The Cyprus Institute

Research Program and Digital Library Presentation:
“History and Culture of Dress in Cyprus from the 16th to the 20th centuries: Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Armenians”

Description

The research program and digital library on the History and Culture of Dress in Cyprus is more than a database; it is a gateway to Cypriot heritage developed in the framework of Dioptra: The Edmée Leventis Digital Library for Cypriot Culture of the Cyprus Institute. Drawing on years of research supported by the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC) and its Andreas Pittas Art Characterization Laboratories (APAC Labs), this digital resource invites audiences to explore and connect with the layers of history that shape Cypriot identity. The digital library facilitates the study and dissemination of the apparel of the Greek Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots and the Armenian community in Cyprus.

Utilizing the available written, visual and material evidence, the digital library focuses on the early modern and modern eras corresponding to the periods of Ottoman and British rule in Cyprus. During this time the development of Cypriot dress mirrored aspects of the cultural identity, the daily life and the socioeconomic aspirations of the various strata of Cypriot society as they transitioned between the insular realities of Ottoman Cyprus and the Island’s gradual Europeanization in the colonial context of the British Empire.

The use of advanced digital technologies and applications led by APAC Labs, offer a unique approach to important aspects of Cypriot Cultural Heritage. Digital documentation, 2D and 3D imaging and database applications contributed to the creation of a web-based digital platform that virtually narrates and explores the cultural development of the Cypriot dress. The digital library will continue to develop with additional material and information on the history of the Cypriot dress.

Speakers

Prof. Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou studied History and Archaeology at the University of Athens, Prehistoric and Classical Archaeology at the Institut für Ur-und Frühgeschichte, University of Heidelberg and at the Institute of Archaeology, University London. She obtained her PhD from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
She served as Archaeological Officer, Head of the Branch of Folk Culture of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities (1983-1995), Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor of Folk Art and Architecture, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Cyprus (1995- 2013). She is currently Professor Emerita, University of Cyprus (since 2013) and Adjunct Professor, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia (since 2015). In 2019 she was designated Founding Member of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.

Prof. Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou has served as Consultant for issues of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, since January 2012, for 10 years.
From 1995 to 2016 she participated (or coordinated) 37 projects and 115 conferences in 25 countries. She is author or co-author of 25 books, 39 chapters in books, 32 articles in journals and 55 articles in conference proceedings.
In 2022 she was nominated Honorary Professor of the School of Classics and Humanities, Department of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace, and in the same year she was awarded the Lykourgeion Prize of the Academy of Athens, for her book “The List of Property of the Dragoman of Cyprus Hadjigeorgakis Kornessios. Contribution to the research of the material, social and intellectual life of Cyprus during the 18th and the early 19th centuries”, Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation (Keramos Publications, Nicosia 2020).

Dr. Noly Moyssi is an accomplished archaeologist and cultural heritage expert with over 15 years of experience in archaeology, museum curation, and archival management. She holds a Ph.D. in Traditional Culture from the Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus and a Master’s in Museum and Gallery Studies from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She has managed cultural archives, curated exhibitions, and led archaeological missions, notably with the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus.

Dr. Moyssi also has some university teaching experience, having lectured at the University of Cyprus on topics such as folk art and traditional culture. She excels in cross-disciplinary collaboration, educational programming, and the preservation of cultural artifacts. Since 2019, she has served as the Historical Archives Administrator at the Patticheion Municipal Museum, Historical Archives, and Research Center of Limassol.

Event Programme

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