[PIO] New Publications of the Scientific Research Centre

The Scientific Research Centre (SRC) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, in the context of its significant contribution to the Culture and Letters of Cyprus, announces the following Publications, works by Cypriot and Greek scientists-partners of the SRC, which it carried out in 2021. These publications were carried out as an essential part of its publishing activities, which aim to promote the History and Culture of Cyprus in general, through the findings of Cypriot research:

-Georgios Kazamis, The Turkish Invasion and the Uprooting of the Keryniotes through the Testimonies in the Oral Tradition Archive of Occupied Areas. Series: Sources and Studies of Cypriot History, no. 87, Nicosia 2021, Dimensions 19x 28, 232 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8163-9, Printing House "Lychnia S.A.", Price €39,00.

The subject of this book is the displacement of the inhabitants of Kyrenia province during the first and second phases of the Turkish invasion of 1974. As stated in the title of the book, the testimonies of the residents of Kyrenia province about the invasion and their displacement are drawn from the Oral Tradition of Occupied Areas Archive of the Centre for Scientific Research, therefore the book is based on primary oral testimonies which were electronically recorded in the aforementioned archive. In the first part of the book the author analyses the genesis and development of oral history, its treatment in Cyprus and the role played by the Centre for Scientific Research in the creation of an archive of oral tradition which was originally established to record the memories of the inhabitants of the occupied areas displaced by the Turkish invasion. After a description of the research project which the author himself carried out for the Centre for Scientific Research, the fruit of which is the present book, he analyses in detail and in depth the various aspects of the Turkish invasion, with references to Greek and foreign-language literature, a general description of the invasion, a historical outline of the events, and the first phase of the invasion with a discussion of British initiatives to remove foreign nationals and the naval blockade of the northern coast of Cyprus. It describes the state of Cyprus' defences and the efforts of Greece to strengthen them, and then moves on to the Geneva talks, which took place between the first and second phases of the invasion, and the second phase of the invasion and the testimonies from the province of Kyrenia which relate to it.

The second part of the book quotes and comments on the testimonies of various displaced persons from the town and villages of the province of Kyrenia.

The second part of the book quotes and comments on the testimonies of various displaced persons from the town and villages of Kyrenia. This part of the book is divided into four subdivisions. In the first of these, the testimonies of the residents of the city of Kyrenia and the nearby villages are mentioned and commented on. The second subdivision recounts, through the testimonies of those affected, the occupation of Lapithos and Karavas, two large villages to the west of Kyrenia, by the Turkish military forces. As well as other smaller villages in close proximity to these two villages. The third subdivision describes the occupation of the remaining villages in the western part of Kyrenia province through the testimonies of the displaced persons and the fourth subdivision describes the occupation of the eastern sector of Kyrenia province, again according to the oral accounts of the refugees. The reader is particularly struck by the belief of several displaced persons from various villages that the abandonment of their ancestral homes was temporary, and that they would return there when hostilities ceased. Others, however, were more far-sighted. As one refugee from Karakumi told his wife: "You don't like your place because we will not redeem it. If we see our ears, we shall see Kyrenia again."

-Kyprianos D. Louis, Entrepreneurship and Economic Strategy in Cyprus in the First Half of the 14th Century: The Case of Georgakis Markantonidis. Series: Sources and Studies in Cyprus History, no. 88, Nicosia 2021, Dimensions 19x 28, 328 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8162-2, Printing House "Lychnia S.A.", Price €28,00.

This paper examines the economic functions performed by Georgakis Markantonides as a merchant and administrative agent in the Cypriot market. Markantonides was the social type of capitalist, who combined the administrative and economic advantages of his position, family background, political connections, and business activities to achieve his goals. The typology and specificity of Georgakis Markantonidis' business was due to the resourcefulness and business strategy he adopted. His business strategy contributed to securing financing through the concentration of "industrial" products (commodities), both for the distribution of products and for the development of other activities, such as small corporate trading partnerships, monopoly-type holdings and leases of tax annuities and chiflis

His relationship with foreign big traders was based on the gradual mutual trust relationship, which was acquired and was the necessary condition for the success of the transactions between them. Markantonides' leasing of tax and siphonage annuities on behalf of Markantonides created a partnership, which in turn led to a "proprietary reality" in terms of the management of these annuities. Through the cooperation of a network of intermediaries with strong links to the places of production or through the assignment of a time bond receivable from producers, Marcantonides developed a wide network of exploitation of local goods and raw materials on behalf of exporters and foreign traders. These were the commodity crops of cotton, silk and then carob, which were the central character of exchanges throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.

