(The address was delivered on behalf of the President of the Republic by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Mrs. Athena Michaelidou)
It is with great satisfaction that I welcome today the 4th International Conference on Byzantine and Medieval Studies organised by the Byzantine Studies Society of Cyprus. The importance of organizing both this and other similar conferences and events is great for our country, as they adorn and enrich our intellectual and cultural life, while at the same time they promote scientific research and the study of unknown or less prominent aspects of our history.
The historical path of Cyprus is rich and important from the most ancient times. A glance at its main milestones, from prehistoric times to the present day, highlights the adventures the island has had and the adverse conditions it has had to cope with, having to face hostile invasions and conquerors, natural disasters and the difficulties of survival of its inhabitants. Throughout this process, two events in antiquity played a key role in defining the character of Cyprus: its Hellenisation by the Mycenaeans 3 500 years ago and its Christianisation and the establishment of the Church in the early post-Christian years. In the centuries that followed, Cyprus, like all of Hellenism, was part of the Byzantine Empire, while afterwards our land experienced a series of conquerors: Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, English. During all these years in Cyprus, the arts and letters developed, the Christian faith spread and spiritual life flourished, churches and monasteries were built, icons and mosaics were erected.
The study of History, Archaeology, Art, Architecture, Literature, Philosophy, Theology and other related disciplines in Cyprus, but also in the wider Mediterranean, during the Byzantine, Medieval and Ottoman periods will be the subject of the Conference that starts today. A large group of scholars from various countries - Cyprus, Greece, England, Israel, Israel, Turkey, Armenia, Serbia, etc. - will present the findings of their research and bring to light new evidence. The work of the founding member of the Byzantine Studies Society, Athanasios Papageorgiou, to whose memory the Conference is dedicated, will also be presented. It is noteworthy that the Conference will bring together, by presenting their work and interacting, both prominent and renowned university teachers - I note here the participation of Professor Emeritus of Tel Aviv University, Mr. Asher Ovadiah - and young scholars and researchers. In addition to the academic papers, this year's Conference will also host a session on the teaching of Byzantine History in secondary education in Cyprus, which will contribute to the direct interconnection of scientific knowledge with educational reality and I believe will be a good practice for further utilization. In our educational system Byzantine History is taught in classes of both Primary and Secondary Education, so the findings of the whole Conference will be useful.
I congratulate the President Dr. Nicolas Bakirtzis and the members of the Board of Directors of the Byzantine Studies Society of Cyprus for promoting the research, teaching and dissemination of Byzantine and more broadly Medieval Studies in Cyprus and abroad, and more generally for the opportunities opened up through the International Conferences they organize. The Conferences make Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean region a centre of scientific interest and constitute a wonderful means of getting to know the historical course and the intellectual and cultural life of our country. At the same time, through the promotion of our identity and culture, the participants also become aware of the problem we are facing due to the Turkish invasion and the ongoing occupation, which is particularly important since the dangers are obvious on many fronts, e.g.
I once again warmly congratulate the organizers of the Conference and its Honorary President, Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Ioannina, Mr. Kostas N. Konstantinidis. I would also like to thank them for inviting me to address them, which I also did as Minister of Foreign Affairs at the previous Conference, in pre-pandemic January 2020. I hope that the work of the Conference will be a complete success and that it will provide the impetus for further engagement with unexplored aspects of the history and culture of Cyprus and our region.
IP
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
