Every time we have activities in our schools that showcase our occupied land and highlight our desire and determination to return, we feel proud and our hopes for liberation are raised. That is why it is with great satisfaction that I am with you today, at the opening ceremony of the 1st Student Conference of Cyclades High School A, on the theme: "Memory of Morphou: We will come to you city, be patient."
The beautiful and fertile area of Morphou has been occupied since the Turkish invasion of 1974. It is located in the western plain of Cyprus, between the Troodos and Pentadaktylos mountain ranges, and is bordered by the homonymous bay. Its visitors, at all times of the year, were enchanted by its natural beauty and the smells from the orange groves and other crops were unforgettable.
The area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological findings at various sites -Kyra, Filia, Vouni, Toumba to Skouros, Soloi.
The area has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological findings at various sites -Kyra, Filia, Vouni, Toumba to Skouros, Soloi. Tradition has it that Soloi was visited by the Athenian legislator Solonas in the 6th century BC. In the Byzantine era, due to the frequent Arab raids, Akrites settled in the area, who founded the temple of their patron saint, St. Mamantos, and spread the Acritic songs in Cyprus. During the Frankish and Turkish rule, things were difficult for the inhabitants, who were engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, trade and crafts.
The town showed a remarkable upward trend in all areas - economic, social, cultural - both during the English rule and after the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus. Great progress was also made in the educational sector, since it was Morphou that hosted (until 1957) the first higher school, namely the Teachers College, from which the first teachers of Cyprus graduated. At the same time there were three primary schools and four secondary schools, including the Agricultural Secondary School. Morfu produced many men of letters and arts, among them the writer and Deputy Minister of Education of Greece Loukis Akritas. After 1974, Morphou, like the rest of the enslaved areas, waited patiently for the liberation and the return of its Greek inhabitants, who have been living in exile ever since. Such actions, which aim to acquaint our children with our occupied territories and to cultivate the fighting spirit of the Cypriot Hellenism for their reclaiming, are timeless goals of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth and should be undertaken by all school units.
I thank the presenters of the workshops, who will pass on their scientific knowledge or their experiences to the students and make them aware of their own love and nostalgia for Morphou. I would also like to thank the teachers who worked to make this conference and ceremony possible. Finally, I thank His Beatitude Archbishop George, Archbishop of Cyprus, who will preach the opening of the Conference. The close cooperation between the State and the Church on these issues is a guarantee that we are moving in the right direction.
Finally, addressing our students, I express the hope and certainty that the experiences they will gain today will accompany them throughout their lives. Well done for all their efforts.
IP
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