Papers by Danai Konstantinidou
Cahiers du Centre d’Études Chypriotes, 2024
In 1899 Camille Enlart’s book L’art gothique et la Renaissance en Chypre
was published. In its tw... more In 1899 Camille Enlart’s book L’art gothique et la Renaissance en Chypre
was published. In its two volumes, it provided the first thorough study of Cyprus’s Gothic structures and placed them in the context of French architectural history. While the book remains an established reference for scholars of Gothic architecture, its connection to the preservation of Cyprus’s medieval monuments has not been fully explored. This article
studies the book’s role during the emergence of the interest for medieval monuments in
the beginning of the twentieth century, and examines its continuous role as a catalogue for the selection of structures to be placed under the auspices of the island’s antiquities laws. Drawing from archival sources within the Cyprus State Archives, the National Archives of the UK, and the Archive of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, it seeks to establish the book’s continuous involvement in the creation of Cyprus’s medieval built heritage.
Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies, 2021
At the eve of the twentieth century, Cyprus’s British administration perceived the island’s medie... more At the eve of the twentieth century, Cyprus’s British administration perceived the island’s medieval structures from a utilitarian point of view; their premises were put to new uses, their stones were removed and reused in new constructions. A mere six years later, selected medieval structures were declared monuments under the then-enacted 1905 Antiquities Law. This article investigates this radical shift and seeks to establish the seminal role of an anonymous letter sent to the Times in December 1899 . It argues that these 300 words against the alleged demolition of Famagusta’s medieval walls by the British Colonial Office initiated the first steps toward the preservation of medieval structures not only within the town but across the island. Ultimately it seeks to establish that the actions of this six-year period, a response to the letter’s allegations, marked the beginning of a process that shaped Cyprus’s medieval monuments as we appreciate them today.
The Many Face(t)s of Cyprus - 14th Meeting of Postgraduate Cypriot Archaeology, 2019
In the late nineteenth century, the British undertaking of the administration of Cyprus brought a... more In the late nineteenth century, the British undertaking of the administration of Cyprus brought along with it the principal ideas of the British Empire. Fundamentally against any expressions of the former, and in their opinion anachronistic and inferior Ottoman rule, the British made it their mission to restore Cyprus after its three hundred year’s ‘sleep’ by re-establishing the island’s medieval glory, which was conveniently associated with Western European powers. This was expressed through the repairs
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism,
the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.
Conference Presentations by Danai Konstantinidou
7th Symposium Archaeological Research & New Technologies (ARCH_RNT), 2022
In 1912 a photograph of the fifteenth century listed Venetian watchtower of Kiti, Cypr... more In 1912 a photograph of the fifteenth century listed Venetian watchtower of Kiti, Cyprus, was published in Annual Report of the London-based Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) (Figure 1) (Turner, 1912). It depicted four men standing next to a square structure with gaping holes in its lower part. Works appear to be in progress: ropes and wooden beams provide makeshift support. The legend offers, little, if any, information as to the proceedings shown. It stands: “watch tower, Cyprus”. The short accompanyingtext is more enlightening: the tower was on the verge of collapse because the local population was systematically removing stones from its lower part. It was featured in the Report because George Jeffery, British architect, SPAB member and Curator of Ancient Monuments in Cyprus, came up with a unique treatment that the Society’s Secretary foundnoteworthy to his peers in the UK. Instead of filling the gaps with stones, Jeffery poured concrete. In his opinion, not only did this secure the structure, but it prevented further loss of material as concrete didn’t have a resale value.Looking at Jeffery’s body of Looking at Jeffery’s body of work, although he frequently used concrete to stabilize medieval structures, this was a unique application and therefore it deserved to be studied closely. Nevertheless, archival sources didn’t yield any further information. It was not featured neither in Jeffery’s annual reports, nor in later SPAB reports and contemporary journals, there are no further mentions in letters held by the Cyprus State Archives or the National Archives of the UK and there was no documentation (in the contemporary use of the term), such as plans and photographs showing the before, during and after the works state of the tower. Therefore, there was not enough information as to the extent of the work and as to how and if the works survived at least up to