Old Turkish Quarter Famagusta
Creator:
Bragg, Stanley
Date:
1967 - 06
Medium:
Inscriptions:
Inscribed on label verso: Old Turkish Quarter Famagusta
Description:
The location of the site depicted in this watercolour displays some rather curious features. The inscription at the back of the painting as well as the presence of a palm tree and aloe vera plants leave no doubt that this is indeed the old Turkish quarter of Famagusta. The high number of palm trees within the walled city is explained by the fact that its Turkish inhabitants used to bring the seed of palm trees from Mecca during their hajj and plant it in their yards and neighbourhoods. The domes are definitely those of Latin Cathedral of St Nicholas (Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque) and The Holy Girdle (Ayia Zoni) as these are the only two Byzantine chapels surviving within the walls. The near proximity of the walls is most probably created at artistic license. The ruined cemetery at the forefront is revealing of the old Greek Orthodox custom of burying the dead in the church yard by the sanctum. This custom was abolished all over Cyprus since modernist ideas about health and hygiene dictated the removal of cemeteries to the outskirts of villages and towns. The dilapidated fence acts as a barrier between the viewer and the site while the artist’s use of green and brown creates the impression of the monuments fading away into their past.
Dimensions:
52 x 68 cm
Signature(s):
Signed in verso: Bragg S.
Alternative Title:
St. Nicholas and The Holy Girdle (Ayia Zoni)
Subject:
Architecture, Religious Architecture, Church Architecture, Trees, Palm Trees, Signs And Symbols, Cross
Identifier:
PNT-00068
Classification:
Collection:
Object Type:
Rights Holder:
© Costas and Rita Severis Foundation
Rights Statement:
The Costas and Rita Severis Foundation holds or manages the copyright(s) of this item and its digital reproduction. If you need information about using this item, please send an email to research@severis.org
We're always looking to improve our records, so if you have any information about an object or recognize any of the people, locations, monuments in the photographs, please give us details in the form provided here.
