The first Cyprus International Festival was an idea launched to celebrate World Tourism Day by hoteliers in the province of Famagusta. This year, the 34th International Festival of Ayia Napa is organized with a rich artistic program culminating in the concert with Dionysis Savvopoulos and the exhibition that will be hosted by exhibits of the Archaeological Museum "Nanyue Palace" of the Chinese city of Guangzhou.
It is undoubtedly known that the province of Famagusta holds the scepter in the tourism sector, with 45% of the tourist traffic ending up in Ayia Napa and Protaras. Already, the resort of Ayia Napa has been home to a large number of foreign tourists since the early 80s, mainly from the United Kingdom and Central Europe.
Nevertheless, in contrast to the current conditions in the tourism industry, and the particularly competitive environment of a market where globalization has changed dramatically, about thirty years ago, on the one hand, the purity of the tourism industry, on the other hand, great ideas and abilities of some people, led to the creation of the first international festival of our island, which closes this year 33 years of life.
Kikis Konstantinou, then Chairman of the Organizing Committee and inspirer of the International Festival of Ayia Napa, described on Sunday how the idea of a groundbreaking and pioneering, for the data of our island, international festival started and how it was implemented.
See what Kikis Konstantinou mentions in the video for the organization of the 1st International Festival in 1985:
The idea, according to Kikis Konstantinou, began in September 1985, when the Cyprus Tourism Organization sent a circular to hoteliers and provincial hoteliers' councils asking them to organize a hotel event, dedicated to their world day, at their own discretion. . Instead, the provincial committee of Hoteliers of Famagusta, with President and inspirer Kikis Konstantinou, decided to organize an event, which no one imagined would be established for three decades as one of the most important festivals in our country.
The main philosophy, as Mr. Konstantinou described in "S" was the acquaintance and direct contact of the locals with the foreign tourists, the mixing of the foreign element with the local one. For this reason, three-day events were organized, which included both a demonstration of traditional products and delicacies and the participation of foreign bands from the countries of tourists visiting the Community of St. Nappa.
With about a hundred thousand residents, the then Community Council was not ready to contribute to the organization of such an ambitious event. For this reason, all the hotels were returned, which offered non-profit financial and material support for the organization of the event. What made the Festival stand out was the involvement of foreign travel agents themselves, who encouraged the "entertainment groups" they had at the time to participate in the event, which in combination with the participation of artistic groups from abroad, they gave the Festival the scent and color of an international and multicultural event.
At the same time, other activities were organized during the first year, such as the creation of a photo album by the late artist Jack Iakovidis where the photos were accompanied by texts by journalist, writer and director Andros Pavlidis, as well as the release of a special stamp and stamps in Cyprus.
Important names
The International Festival of Ayia Napa, although it has changed its philosophy over the years, has not changed its mission and hosts a large number of foreign and local visitors. During his 33 years of life, important names have passed through the square of Ayia Napa, such as Nana Mouskouri, Stamatis Spanoudakis, Marios Frangoulis, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Marinella, Giannis Parios, George Dalaras, Dimitra Galani , Alkistos Protopsalti and Stavros Xarchakos.
Today, the Ayia Napa International Festival, 33 years later, is arguably the most popular event in Ayia Napa and one of the island's most famous events.
Within the framework of the Festival, various events are organized such as painting and photography exhibitions depicting modern and older life in Cyprus as well as exhibitions of shells, flowers and butterflies, while exhibitions of agricultural products are organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. There are also kiosks and exhibitions that showcase traditional folk art, such as wood carving, silver-plated glazing, silkwork, leatherwork, basket weaving, pottery and more.
This year's program is rich
Rich and interesting events will be presented again this year 34th Ayia Napa International Festival, which will take place on the three days of September 28-30 in Central Square.
