Zervos said, “The infrastructure should be improved in order to protect the monument and in parallel to have the necessary quality of services according to the large number of its visitors”.
Spinalonga is a small island in the Gulf of Elounda in north-eastern Crete and was a former leper colony between 1903-1957.
It is the second most visited archaeological site of Crete after Knossos and received 500,000 visitors in 2022 with 3,500 of people visiting the island in August.
The new infrastructure will not affect the character of the island, instead support its preservation and make it more accommodating to tourists.
The latest global survey by Britain’s CIA Landlord Insurance has found that the Greek real estate market is booming with the lowest sale prices available for residential property in Athens.
According to Ekathimerini, the significant increase in investment interest from abroad is explained in detail in the recent survey, with a comparative analysis of the cost of acquiring an apartment in the centre of various European capitals. The survey revealed that Athens is the cheapest option.
The average sale price in the city center of the Greek capital is 1,940 euros per square meter, with Madrid in second place at a cost of €3,190/sq.m. Correspondingly, in Rome the relevant cost amounts to €3,790/sq.m., in London €4,826/sq.m., while in Stockholm the average price exceeds €6,000/sq.m.
Athens has the most affordable residential property among European capitals
That explains the significant increase in investment interest from abroad in real estate in Greece, especially in the region of Attica, which includes Athens.
During the first nine months of 2022 inflows of foreign capital for the acquisition of real estate amounted to €1.27 billion, per the Bank of Greece, up by 60.2% on an annual basis.
This is a historic high, surpassing even the first nine months of 2019, when the corresponding amount had risen to €1.03 billion (and to €1.45 billion euros in total that year).
In this context, it is estimated that total property purchases by foreigners in 2022 exceeded €1.5 billion, marking a record high.
Archaeologists have come across a rare discovery in the natural landscape of Tajikistan in Central Asia, finding ancient Greek letters carved on a rock.
The writing engraved on the stone was “ΕΙΔΙΗΛΟ Υ…ϸΑΟΝΑΝϸΑΕ ΟΟΗ-ΜΟ ΤΑΚ-ΤΟΕ,” which according to Nicholas Sims-Willions, a specialist in the study of the Bactrian language, means: “This is the… of the king of kings, Vima Tactu.”
The ancient writing was discovered when a resident of a nearby village came across the engraved rock in the mountains.
Bactria region.
Archaeological Researcher, Bobomulloev Bobomullo, from the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography at the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan is examining the discovery.
The area where the ancient writing was discovered is known as the historic region of Bactria which was part of the Persian Empire and once conquered by Alexander the Great.
Bobomullo discovered that the letters were located on the northernmost part of the gorge near the Almosi River.
Due to the hard-to-reach area, local residents have offered to help the archaeologists by gathering information and reporting back to them.
Almost three weeks away from the elections in Cyprus and the candidates took the debate stage on Wednesday night.
The 7 candidates have presented their positions in the third presidential debate which was aired on 4 TV stations.
The tension between the 7 candidates continues to heat ahead of the Cyprus elections, which will be held on Sunday February 5, 2023 and the runoff on Sunday February 12.
Averof Neophytou, Andreas Mavroyiannis, Nikos Christodoulides, Christos Christou, Achilleas Demetriades, Giorgos Kolokasidis, and Konstantinos Christofides clashed in the last debate for several pressing issues.
The three main candidates (Neophytou, Mavroyiannis, Christodoulides) avoided interacting with the other four candidates in order to maintain their advantage over their rivals.
Mr. Mavroyiannis attempted to deflect accusations of dependence on AKEL and to direct his fire at the two candidates “of the Anastasiades government”.
Mr. Neophytou played the party patriotism card, branding Mr. Christodoulides as a renegade.
Mr. Christodoulides’ presented his programmatic positions in case he will elect.
Photo: dialogos.com.cy
The only news came out from the debate were the names of Mr. Zenios and Mr. Pissarides as Ministers of Finance of the candidates Demetriades and Christofides respectively.
The candidates moved cautiously and with the intention of following well-worn communicative and strategic paths that have also been emerging over the past few weeks.
Cyprus has a presidential system of government and the head of state has wide executive powers.
Opinion polls show Nikos Christodoulides, a former foreign minister, firmly in the lead. Barring a major upset, he will fall short of the 50% threshold in the first round on Feb. 5, leading to a runoff on Feb. 12.
Christodoulides’s backers, the centrist DIKO and the socialist EDEK party, have historically taken a harder line than other groupings.
Christodoulides served in the right-wing administration of the ruling Democratic Rally (DISY) party until Jan. 2022.
DISY is fielding its own candidate, Averof Neophytou, who is about 10 points behind Christodoulides in polls. He is marginally ahead of Andreas Mavroyiannis, an independent backed by the left-wing AKEL party.