The book examines in detail the practices associated with the purchase and payment of the commodity. Pre-purchase is an under-researched issue and is intertwined with relations of dependence and exploitation. The tax collection mechanisms established by Marcantonides were aimed at increasing the profit of the tax buyer. He also acted as a landlord of merchant chiflises, owner of a workshop and a warehouse.

The present study reveals a complex and multi-layered network of relationships, which developed by involving the local Ottoman authority, the Cypriot church, the 'common Cypriots', the merchants, the 'workshop owners', the servants, the craftsmen, the local workers, etc.

The present study reveals a complex and multi-layered network of relationships, which developed by involving the local Ottoman authority, the Cypriot church, the 'common Cypriots', the merchants, the 'workshop owners', the servants, the craftsmen, the local workers, etc. This particular network of relations defines the economic relations of the period under consideration in the Ottoman-occupied Cyprus of the early 19th century. In this context it became apparent that in order to succeed in a commercial - or other - enterprise, the possession of an administrative relationship seemed necessary.

-Kyprianos D. Louis, Archival and Historical Analects of Oral Tradition and Modern History of Cyprus. Series: Synagogue of Studies, no. 5, Nicosia 2021, Dimensions 17x 24, 184 pages, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8165-3, Printing House "Lychnia S.A.", Price €19,50.

This volume contains seven studies which are divided into two thematic sections. In the first section, dealing with the Oral Tradition Archive of the Centre for Scientific Research, three articles are republished in which the composition of this archive from 2008 onwards is recorded and analysed. In the first article, particular emphasis is placed on the constitution and operation of this scientific archive, not only as an infrastructure to support scientific work but also as a means of preserving the testimonies of the bearers of the oral tradition, which have been erased due to their death with the passage of time. The alteration of the demographic character of Cyprus, the technological and tourist development and the integration of Cyprus into a global economic and communication system, resulting in the gradual deterioration of traditional culture and the elimination of the Cypriot linguistic idiom, are cited as additional reasons for the establishment and development of this archive. Reference is then made to the four phases of the establishment of the archive, the preparation of a questionnaire, the way in which the material is archived and accessibility issues. The second article records and describes the successive stages of finding and collecting material for the Oral Tradition Archive, which in the first stage covered the occupied areas and then extended to the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus. The contribution of the individuals who were instrumental in the creation of the archive is mentioned, permanent researchers, university professors from abroad as well as young scholars. Mention is also made of the methodology and rules of the interviews, the identification of individuals who were able to provide valuable information on Cypriot traditional life, the procedures followed in conducting the interviews and the transcription and archival documentation of the material, which is kept in paper and electronic form. The third article describes the timeline of the work carried out for the establishment of the archive, the inclusion of new scientists in the process of finding material for the archive since 2005 and their participation in the recording of interviews and the use of available technological means for the digitization of the archival material.

