About the lecture:
This lecture focuses on the integration of dendroarchaeology—the study of wooden remains coming from the historical context—in understanding the monastic heritage of Sourp Magar Monastery in the Kyrenia Range. Positioned at the crossroads of Coptic and Armenian traditions in Cyprus, Sourp Magar serves as a unique lens to explore the cultural landscape and monastic traditions that evolved from the Byzantine period onward, particularly in the Kyrenia Range.
The lecture highlights the dendroarchaeological techniques employed to analyse wooden roof beams and other structural elements, offering fresh perspectives on how we study and interpret the long and complex history of monasteries located at the foothills of the Kyrenia Range. Beyond these dendroarchaeological insights, the study of Sourp Magar Monastery also allows us to revisit the interconnectedness of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, following the presence of Copts and Armenians in Cyprus’s rural landscape.
This exploration of Sourp Magar underscores the role of archaeology in unraveling Cyprus’s multilayered history, emphasising the importance of scientific methods and interdisciplinary approaches to better understand one of the island’s less studied yet fascinating cultural landscapes.
Speakers:
Mehmetcan Soyluoglu, PhD candidate
and Dr. Nikolas Bakirtzis, Associate Professor
Mehmetcan Soyluoglu joined to the Cyprus Institue in October 2019 after receiving his master’s degree in Classical Archaeology of Mediterranean from the University of Sheffield. Mehmetcan has experience in the different archaeological excavations from Anatolia and Cyprus. He is still a part of various international archaeological research projects. Through his fieldwork experience, Mehmetcan developed his research interests on the variety of areas including, Roman pottery, maritime archaeology and dendrochronology. In addition to these, since 2017, he takes an active role in NGO’s to promote cultural heritage in Cyprus.
Nikolas Bakirtzis is Associate Professor and Director of the Andreas Pittas Art Characterization Laboratories (APAC Labs) at the Cyprus Institute (CyI) in Nicosia. He is also Coordinator of CyI’s Science and Technology in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage doctoral program. With a PhD in Art and Architectural History from Princeton University, his research and publications focus on byzantine monasticism, medieval cities and fortifications, and, the island landscapes of the Byzantine, Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean. More recently his work explores issues of heritage and cultural identity in historic cities. In the context of APAC Labs research, his work focuses on aspects of the history, the materiality and the provenance of medieval and early modern works of art enhanced through the use of advanced digital and analytical methods. He also works on issues related to heritage at risk, including looting and illicit trafficking of antiquities, as well as, the impacts of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage coordinating the Task Force on Cultural Heritage in the context of the Cyprus Republic’s Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Region Climate Change Initiative.
Time: 6pm Amman, 5pm Cyprus, 3pm London
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