Burial ceremony of missings in the Village of the Widows

Posted on August 17, 2014 by Iakovos Hatzistavrou

August 15, 2014, Vouno village

Relatives and friends buried the remains of 34 Turkish Cypriots who were taken and killed,

exactly 40 years ago

Today, they were returned for burial ceremony at Vouno village (Tashkent) –

at the new cemetery built for them…

Vouno village was known as well as the `Village of the Widows’,

In cemetary there was such great sadness…Tragic figures of women and children of the missings

Dramatic stories, a cemetery full of pain, even the most hard eyes has tears

I have no words to describe the moments and maybe not need.

What can I say?

The pain have no borders

What can I say about the heavy pain of the grandmother now, which became widow

when she was a young woman ??

for the middle-aged daughter buried her father? or for the son?

I am thinking that so many years lack of hope, for the empty hugs, for the lost dreams

To talk about the facts? The event? None

I refuse to go into the process of the absurd, this vicious cycle of guilt, because we are talking for victims

……innocent human victims (sometimes children), lives lost, tormented souls

and on both sides.

I didn’t see any difference in front of the graves, Tourkish Cypriots or Greek Cypriots,

except the flags, the uniforms and the language… When you close your eyes, you can hear you can feel and “see”

humans in great sadness, humans crying, humans in pain,

( This grandmother Sultana Kasif, today buried her husband and her 3 children)

All humans in front the death, are equal

all the mothers when bury their husbands children, are mothers

Cyprus must regain its lost calmness (if ever had).

We spent many years full of pain, fear, bereavement

I am really thankful to mrs Sevgul Uludag, informed me about the burial funeral,professionally and emotionally she tried to protect me.
Ibrahim, Who came with me and helped in translation. Thank you again.

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God rest their souls, they know …..

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Iakovos Hatzistavrou

CYPRUS, Nicosia 15 of July 2014,

In the cemetery of Ayios Constantinos and Elenis but in separate sections are buried citizens,

soldiers and police officers were killed during the 1974 coup aimed at union (Enosis) with Greece, the morning of 15th of July 1974 were battles, against Cypriot Greek Orthodox Archbishop and president Makarios at the Presidential Palace.

Today Greek Cypriot officials “Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Cypriot Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II,

members from political parties and families of soldiers and police officers killed during the 1974 coup, attends at the ceremony

Another black anniversary, a holiday memory, forgetfulness and political agenda

sirens sound in the city, a rehearsal and a backdrop of very bad director

The focus for an hour, the graves, two words, wreaths, relatives, politicians.

40 years passed much to remember and so little for the pain

I do not know what happened and probably Ι will not ever know

Officially???? History always is written by the victors

behind the scene so many rumors, more mutterings and murmurings, the people say, say a lot,

I really do not know,

once the story will be rewritten, there are gaps, I wish to look more like the truth that the dead be vindicated, need for them,

we do not need it … we prove it daily, do not read the story, not taught, so make the same mistakes

exactly the same, bet as self harm

Two separate rooms in the same cemetery, Two different ceremonies, two memorial services away from each other,

twice the national anthem, for perpetrators and for victims,

ones … and those ….. did….. they know,

God rest their souls..

they know …..

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I am absolute, because I speak on behalf of my daughter

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Iakovos Hatzistavrou

My favorite place for relaxation that combines for me the relaxed cafe and for my daughter playground, was,

and unfortunately I say was, Park Prodromou was,

because the Nicosia Municipality 4 months ago decided to remove the swings and slides

from this little paradise, this small oasis in the city for many parents, couples, students etc

The time we went to ride, the children’s games has disappeared, Mr. Nikos who is the soul of this park, helpless tries to explain and he hoped that it will quickly be replaced

I say soul, Nikos because before installed in the park with modest refreshment stand all of the surrounding space was inside the trash, a perfect place for “illegal couples” and drug addicts

I do not know who is the mastermind but he must have some grand plan in his mind,

because you do not destroy a playground, a little paradise for children and adults,

Cyprus, Prodromos park

if you don’t have something ambitious to do???

Otherwise if you do it without a plan and schedule, then you have no mind or you are unable to work for the social good.

I am absolute, because I speak on behalf of my daughter

and for mr.Nikos, the man who still believes in dreams and he try for them

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A unique herigate

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Iakovos Hatzistavrou

I found this spot accidentally it was a huge surprise for me because I had never
imagine the existence of this unique heritage and was hidden so perfect from the public, why???
I admire the hospitality of the workers without them, perhaps I couldn’t never understood how lucky I was

Khirokitia Culture (7000-5800 B.C), or the Recent Aceramic Neolithic of Cyprus, results from a long process which began in the 9th milennium, if not before.
Excavations on the site, which is included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO, began in 1936 under the direction of Porphyrios Dikaios, then Curator of the Department of Antiquities, and since 1976 have been continued by a French Archaelogical Mission under the direction of A. Le Brun.

The settlement stretches over the steep slopes of a hill and is enclosed within a wall which has been uncoverered in the East and North (Wall 100). With the partial abandonment of the northern slope and extension to the West, the settlement takes a new configuration defined by a new enclosure wall (Wall 284).

The constructions are circular with flat roofs in the form of a terrace. A house constitutes the grouping of several of these circular constructions around a small inner “courtyard” with an installation for grinding grain.

Flint or bone tools and receptacles made of stone or basketwork were used in daily life.

The deceased were buried in pits cut into a floors of habitation units. Some of them were accompanied by stone vessels and necklaces.

The nutrition needs of the inhabitants of Khirokitia were met by animal husbandry, hunting, cultivation of plants and gathering of wild fruits.

The site was abandoned around 5800 B.C. It was reoccupied from 5000 B.C by people of the Sotira Culture who knew and had mastere the art of pottery.

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“Keepers of Each Other’s Culture”

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Iakovos Hatzistavrou

When groups of citizens from Cyprus and abroad, working together in a spirit

of cooperation and trust for the rescue, protection, and promotion and when their motto is:

“Keepers of Each Other’s Culture”

Checking control to occupied Cyprus