Noam Chomsky - Art of the Heist TV - Christopher Hitchens - Robin Lane Fox TV - Richard Miles TV - Destination Truth TV - Herodotus - Nicos Anastasiades - Acts 11:19-21 - Peter Wright - Mediterranean with Simon Reeve TV - Dark Tourist 2018 - This Week TV - The National TV - Bettany Hughes TV - Jane McDonald TV -
Also forgotten was Turkey’s conquest of northern Cyprus, with thousands of casualties and hundreds of thousands of refugees after an orgy of killing, torture, rape and pillage to extirpate the last remnants of Greek culture back to classical antiquity; George Bush praised Turkey for serving ‘as a protector of peace’ as it joined those who ‘stand up for civilized values around the world.’ Noam Chomsky, Deterring Democracy
In the 1970s the black market in religious artefacts had exploded into a multi-million-dollar industry. The war-torn island of Cyprus was being picked clean. This is the story of how a sophisticated ring of smugglers ripped a sacred mosaic from the walls of a church then tried to hawk it on the open market. Little did they realise that their greed would trigger a global clamour for its recovery that would culminate in a daring police raid which uncovered $40 million in stolen artefacts and change the trade in antiquities for ever. Art of the Heist s1e5: Den of Antiquities
The theft had all the hallmarks of a professional smuggling ring. ibid.
Inside the crates were fragments of a young Christ, Matthew, James and the archangel that had so captivated her [Peg L Goldberg]. ibid.
Judge Noland ruled that the mosaics belonged to the Church of Cyprus. ibid.
Cyprus: an extraordinary invasion which preoccupied the whole world for a month in October of 1956, half a century ago, and which had the tragic outcome in addition of diverting international attention from the heroic events in Hungary. Christopher Hitchens, Islam and the West
Kissinger approved of the preparations by Greek Cypriot fascists for the murder of President Makarios, and sanctioned the coup which tried to extend the rule of the Athens junta (a favoured client of his) to the island. When despite great waste of life this coup failed in its objective, which was also Kissinger’s, of enforced partition, Kissinger promiscuously switched sides to support an even bloodier intervention by Turkey. Thomas Boyatt ... went to Kissinger in advance of the anti-Makarios putsch and warned him that it could lead to a civil war. ‘Spare me the civics lecture,’ replied Kissinger, who as you can readily see had an aphorism for all occasions. Christopher Hitchens
An island smaller than Sicily or Sardinia has been utterly divided. Christopher Hitchens, Cyprus: Stranded in Time, BBC Frontiers 1989
Turkey’s invasion, a catastrophe on an epic scale for the Greek-Cypriot majority, was greeted by many of the Turkish minority as a deliverance. An extremist coup sponsored by the then military dictatorship in Greece had given Turkey a long-awaited pretext for intervention. The Turkish action led to the occupation of one third of the territory of Cyprus, a proclamation of a separate Turkish/Cypriot state and the displacement of nearly 200,000 Greek refugees. ibid.
The dead zone is patrolled only by the United Nations. ibid.
A loss that is emotional as well as material. ibid.
The Wall is inescapable. On both sides of the Wall soldiers keep watch on each other as they have hour by hour for fifteen years. ibid.
The Phoenicians started to use little symbols for sounds. Andrew Marr’s History of the World II, BBC 2012
Alpha, Beta, Gamma: exactly the order we know the Phoenicians used for their own letters. Professor Robin Lane Fox, Greek Myths: Tales of Travelling Heroes, BBC 2010
To the west of Amathus is another place associated with Aphrodite: it is known as the Rock of Aphrodite. ibid.
Here in Cyprus the myths were being re-imagined under the constant influence of new ideas. ibid.
The Phoenician alphabet was made up of twenty-two letters all of which were consonants. Richard Miles, Ancient Worlds: Age of Iron, BBC 2010
The Purple People. ibid.
An ancient sea monster has turned into a modern-day menace. Destination Truth s4e13, Skyfy 2011
Below the surface of its crystal clear waters swims a mystery thousands of years old. Ancient mythology is rich with tales of sea monsters that dragged sailors down to a watery grave. Now a recent spate of sightings has many terrified that a timeless legend has re-emerged as a modern-day reality. ibid.
