, a subject they raised during Benedict’s stay.
Islam has been a delicate subject for Benedict since September 2006, when he quoted a medieval description of the religion as “evil and inhuman” and “spread by the sword,” which led to violent outbursts throughout the Muslim world. Merja my dear friend gave me this memorable FDC.

Farm Animals 17.3.2010

Wow! Aren’t those farm animals looking smart and clean. Only the rabbit looks a bit scared. This reminds me of the times I used to spend in a small town where I was born. We called it a town, but, it was actually no bigger than an average sized village. Now don’t ask me what an average sized village is – I don’t know! But, I am digressing. There were lots of farm animals where we stayed, and if we children behaved ourselves we were even allowed to tend them. My favourite was the Fat Pig. Later on when I grew up and started reading Wodehouse, I realized that my pig was no less gifted than Lord Emsworth’s. He didn’t have a name. We just called him Fat Pig. I can now understand why I like sausages, ham and bacon so much ;-)) The animals shown on the Cypriot stamps all look squeaky clean. Our farm animals were very dirty most of the time. And we were happy about that, because it gave us the chance to take them to the village pond to scrub them down or, alternately to hose them down, and any passer’s by as well. And the animals loved it, or so it seemed. But, as they say, if something has to be clean, then something else has got to get dirty. And, that something else was us children.

No farm is complete without its quota of animals. Thank you Merja for bringing back my childhood memories. Cyprus did a wonderful thing in issuing these five stamps on 17.3.2010. And I really like the postmark too. It is a combination of most of the farm animals, including My Fat Pig.

Cyprus through the Ages

Merja sent these lovely Miniature sheets. The Department of Postal Services issued a series of four commemorative stamp issues, one every year, entitled "Cyprus through the Ages" from 2007 to 2010, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Cyprus. The stamps of this series, as well as the Definitive stamps of 2007 are the first to be denominated in dual currency, i.e. in Cyprus pounds and euro. The fourth and final issue in the series commemorating Cyprus' 50th Anniversary of Independence. Miniature sheets depict: -

The Treaty of Sevres (1920) and Lausanne (1923), The Government House, The Imprisoned Graves, Gregoris Afxentiou (1928-1957), The Presidential Palace, The Turkish Invasion (1974), Cyprus' accession to the European Union (2004), Fifty Years of the Republic of Cyprus (1960-2010).

The Archaic period (750-480 B.C.): During the Archaic Period, Cyprus was divided into cities-kingdoms, which minted their own coins, on which the symbols of the kingdom and the king were represented. The island knew a period of prosperity because of the commercial contacts with Greece and the eastern Mediterranean.

Classical period (480-310 B.C.): The Classical Period was marked by the struggles between the Greeks and the Persians for the conquest of Cyprus. Despite the superiority of the Persians, leading figures, such as the Athenian General Kimonas and the Phil Hellenic king of Salamis, Evagorasj succeeded in keeping alive the Hellenic orientation of the island, both in the political and cultural life of Cyprus.

The Hellenistic period (310-30 B.C.): The Persian rule on the island was definitely terminated in 332 B.C., with the conquest at Cyprus by Alexander the Great who replaced the local coinage with his own. Alter his death, Cyprus fell into the hands of Ptolemy I, Macedonian king of Egypt and was integrated into the Hellenistic Kingdom of Egypt (310-30 B.C.), resulting in the suppression of the kingdoms of Cyprus and the predominance of Alexandrian patterns in the architecture and art of that period.

The Roman Period (30 B.C.-324 A.D.): Cyprus enjoyed great prosperity during the Roman Period. The bronze statue at the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus, the biggest ancient statue found in Cyprus until now, is a sample of this prosperity. In 45 A.D., Christianity started being spread in Cyprus by Apostle Paul, who included the island in his missionary journeys.

The Early Byzantine period (324-481 A.D.): In 324 A.D., Cyprus became part of the Byzantine world. The most noteworthy event of the beginning of the Byzantine period (324-481 A.D.) was the granting of autocephaly to the Church of Cyprus in 448 A.D. and the attribution of imperial privileges to the Archbishop of the Island by the Byzantine Emperor on the occasion of the discovery of the holy relics of Apostle Barnabas and Saint Mark's Gospel on top of them.

Christmas Stamps 12.11.2009

Cyprus issued these nice stamps to herald in Christmas in 2009. Maria sent me these FDCs.

Cyprus – 50 th Anniversary of The European Court of Human Rights 12.11.2009

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court, established by the European Convention on Human Rights, which provides legal recourse of last resort for individuals who feel that their human rights have been violated by a contracting party to the Convention. Application before the court can also be brought by other contracting parties. The Convention was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe, all 47 of whose member states are parties to the Convention. This First Day Cover and the stamp was issued by Cyprus to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of the Organisation. This lovely card was sent to me by Maria. This FDC came in a cover with some pretty Cypriot stamps which are also being displayed.

Cyprus – Joint Issue

The Cypriot and Romanian Postal Services issued a common commemorative series of postage stamps with a common theme "Viticulture". For the uninitiated Viticulture is the study of the science of growing grapes, with the ones used to produce wine being the primary focus. It includes the study of vine selection, irrigation styles, planting techniques, pest and disease management, optimal harvesting and more. Anything that can possibly happen to the grape before the wine making process begins is included in viticulture. Every aspect of growing grapes has a large impact on the quality of the finished wine. People who are involved with viticulture are called viticulturalists, and usually work closely with vineyards and grape growers to ensure the finest grapes, which will in turn create the best possible finished wine. Merja sent me this miniature sheet.

The vine has been known since ancient times. According to ancient Greek mythology, Ambelos was God Dionysus' beloved friend. When Ambelos died, Dionysus asked Zeus to transform him into a beautiful vineyard with sweet fruit, the grapes. Viticulture has flourished in the Mediterranean basin since the dawn of historical times, because in Mediterranean countries, the climate and the soil both provide ideal conditions for vineyards to thrive. In Cyprus, the earliest evidence of the existence of wild grapes came to light during the archaeological excavations at the Neolithic site of Vrisi - Ayios Epiktitos, which dates back to 4500-3900 B.C. According to other archaeological finds, the cultivation of grapevines started during the early 2nd millennium B.C. and viticulture as well as wine making have been the main activities of the Cypriots since immemorial times. The importance of viticulture does not merely lie in the production of the raw material, which is necessary for wine making. Viticulture allows the development of mainly barren, rocky, sloping lands in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, thus contributing to the conservation of the landscape, preventing soil erosion, guaranteeing at the same time human presence in disadvantages rural areas. In Cyprus, each area cultivates specific types of grapes (mavro, xynisteri, malaga, maratheftiko, etc.) from which local wines are produced. There are also wines produced from particular grape mixtures or wines made from new imported varieties of grapes. Sorry guys no more; I am rushing off to get myself a new bottle of the finest …………