in the Foyer of the Near East Hospital
organised
in cooperation with researchers, historians, collectors and archivists
By
Heidi Trautmann
The
very first old Cyprus map I saw, that is about two years ago, when, on the
occasion of my visit to the National Archive and Research Centre in Kyrenia,
its director Mr Gökhan Şengör took me on a tour through the sacred halls in the
old building where the most precious documents are kept. Gökhan Şengör opened a
drawer of a safe cabinet and - whispering with a low voice full of respect - he
said: “This map is by Lord Kitchener!” I had read about this highly honoured officer
who in 1878 was sent to Cyprus to establish a survey of that newly acquired British protectorate. I was
duly impressed.
Now,
on March 17, the exhibition will be opened in the big entrance hall of the Near
East Hospital and I am equally impressed that more than a hundred Cyprus maps and
documents have been brought together and are available for the public eyes
until 06 April 2014. The project was initiated by Dr. Umut Koldas, Director of
the Near East Institute and Prof. Dr. Ercan Citlioğlu, guest lecturer at the mentioned
institute. The research work began nine months ago. Nazif Bozatlı, a respected
private archivist, who also contributed admiralty maps of Cyprus and
documentation on Lord Kitchener, was appointed curator and treasurer of the
project.
Other
contributors are: Prof. Heath Lowry, an American historian; National Archive
and Research Centre Kyrenia; theCyprus Evkaf Foundation; and finally the Near East University Library contributing
to the history of CMC Cyprus Mining Company and Kitchener’s trigonometrical map
of Cyprus dated 1885.
During
the three weeks of exhibition two conferences will be held, one in Turkish and
one in English; the dates are still to be announced. A catalogue is available
on all items on display.
The vernissage of the exhibition: 17 March 2014, 18:00 - Foyer of the
NEU Hospital.
The exhibition is open 17 March - 06 April 2014, visiting hours 10:00-16:00,
incl. Saturdays and Sundays.