According to the Persians best informed in history, the Phoenicians began the quarrel. These people, who had formerly dwelt on the shores of the Erythraean Sea, having migrated to the Mediterranean and settled in the parts which they now inhabit, began at once, they say, to adventure on long voyages, freighting their vessels with the wares of Egypt and Assyria. Herodotus
It’s a Cyprus of misery and soup kitchens and a state which cannot meet basic obligations. It can only cause me grief. Nicos Anastasiades
Consequently those who had been scattered by the tribulation that arose over Stephen went through as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, but speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. However, out of them there were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene that came to Antioch and began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, the hand of Jehovah was with them, and a great number that became believers turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21
British policy in Cyprus was an utter disaster. The Colonial Office was trying to pursue political negotiations in a deteriorating security situation, relying on the Army to keep order. Peter Wright, Spycatcher p154
Grivas stepped up his guerrilla campaign in an effort to thwart the determined efforts to achieve a political solution being made by the new Governor, Sir Hugh Foot. ibid. p155
Cyprus has sat at the crossroads of civlisations, cultures and great religions for centuries. Mediterranean with Simon Reeve II, BBC 2018
Something like 3% of all of Cyprus is inside the buffer zone. ibid.
Turkish governments have encouraged hundreds of thousands of Turks to settle here, and many think they’re trying to link Turkish Cyprus more closely to Turkey. Settlers are now thought to be more than half the population. ibid.
Cyprus: the beach resort of Famagusta … was a favourite with the international jet-set but it was abandoned during the war and now it’s a ghost city completely cut off by the Turkish army and completely off limits. Which of course puts it on the dark tourist bucket list. Dark Tourist s1e5: Europe, Netflix 2018
Thursday morning a week ago tanks of the Turkish army on the outskirts of Famagusta are about to complete their victory in Cyprus: the Geneva peace talks collapsed. The Turks have lost patience, have given up words in favour of war. This Week: A Divided Cyprus, Thames TV 1974
They overwhelm the Greek opposition … Famagusta is silent: all this belonged to the Greeks … The Greeks fled in panic before the Turkish tanks; now the town is deserted. ibid.
It is thought that 200,000 people are now refugees. ibid.
There is everything here and nothing all at once. The Mediterranean ease and charm, island life, field of fertile land Cypriots have always had to fight to hang on to. The National: Cyprus, CBC
The secrets are buried all over this island but the scars of war are still in plain sight. ibid.
Fighting divided the island into north and south. In the summer of 1974 Greek nationalism was soaring … Turkish troops landed on the island that July. ibid.
Cyprus sits at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. For centuries host to overseas’ powers and influence. And in myth the birthplace of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. Bettany Hughes’ Treasures of the World s2e3: Cyprus, Channel 4 2023
First stop, Larnaca District Metropolitan Museum. ibid.
The triumph and the tragedy of Cyprus under Roman rule … Some of the very finest antiquities here do date from the time of the Roman Empire. ibid.
An island with a great variety of landscapes. ibid.
The art of these churches and the communities around them are a true treasure of this island. ibid.
Cyprus is a treasure trove of amazing historical riches. ibid.
We’re gonna get under the skin of Sin City, a 24-hour playground. Holidaying with Jane McDonald s2e1: Las Vegas
It’s a lot warmer than England when I left it. ibid.
My home for the next few days is Caesar’s Palace, one of the largest and best-known landmarks in Vegas … Vegas has over 5,000 hotels with around 150,000 rooms. ibid.
$75 to put my milk in the fridge. ibid.
Fremont Street: Where the old Las Vegas meets the new. ibid.
When I talk buffet, I’m not talking a few pork pies and some crisps. ibid.
Many come for the lights of Las Vegas Boulevard – The Strip. ibid.
To find out what we’ve been missing in Mexico … an 11-hour flight from the UK. Holidaying with Jane McDonald s2e2: Mexico
When I got off the plane it was just like a blanket wrapping around me … So let’s get them bones a-moving. ibid.
The best invention ever – a bar in a pool. ibid.
My night out – I’m going to a fiesta … They really know how to party here. ibid.
The original love island – welcome to Cyprus … There are jaw-dropping views everywhere you look. Holidaying with Jane McDonald s1e3: Cyprus
Sunny and spectacular Cyprus … The water is so clear … A whole other world under the sea. ibid.