A 14th century AD tombstone, which was recently found by chance in a riverbed in the Larnaca area, was handed over to the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Giannis Karousos, by the well-known activist, Mrs. Tassoula Hatzitofi, President of the Non-Governmental Organization. Walk Of Truth.
The tombstone was handed over to Mrs. Hatzitofi, by an anonymous Cypriot citizen. Speaking at the handover ceremony, which took place at the Archaeological Museum of Limassol, Mrs. Hatzitofi underlined:
"It is with great pleasure that I am with you today and I stand before you to honor the Famagusta people, our ancestors but, above all, the humanity, the dignity and the love of the Cypriot citizen for his place, which some claim have disappeared. Personally, I do not accept this claim.
"Because if I believed that I was the only one who loves and cares about our history, our manners and customs, I would have returned my passport to you as a Cypriot citizen a long time ago. On the contrary, I believe that the Cypriot citizen is literally thirsty to go back to history, our manners and customs as a strong antidote to resistance and survival, especially during the period of the coronavirus pandemic ".
"Today," he added, "with this tombstone referring to Joseph de Sur, a Lebanese Tire who died and was buried in the Varos region, we are confronted with our history. It confirms that many conquerors passed through here who, in addition to any cultural, historical and other remains, enriched our diversity.
The DNA of the Cypriot was enriched by the diversity of each conqueror but did not alter his Greek and Christian identity. Antiquities of all kinds capture life, joys and sorrows, creations and culture and are the living, documented history of our place. "
Addressing Mr. Karousos, Ms. Hatzitofi pointed out: "It is with great sadness that I am handing over this tombstone to you today because, normally, it should have been handed over to you by the anonymous citizen who accidentally discovered it in a riverbed. That is why I hope that this modest ceremony will be the beginning of a substantial, creative, productive and two-way collaboration of our Organization, Walk of Truth, with the Department of Antiquities. I believe that not only should we encourage every citizen who owns antiquities to hand them over, but also to honor and congratulate him for his act, so that he can find other imitators. "
As Ms. Hatzitofi stated, "the anonymous Cypriot who accidentally discovered the tombstone, lived for many years in Britain, experienced the bitterness of exile and diversity. His three wonderful children sought their identity and chose Cyprus, because it is their homeland and here they belong. This citizen attended the program "24 hours" of the journalist Konstantinos Konstantinos, who presented at length my efforts to search for and return stolen antiquities and images in Cyprus and, as he confessed to me, cried when I declared that I am a Varosiotou.
This is how he identified with me as a Varosian and once an expatriate himself. She felt that I would understand him and so she approached me to entrust me with this tombstone, which she kept for 12 whole years, until she found a man to take her to her destination. He and his family won my heart and soul with their humanity and love for our Cyprus. They are not rich. If they wanted to sell it secretly on the black market, they could make a lot of money. "They refused offers to sell out part of the history of our place," he said.
As Mrs. Hatzitofi, "every month the anonymous citizen and his family incense the tombstone of this unknown person who was buried in the area of Varosi.
"I am convinced," he added, "that no foreign policy can have an effect on foreign politicians and visitors if it is not based on the personal stories of people who reflect the humanity, the dignity, the diversity of the Cypriots, which are manifested in their daily lives." I came to record and project these stories of ordinary people, who make us proud as a people, through my Organization, the Walk of Truth ".
Ms. Hatzitofi assured the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works that "it is ready to cooperate with all its connections, internationally, with its partners in Cyprus and abroad as well as with ordinary citizens in order to promote this aspect of our Cyprus History. That is, her stolen treasures but also her simple bio-wrestlers and honest people.
"I am also the daughter of one of these honest, dignified and beautiful people of our Cyprus. On the occasion of today's ceremony, I would like to thank you, my dear Minister, with all my heart for our impeccable and excellent cooperation and the active support you provide to us. At the same time, I would like to ask you to officially secure our cooperation with the Department of Antiquities because the common goal and the common effort are: The discovery, protection, and return to Cyprus of stolen treasures of our place ", he concluded.
Receiving the tombstone, Mr. Karousos thanked the President of the Non-Governmental Organization, Walk of Truth, Ms. Tassoula Hatzitofi and stated that, "as the competent authority for the protection and management of the archaeological heritage of Cyprus, the Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Transport ", Communications and Works, recognizes the contribution of citizens and organized groups in the protection and promotion of our common cultural heritage", concluded Mr. Karousos.
The tombstone is described in a publication of the Department of Antiquities, under the title: "Lacrimae Cypriae: Les larmes de Chypre", Vol. I. by Imhaus Brunehilde (2004), and is among a large number of antiquities that are unknown after 1974. It bears an engraved inscription which, among other things, mentions the name Joseph de Sur, originally from Tire in present-day Lebanon, who passed away on November 1, 1332 AD.
The tombstone "appears to have been located outside an antique warehouse of the French Archaeological Mission at the Archaeological Site of Engomi. In the past, antiquity was exposed in a building adjacent to the Medieval Palace of Famagusta (Palazzo di Proveditore, opposite the Cathedral of Agios Nikolaos). "This building, according to George Jeffery, initially seems to have been the northern aisle of a medieval church."
The Department of Antiquities plans to exhibit the tombstone at the Medieval Museum (Limassol Castle) so that it is accessible to the general public.
Source: Sigmalive