Natalie Kyriacou OAM announced her contribution in the “A Nature-Positive Australia: The value of an Australian Biodiversity Market,” report with PwC Australia in December 2022, adding to her incredible list of accolades in the environmental space.
The Greek Australian is the founder and CEO of My Green World and PwC Business Development Lead, among other recognised creations and innovations.
In 2018, Kyriacou was the recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to wildlife and environmental conservation and education. She was also recently announced as one of LinkedIn’s 2022 ‘Top Green Voices’.
Kyriacou teamed up with her colleagues to co-author the Nature-Positive Australia report, sharing in a Twitter post, “The latest PwC Australia report values an Australian biodiversity market at $137 billion, but warns of some of the risks of market mechanisms in addressing the biodiversity crisis.”
The PwC report states, “The economy, human livelihoods and wellbeing are all dependent on high-functioning natural environments and their biodiversity.”
“While biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate globally, this decline is at a significantly slower rate on lands governed by Indigenous Peoples. This provides an important case study in successful stewardship of the natural environment, and the imperative to incorporate traditional wisdom in the valuing and protection of nature. In addition, it highlights the importance of centring Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in biodiversity policy,” the report adds.
According to the Guardian, the term “nature-positive” is globally explained in different ways with no clear definition and some fear it is too vague when it comes to implementing change.
Environmentalist Kyriacou and her colleagues have aimed to reframe the conversation about a nature-positive future in the report, also suggesting strategies to rejuvenate biodiversity and nature in Australia.
The report explores how different sectors such as government, landowners, First Nations peoples, industry and philanthropic partners, can work together to address Australia’s declining biodiversity ecosystems and continually define what a “nature-positive” future looks like.
Strategies such as the “Connecting with Country Draft Framework” are an example of a pilot guideline that seeks to improve the planning, design, and delivery of built environment projects in NSW, Australia, by incorporating Aboriginal communities knowledge and cultural practices.
According to Kyriacou and her colleagues, there is ample opportunity for Australia to integrate nature into its economy, in addition valuing “the spiritual, cultural and emotional values that nature brings.”
The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) has announced the Greek Community Cup, a football (soccer) tournament, will begin on January 15 this year at Mill Park Soccer Club, Partridge Street Reserve, Victoria.
The competition will bring together soccer clubs with Greek roots to play in a pre-season tournament to secure one of two trophies—the GCM Cup or the GCM Shield.
The men’s tournament kicks off on Sunday January 15 with all games being played at the Mill Park Soccer Club. Four groups of three teams will play round games followed by knockout matches towards a final that will be held on Saturday February 11.
The teams participating in the inaugural competition are: Altona East Phoenix SC, Bentleigh Utd Cobras Lemnos, Box Hill Utd FC, Doncaster Rovers SC, East Kew Olympiakos FC, Heidelberg Utd FC, Kingston City FC, Oakleigh CanonsFC, Malvern City FC, Mill Park SC, Sth Melbourne FC, West Preston FC.
The Greek Community Cup will also feature a women’s competition, details of which will be announced soon.
For fixture details and more information check out www.greekcup.com.au
Some of the activities will centre on the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission: Temple of Boom,which celebrates Greek culture and its contributions to global cultures and perspectives.
A highlight of the festival will be Myths and Legends Storytime with Athenian-born artist, Alkisti Pitsaki. From January 17 – 19, Alkisti will bring a performative storytelling to some of the ancient world’s most interesting myths and legends.
Ahead of the NGV Kids Summer Festival, The Greek Herald spoke to Alkisti about her career and inspiration.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a director, writer and performer from Athens, Greece. I came to Australia about three years ago for my Masters in Theatre Directing program at the Victorian College of the Arts – The University of Melbourne (VCA).
I started from a very young age as a singer in a children’s choir. We would sing on stage, on TV, and in film. Singing was our everyday life and I fell in love with performing and the arts in general. In high school, I decided that I wanted more out of this hobby and that I wanted to pursue acting and theatre.
Alkisti Pitsaki.
Through my undergraduate course in Athens, I discovered directing and writing and felt that I wanted to create my own work and say something about the world around me. So I started writing shows and staging them for the first time. I have focused primarily on physical theatre plays, embodied storytelling and works that explore political and social issues.
During my master’s at the VCA, I was also a directing intern at Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. I am currently focusing on my roots and stories from Greece, as well as other stories that inspire me.
2.How does your Greek heritage inspire your work?
Growing up in Greece has affected and, I guess, inspired at times the work I make. I think it is inevitable to avoid our upbringing and our past. It is a part of us. Artists are inspired by the world around them and the world they live in. So, in a way, even the way I approach, understand, or even define art is influenced by my lived experiences. That is one of the reasons why I believe my work focuses on political and social issues.
What I think I learned in Greece was that as an artist you must know why you stage something, there should be a reason why you are presenting something and why now. I guess I see theatre as a way to communicate and have a conversation with people.