In the second thematic section of this volume, four articles on the social, political and economic situation in Cyprus during the period of late Ottoman rule are republished. The first of these, written in English, describes and analyses the participation of Archbishop Makarios I and other prominent clergy and laity in the collective bodies established within the framework of the Ottoman administrative, social and economic reforms known as Tanzimat. It is reported that during the time of this archbishop, relations between the Greeks and Turks of Cyprus were harmonious, while this archbishop also carried out important work in the field of education. The second article describes and analyses in detail the exploitation of the Pyla chiflikio in the years 1833-1838. First, the phenomenon of the exploitation of chifliki as a category of land of a privileged type is analysed and then the arrangement and keeping of the relevant accounts, their categories and how they were finally closed are described. It then discusses the equipment and management of the cheflikio, with a detailed account of the various categories of personnel. It also discusses how the chefliki was based on diversified agriculture with agricultural, livestock, horticultural and beekeeping products being part of the total production. There were also so-called 'industrial crops' such as cotton, silk and rhizari, important export products. What follows is an economic analysis of the cheflikio, the gross and net profits or losses, the various categories of expenses, the ways of paying workers, the categories of income, the conclusions and the accompanying Greek and foreign-language bibliography. The third article deals with the management of the tax accounts of the Commonwealth of Cyprus by the Central Municipality. It records the consequences of the Greek Revolution and its repercussions in the international context, outside the empire in general and in Cyprus, as well as the efforts of the Turkish Sultan Mahmud II to strengthen the finances and the armed forces of the Ottoman state through reforms that had an internal impact on Cyprus, resulting in the creation of the Commonwealth of Cyprus, a collective body composed of the highest clergy and laity of the Greeks of Cyprus and charged with the collection of taxes. In the fourth and last article in this section, the author deals with the content of the financial registers of the Archdiocese of Cyprus between the years 1800-1839/40. He analyses the historical data with emphasis on the decline of the Ottoman feudal and administrative system, lists the names and categories of the various inventories and deals with issues of compilation and documentary value of the inventories, reaching various conclusions regarding their characteristics.

-Ottomanic Documents of the Kykkos Monastery in Cyprus, published by Pavlos Hidiroglou, Nicosia 1973 (reprint). Series: Sources and Studies of Cypriot History, no. 5, Nicosia 2021, Dimensions 19x 28, 192 pages + 24 tables, ISBN: 978-9963-0-8164-6, Printing house "Lychnia S.A.", Price €14,50.

This book, a reissue of one of the first publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, consists of a collection of Ottoman fermans from the archive of the Holy Monastery of Kykkos. The original edition was part of the historical and literary research of Ottoman sources in Greek history. In his introduction, the editor describes the external features of the fermans and their diplomatic characteristics, then proceeds to an analysis of their content. The artistic emblem, the so-called "tougra", was placed at the beginning, followed by the introduction, the so-called preface. Then came the greeting blessing, which varied according to whether the recipient of the firman was a Muslim or a Christian. Then came the main text, the so-called narration, and finally the ratification and validation of the firman. The firmania included the date and place of issue, which was Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The language of the firmanas was a form of Turkish deeply influenced by Persian rhetoric.

In the main part of the book a total of 34 firmanas are published, first in Ottoman-era Turkish, which used the Arabic script, and then in full Greek translation. Almost all the firmanas date from the second half of the eighteenth and the first half of the nineteenth centuries. Their themes are mainly financial, often with the aim of preventing illegal interference in the financial affairs and assets of Kykkos Monastery by Muslim officials in Cyprus. It is repeatedly stressed that the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the only one responsible for the Monastery, and that legal cases relating to the Monastery should be heard at the Ottoman Empire's divani in Constantinople. There is constant reference to oppression and violence against the Monastery by Ottoman officials, despite the fact that Sultanic firmanas were issued prohibiting this kind of oppression. There are also firmanas which make reference to the oppression of peasants in villages of Paphos province by Ottoman tax collectors, as well as the usurpation of pasture land of the monastery by the sipahi and other inhabitants of the Turkish village of Lefka. Another firman refers to a complaint which was made against the inhabitants of the villages of Astromeritis, Pentagia and Elias, who were illegally claiming rights to the pastures of the monastery. Of particular interest is a firman which states that the number of clergymen permanently residing in the monastery of Kykkos has been fixed at 180, and that any fluctuation of this number is forbidden by law. In another firman it is emphasized that wills in which Christians have bequeathed real property to various monasteries, churches, or even to clergymen are respected, provided they are in accordance with the law and with the testimony of Greek witnesses. The firmania also refer to other Cypriot monasteries, such as that of St. George of Kykkos in the village of Pendaya and that of Timios Stavros in the village of Omodos, a monastery that was dissolved in the mid-nineteenth century. In short, the published firmania provide valuable information not only about Mony Kykkos itself, but also about the economic and social situation of Cyprus during the late Ottoman period.

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