A TRILINGUAL book (in Greek, Turkish and English), that chronicles the Turkish Cypriot community of Limassol before 1974 was launched yesterday at the Town Hall. Written by two Turkish Cypriots who grew up in Limassol, the book, titled Echoes from the past: the Turkish Cypriot Community and Its Heritage, covers all aspects of life in Limassol’s Turkish Quarter and the interaction between the two communities.
“I’d like to note that the pain of uprooting is a shared pain. 1974 has radically changed the lives of all of us and we owe thanks to the authors for not letting time erase the memories of our town. The book does focus on their community, but frequent reference is made to the Greek Cypriots and to events that touched the whole town,” said Dr. Artemis Yiordamli, the book’s editor and Executive Director of Terra Cypria, the NGO responsible for the project’s overall management and co-ordination.
“It is a historical fact that the Turkish Cypriots lived in this town for over 400 years since the beginning of the Ottoman rule. This long presence has left behind many monuments, remains, artisans and memories, which we thought had to be recorded for the benefit of forthcoming generations of the whole of Cyprus,” said Ozay Akif, who co-authored the book with his brother Selchouk.
The 250-page book includes 180 previously unpublished photographs, illustrating all aspects of life, from the hamam routine, to the call for prayer, weddings, divorces, births, entertainment venues and professional and commercial activities. It is the first book that includes a full list of Turkish Cypriot professionals and their trades, some of which are no longer practised.
“In addition to their historical significance for future researchers, it is interesting to ascertain that many of these names are similar to Greek Cypriot surnames or stem from words that are understandable in Greek,” Yiordamli said.
Publishing a trilingual book of this size was not an easy project and required meticulous work and long editing time. “I think this is the first time that an attempt is made at a trilingual publication of this size and I must warn you it is not a simple task. It raises issues of aesthetics, equal language treatment and triple correction of any changes,” she added.
The book was edited, compiled and promoted by Terra Cypria, a non-profit environmental and advocacy NGO, with funding from the UNDP Programme Action for Co-operation and Trust. The project also had the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Free copies of the book will be sent to all secondary schools, colleges and universities on the island.
Terra Cypria will also be offering free guided tours to the sites described in the book for groups and schools. For more information contact the NGO at [email protected]