Jeffery’s retirement in 1935. The solution was a site visit. The initial findings were that the tower indeed survived into the 21st century and that the same could be said for Jeffery’s concrete. Large sections of the lower parts of the tower appeared to be in a different colour, whiter than the local yellow stones. Moreover, although never mentioned in historical documents or photographs, Jeffery applied the same treatment to all four sides of the tower and mimicked the gaps between the stones by carving lines. Nevertheless, the tower was completely inaccessible as it was fenced with barbed wire and therefore the material could not be studied up close (concrete would have a different composition and temperature on touch), while no measurements could be taken. The method chosen to overcome this without approaching the tower was photogrammetry. I took photographs from different distances to the tower and used software to produce a 3D pointcloud. In order to scale the pointcloud without on-site references, I used measurements from a historic plan and a letter written in 1910 (Cobham 1910). This together with the texture on the model, allowed me to produce photogrammetric images of all sides, on which I could measure the extent of Jeffery’s interventions. It amounted to approximately 32% of the total wall surface (Figure 2). In conclusion, Jeffery’s unique approach to the tower of Kiti remains visible more than 100 years later. Despite the scarcity of historic sources, its extend is clear and measurable due to the application of photogrammetry.
Ημερίδα «Ευρωπαϊκές κληρονομιές και αποικιακές ευαισθησίες στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο", Ινστιτούτο Μεσογειακών Σπουδών, Ρέθυμνο, 29 Ιανουαρίου 2022, 2022
Η ημερίδα πραγματοποιείται στο πλαίσιο της έρευνας «Ο ρόλος των Μεγάλων Δυνάμεων στις τύχες των β... more Η ημερίδα πραγματοποιείται στο πλαίσιο της έρευνας «Ο ρόλος των Μεγάλων Δυνάμεων στις τύχες των βενετικών μνημείων στην Κρήτη κατά το πρώτο τέταρτο του 20ού αιώνα», της Δρ. Σοφίας Κατόπη, που χρηματοδοτείται από το Κεντρο Ερευνας για τις Ανθρωπιστικες Επιστημες (ΚΕΑΕ) για το έτος 2021. Διαθέσιμο στο https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDS6KHIpCWo και στο https://youtu.be/IWit05wrVLU
The Mount Menoikeion Seminar at the Monastery of Hagios Ioannis Prodromos - Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, Princeton University with the collaboration of The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia - June 25 - July 3, 2014, 2014
3rd Annual Graduate Student Forum - The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, 2015
In the first months following its annexation in 1878, Cyprus’s purpose for the British Empire shi... more In the first months following its annexation in 1878, Cyprus’s purpose for the British Empire shifted from a military base to a naval commercial station. Even though travelers and officials reported of no port able to accommodate the Empire’s fleet, British politicians pushed for the extensive development of the fourteenth-century Famagusta harbour. Its development would guarantee the dominance of the trade in the area; its neglect would make Cyprus unsuitable for the purposes of the British Empire. This paper will explore how the architecture of this harbour came to be in the center of the British imperial agenda and how the justification for Cyprus being a part of the British Empire, became embedded in the numerous proposals for its development. It will argue that the British notion of reinstating the former glory of Cyprus, as well as the imperial agendas of promoting trade between the British colonies, had a direct impact not only on the architecture of this historic port but also on the city of Famagusta. By presenting plans and discussions in different levels varying from travelers’ accounts to parliamentary votes, this paper will highlight the role of the British politicians, such as the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and the State Secretary for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain, in the reshaping provincial architecture. Using the harbor of Famagusta as a case study, I will urge for a new understanding of such British political choices as forming agents of the built heritage of the formerly British colonies.
The Many Face(t)s of Cyprus - 14th Meeting of Postgraduate Cypriot Archaology, 2014
In the late nineteenth century, the British undertaking of the administration of Cyprus brought a... more In the late nineteenth century, the British undertaking of the administration of Cyprus brought along with it the principal ideas of the British Empire. Fundamentally against any expressions of the former, and in their opinion anachronistic and inferior Ottoman rule, the British made it their mission to restore Cyprus after its three hundred year’s ‘sleep’ by re-establishing the island’s medieval glory, which was conveniently associated with Western European powers. This was expressed through the repairs
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated
and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British
attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism, the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.