I recently worked on the ancient myth of Ariadne of Crete. I was fascinated by the myth and the story of Ariadne and how she was a secondary character in her own story. That inspired me to rewrite her story from her perspective. The original version of Ariadne was my graduating piece at the VCA, and it was presented as a bilingual audio play. We are now working on bringing this play to the stage in 2023.
Some of Alkisti’s work.
3.You’re taking part in this year’s NGV Kids Summer Festival. What activities do you have planned?
Yes! I am so happy and honoured to be part of this festival. There are so many activities and events planned. I have created a storytelling piece about the myth of Athens and how this city got its name. I hope that everyone that comes to this event gets to learn a bit about this inspiring city. I would love it if I can in any way inspire kinds to discover myths and legends.
4.This year’s NGV Architecture Commission is based on the Parthenon. What are your thoughts on artistic recreations of ancient monuments?
Temple of Boom at the NGV.
I think it’s wonderful to see works inspired by other works of art from the past. As an artist, I am always inspired by ancient stories from Greece and other parts of the world. So, it’s great to see it from other artists as well and in other mediums.
5. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Our storytelling session at the NGV International (Great Hall) will be presented from January 17 – 19 from 12 to 12.30 pm and again from 1.30 to 2 pm. It is of course a free event, and I cannot wait to see you all there!
A traditional Greek Paniyiri is coming to the inner-west Sydney suburb of Marrickville on Australia Day this year, the Greek Festival of Sydney has announced.
The free Paniyiri will be held at the Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville from 11am to 6pm on Thursday, January 26.
Free live music and Greek food including lamb on the spit and loukoumades will be available on the day. There will also be plenty of activities for children.
Any funds raised on the day will be donated to the Greek Community Home for the Aged.
The Paniyiri is one of three major events being held by the Greek Festival of Sydney this year to celebrate their 40th anniversary.
Other events include:
Greek Fest Darling Harbour:Sunday, 19th February 2023 | 10am – 10pm. Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour. Free local and international talent, food and drinks, market stalls, dance performances and more, this much-loved annual festival is not to be missed. International act to be announced.
Chrysoula Kouropylia was appointed assistant referee for the Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand in an announcement by the FIFA committee on Monday.
According to 24 Happenings, the Greek referee is one of 55 assistant referees selected for the games which will be held during July and August this year.
A total of 33 referees, 55 assistant referees and 19 video match officials have today been selected for the #FIFAWWC 2023! 🫡#BeyondGreatness
Referees were chosen based on their performance in FIFA tournaments as well as international and national competitions in recent years.
In the summer of 2022, Kouropylia refereed for the Women’s Champions League final between Barcelona and Lyon and the Women’s European Championship in England, according to 24 Happenings.
“The criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected on-field match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, said in a statement.
“From the selected referees, we expect a rigorous and focused preparation for the Women’s World Cup, a competition that FIFA and its president hold in the highest of regards,” Collina further added.
Kouropylia will be a match official for the final Women’s World Cup tournaments at Eden Park in Auckland, Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand on July 20 and at Sydney’s Stadium, Australia on August 20.
Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, hopes to achieve the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to the Acropolis Museum if he wins second term in the upcoming elections in July this year.
Mitsotakis discussed the return of the sculptures in his monthly meeting with President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, on Wednesday reported amna.gr.
According to BBC news, the Greek Prime Minister said, “If the Greek people trust us again, I believe we could achieve this target after the elections.”
“In the last years, we have proceeded very methodically and we can already point to some very significant successes. The return of first fragments, such as the “Fagan fragment” or the fragments held by the Vatican, which are returning permanently to the Acropolis museum,” noted Mitsotakis.
“More importantly, we have a very significant change in the UK, on the level of public opinion but also on the level of people that have a view on the issue, from the entire political spectrum, who now openly argue in favour of the need to reunify the Parthenon Sculptures, recognising their uniqueness and their special significance for world heritage,” Mitsotakis further added according to BBC news.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis
On the opposite end, the Culture Secretary the UK government, Michelle Donelan told BBC news that the Parthenon Sculptures “belong here in the UK” and should not be returned to Greece.
The ancient artworks, better known in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, are currently in the British Museum. Reports have suggested the museum’s chairman, George Osborne, is close to agreeing a deal with Greece, according to BBC news.
Ms Donelan said she’d had “several conversations” with Mr Osborne, the former chancellor. “I think his view on this has been misinterpreted and certainly portrayed wrongly,” she said.
“He’s not about to send them back, basically. That’s not his intention. He has no desire to do that. There’s also been this concept of a 100-year loan mooted as well, which is certainly not what he’s planning either.”
“He would agree with me that we shouldn’t be sending them back, and actually they do belong here in the UK, where we’ve cared for them for a great deal of time, where we’ve allowed access to them.”
