Ethnic divisions, militarism, chauvinism and nationalism , these are terms that we are very familiar with in Cyprus. They have caused a lot of suffering and bloodshed in our island. Our homeland has a line of barbed wire cutting through it with guns pointing at each other.
They are destroying something else too; Cypriot culture, language, history and traditions. They have been systematically destroyed and Cypriot communites are mimicing their 'motherlands'. Officially a 'purified' language has been adopted in both sides of Cyprus according to the norms in the 'motherlands'. Media is dominated by programs and language from the 'motherlands'. In north Cyprus, a systematic destruction of all non-Turkish culture and history took place. Village names were changed, churches were left alone to be derelict open for thieves. In the south, vandalism took its attack on mosques and other buildings. In the whole island, there is a general attitude of disrespect towards the traditional culture.
Many people are refugees and the others are not allowed to freely enjoy the heritage and nature of our homeland. New generations are growing without experiencing the richness of the multi-culturalism in Cyprus.
We believe in peace and human rights for all Cypriot communities. This can not be achieved without preserving and remembering centuries long shared experience of these communities. Hence in these pages titled 'Memories', we present various materials that would help us keep these memories alive. This will not and can not be an exhaustive resource about the Cypriot culture. There are people out there making great efforts to preserve this rich culture and we hope to provide a means for the development and sharing of their efforts using the tools of technology. We would also like to promote joint efforts in culture, art, history and traditions by Cypriot's from both sides of the division line. Please contact us with if you have materials that you would like to be added to these pages.