Akamas

Akamas (Greek: Ακάμας, Turkish: Akama), is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres.Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits [a mountain range] rising towards the north. The peninsula is named after a son of Theseus, hero of the Trojan War and founder of the city-kingdom of Soli.

Until the year 2000, the peninsula was used by the British Army and Navy for military exercises and as a firing range. Under the 1960 Treaty of Establishment, the British Army was allowed to use the Akamas for exercises for up to 70 days a year.

At the southern end of the peninsula is the town of Pegeia and on its northeast side the town of Polis. Due to the mountainous nature of the peninsula there are no roads running through its heartland. Furthermore, some roads marked on Cypriot road maps of the area are not tarmaced. Visitor attractions in Akamas include a loggerhead turtle sanctuary and the Baths of Aphrodite where the goddess is said to have bathed, near Polis. As the area is therefore relatively inaccessible, there is a large diversity of flora and fauna there. Indeed, the European Environment Agency noted that it was one of only 22 areas of endemism in Europe. This however looks like it may be threatened by tourist development and the planned A7 motorway between Polis and Paphos; organisations such as the Green Party of Cyprus, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth are taking action to protect the area.

Monsieur Doumani

Monsieur Doumani is a three-piece Cypriot band formed in Nicosia in 2011 and was nominated for "Best Newcomer" in the acclaimed Songlines Music Awards 2014.

Formation and Background

The band consists of Antonis Antoniou (also member of neo-rebetiko group Trio Tekke) on the tzouras, Angelos Ionas on the guitar and Demetris Yiasemides on the wind instruments. Each member comes from a different musical background but nevertheless all three are influenced by Cypriot tradition on various levels. The band focuses upon the unique character of Cypriot folkloric music, enriching traditional songs with new arrangements, melodies, rhythms and sounds and crafting a style distinctively their own. The band’s music is a blend of the traditional element with modern genres. Their repertoire also includes their own compositions in the Cypriot Greek dialect, which are inspired by contemporary Cypriot society, as for example the financial crisis that hit the island, the corrupted political system, social injustice and environmental issues. They first performed live on the 28th of July in 2012 at XORKO Collaborative Arts Movement's festival at Arminou village.

Blue Lagoon

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