The three-day Seferi Symposium of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, which took place on Sunday, November 5, 2017, at the Municipal Museum of Ayia Napa "Sea" was successfully crowned. It is noted that the first symposium was held in 1988 and the second in 1996.
The opening ceremony of the Symposium was welcomed by the Mayor Mr. Giannis Karousos, who among other things said that the Municipal Council of Ayia Napa unanimously took the decision to revive the Symposium Seferis after almost two decades.
The aim of the Municipality stated is to make Ayia Napa a center of sefer studies, thus reciprocating the poet's love for this place since as he said it is known that the poet chose to be the only place that dedicated two poems and many references in his diaries. This year's symposium, he added, is dedicated to Dimitris Maronitis, the eminent philologist who was particularly concerned with Seferis' work and Cypriot poems.
The Municipality of Ayia Napa notes appreciates and promotes annually by organizing various events and creates a culture and tradition of which it is proud.
Closing his greeting, he thanked all the members of the organizing committee for the perfect organization of the Symposium, especially Professor George George, whom he proclaimed a worthy ambassador of Ayia Napa.
The Vice Rector of the University of Naples, Paphos, Mr. Diomidis Markoullis, in his greeting said that Seferis saw Cyprus as the revelation of a world, a human drama that, whatever the expediencies of the daily transaction, measured and judged humanity. Seferis added that he gave Cyprus as an idea and as a symbol and with his poems he made it known in Greece more than any other until then. He also described the 3rd Seferis Symposium as a top event and warmly thanked the Municipal Council of Ayia Napa and especially the active Mayor Mr. Giannis Karousos who, in addition to the great tourist development, works in many important ways to keep and promote the city's sefer clothing. and its cultural presence.
On behalf of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Mrs. Nadia Stylianou read the greeting of the Director of Cultural Services, Mr. Pavlos Paraskevas. In his own greeting, which was read by the Lyceum Principal and President of the 3rd Seferis Symposium Mr. Adamos Sergiou, the Ambassador of Greece Mr. Elias Fotopoulos expressed his joy and emotion that he addressed the 3rd Symposium for the great Greek poet of Rome and Cyprus.
There are some places he added, which, regardless of their size, political, military or economic power, include in them so much almost metaphysical power that they move on their own, possibly involuntarily the millstones of history and one such place he said is Cyprus.
Seferis reportedly served as a Greek diplomat with Cyprus, either as Greek Ambassador to London, or as head of the Cyprus office at the Foreign Ministry, or from any other position, Seferis fought hard for the island and its freedom. "Through the pages of his political diary, Mr. Fotopoulos stressed, his letters and official documents, we find his anxieties, hopes, disappointments for the course of the national issue."
On behalf of the SA of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nikos Anastasiadis, the Government Spokesman Mr. Nikos Christodoulidis stressed the importance of the Symposium for the promotion of Sefer Studies and praised the cultural effort of the Municipality of Ayia Napa, especially with events such as show the timeless relationship of Cyprus with Greece.
Professor Mr. George George said that Seferis came to Cyprus in the years 1953 -1955 from Beirut as Ambassador of Greece. He loved the island and especially Agiannapa who first visited on Friday, November 13, 1953 and constantly photographs the interior of the Monastery of the great fig tree, Maro and Loizo under the fig tree and on the steps of Kefalovrysos, the harbor with fishing boats and fishing boats. their nets to dry.
His impressions, he added, are passed on to his two poems Agiannapa I and Agiannapa B which he accompanied with readings from the history of the Crusaders by Steven Runciman. On a one-day trip to the island on November 4, 1969, he also visited Ayia Napa. The opening ceremony was adorned with an artistic program curated and presented by a group of students and teachers of the Famagusta Music Schools. Then the poets Titos Patrikios and Kyriakos Charalambidis read the poems Ayia Napa I and II.
The Symposium from Friday afternoon until noon on Sunday had six sessions where a total of 24 presentations were announced by eminent scholars of the seferiko - University professors, Secondary education, writers and writers from Greece and Cyprus.
The poet, essayist and bibliographer Mr. Dimitris Daskalopoulos was honored at the final session after a decision of the Organizing Committee for his work and especially for his contribution to the development of sefer studies. Professors Pantelis Voutouris, George Georgis, the poet Titos Patrikios and the Academician Thanasis Valtinos referred to the work of Mr. Daskalopoulos.
The Municipality of Ayia Napa awarded him an honorary plaque and a copy of a medieval engraving depicting Cyprus. Taking the floor at the end of the Symposium, Mrs. Anthi Maronitis, obviously excited, thanked the Organizing Committee for the honorary dedication of the Symposium in memory of her husband Dimitris Maronitis.
This was followed by a tour of Ayia Napa where the delegates visited Cape Greco, the Church of Agios Anargyros, the Sea Caves, the Sculpture Park and the Historical and National Museum Sergi Sergiou.
Symbolic photographing of delegates at the reference points visited by G. Seferis
During their stay in Ayia Napa, the delegates of the 3rd Seferis Symposium visited the Medieval Monastery, where they took a souvenir photo under the fig tree and on the cephalopod, places visited by the Nobel Prize-winning Poet George Seferis in November 1953 and Maro's wife and his beloved Famagusta friend Mr. Evangelos Loizos.