Thesis Chapters by Danai Konstantinidou
Doctoral Dissertation, 2020
This thesis studies the emergence and establishment of Cyprus’s medieval heritage; an aspect that... more This thesis studies the emergence and establishment of Cyprus’s medieval heritage; an aspect that has never formed an individual study before. It argues that the structures considered as the medieval monuments of Cyprus today [2020] are the product of a process that was initiated, shaped, and systematized during the island’s British rule. It establishes its beginnings in the 1900s and follows its formation into the first years Department of Antiquities, founded in 1935. This thesis addresses the medieval monuments’ on the 1935 monuments’ list as an archive, the term being a loan from Foucault’s 1969 book the archaeology of knowledge, and examines their presence on the particular catalogue as a twofold procedure consisting of the selection and modification (identified as the repair works) to structures. Research for this thesis largely drew from archival sources and particularly from the examination of diverse material that ranged from official documents to personal letters, photographs and architectural drawings retrieved in archives in the UK, in Cyprus and in Greece. This material was analyzed in its ideological and practical applications and in relation to the wider discourse of the period; the nuances of the preservation debate in the UK, its relation to the political and geopolitical conditions and the way that those reflected on decisions making and implementation of preservation techniques and practices in Cyprus. Furthermore, a range of digital imaging methods and approaches were used to study, analyze and visualize historic photographs, plans and maps. Ultimately, this thesis looks critically at the medieval monuments of Cyprus as they came to stand today and offers a new reading as to their role in the making of the island’s medieval heritage.
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Papers by Danai Konstantinidou
was published. In its two volumes, it provided the first thorough study of Cyprus’s Gothic structures and placed them in the context of French architectural history. While the book remains an established reference for scholars of Gothic architecture, its connection to the preservation of Cyprus’s medieval monuments has not been fully explored. This article
studies the book’s role during the emergence of the interest for medieval monuments in
the beginning of the twentieth century, and examines its continuous role as a catalogue for the selection of structures to be placed under the auspices of the island’s antiquities laws. Drawing from archival sources within the Cyprus State Archives, the National Archives of the UK, and the Archive of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, it seeks to establish the book’s continuous involvement in the creation of Cyprus’s medieval built heritage.
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism,
the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.
Conference Presentations by Danai Konstantinidou
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated
and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British
attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism, the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.
Thesis Chapters by Danai Konstantinidou
was published. In its two volumes, it provided the first thorough study of Cyprus’s Gothic structures and placed them in the context of French architectural history. While the book remains an established reference for scholars of Gothic architecture, its connection to the preservation of Cyprus’s medieval monuments has not been fully explored. This article
studies the book’s role during the emergence of the interest for medieval monuments in
the beginning of the twentieth century, and examines its continuous role as a catalogue for the selection of structures to be placed under the auspices of the island’s antiquities laws. Drawing from archival sources within the Cyprus State Archives, the National Archives of the UK, and the Archive of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, it seeks to establish the book’s continuous involvement in the creation of Cyprus’s medieval built heritage.
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism,
the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.
to medieval sites and buildings. Using the works to the Gothic cathedral of Famagusta as a case study, this paper will trace how the British ideology and the British conservation theory practically shaped aspects of the island’s built cultural heritage. Reused and modified throughout the Ottoman rule, the cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Famagusta had disagreeable Ottoman associations to the British eyes
that required immediate elimination. But despite the outcry not only of foreign scholars but also of the British public opinion, it was still being used as a mosque by the local Muslim population; a complicated
and unique situation for the British Empire that called for an original solution. With the British
attempting to prevail over the remains of the Ottoman rule, driven by the strong ideology of Orientalism, the appointed architect attempting to implement the principles of the Society of the Protection of Ancient Monuments, and the cathedral under Ottoman ownership, the fate and state of a monument that we take for granted today, was anything but self-evident.