Before the official events of the Festival in the Central Square will be preceded on Thursday 27 September at the Municipal Museum "Sea", a pre-holiday event, which includes the opening of the Exhibition of the Archaeological Museum Nanyue Palace of the Chinese city Guangzhou, presentation of the traditional style of service tea, the dance performance "Cyprus of Tradition" by the Dance Club of Ayia Napa, performance by Chinese Artists, who will present a show with traditional instruments, entitled "Estolling Good Times Times with Sing ing and Dancing "the" Puppet Show "," Long Silk Dance "and the Contemporary Opera" BailongGuan "as well as the representation of the Cypriot Wedding" Today the Sky Shines "by the Music Band and the Dance Ensemble of the Municipality of Deryneia" Drymio ".
On Friday, September 28, the curtain will open on the platform of the Central Square at 8.00 pm the "Choir Meeting" with the Community Choir Pera Orini and the Choir of the Municipality of Sotiras and the concert with Pantelis Thalassinos will follow at 9.30pm. which will be framed by artists Georgia Ntagaki, Katerina Paraschou, Costas Hadjichristodoulou, and Michalis Hatzimichael. The concert is adorned with many dances performed by the exceptional dancers of the "Dionysos" group.
On Saturday, September 29, they will start at 7.00 pm with the Cyprus Police Force Philharmonic, which will play along Makariou Avenue from the roundabout of the Port to the Medieval Monastery. Afterwards, there will be a tour of the Festival's official activities and exhibitions. Following at 8.30pm are the greetings of the Mayor Mr. Giannis Karoussos and the Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Petridis and the ceremony of the first phase of the twinning of the Municipality of Ayia Napa with the city of Byblos in Lebanon.
Saturday night will close with the big concert of the remarkable songwriter and composer Dionysis Savvopoulos entitled "Dionysis Savvopoulos in the songs of others". This is a musical performance performed for the first time by the great artist, who together with the Vocal Ensemble "Dimension", 30 musicians from Cyprus and Greece and orchestrations of two great musicians, the Greek and permanent collaborator of D. Savvopoulos Giotis Kiourtsoglou and of the Cypriot composer Vassos Argyridis will present and sing songs by other of his contemporaries, older and younger, from Attik or Markos Vamvakaris to Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Phoebus Delivorias and others.
On the third and last night, the Dance Club of the Municipality of Ayia Napa and the Music Band of the Cultural Group "Cabo Greco" from 8.00 pm until midnight will alternately present "Traditional Dance Sergiani" and the music and dance performance "Come, night, listen to my song ". The Music Band "Kavo Greco" will accompany the Siakalli Group. Around 9.15pm there will be a small interruption of the program for the announcement of the 35th International Festival by the Mayor of Ayia Napa Mr. Giannis Karousos.
In addition to the art program, the audience will be able to admire the various exhibitions that will be exhibited indoors and in the courtyard of the Monastery and cover the entire wide range of artistic creation of Cypriot and foreign artists, such as "Little Salamis in Ayia Napa" by Filippos Yapan , "The Cyprus of Yesterday and Today in small paintings, engravings and copies" of the "Diachroniki" Gallery, the photography exhibitions of our occupied cities "Famagusta City Ghost", "Morphou, the theft and destruction of Pa ancient heritage, "" Cultural heritage of Kyrenia "looting and destruction" that kindly granted the occupied Municipalities of Famagusta, Morphou and Kyrenia and the Municipality of Agia Napa photography exhibition "Agia Napa of yesterday and today."
In addition to the art exhibitions, there will also be an exhibition of agricultural products and flowers by the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, the Cypriot Handicrafts of the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Tourism, the Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Communications and Works on Traditional Contributions. , exhibition of maps and engravings from the collections of the Cultural Bank of Cyprus and the Department of Forests on "Flora, Fauna and Environment of Cyprus". The Farmhouse will function as an exhibition space and will be fully equipped with traditional furniture, agricultural tools and home decoration of a traditional Cypriot house.
In the courtyard of the Farm House, demonstrations of various household, agricultural and agricultural occupations will be carried out, such as the preparation of zivania, pasta halloumi, pasta, bread and palouze. There will also be demonstrations of traditional arts such as wood carving, silversmithing, glazing, silkwork, leatherwork, basket weaving, pottery and more.
Admission to all Festival events is free for the public.
See in detail the program of the 34th International Festival of Ayia Napa by clicking here
Famagusta.News
