H.E. Rauf Denktas

Only one book on this subject exists - alas, out of print...
MAGIC OF THE CYPRUS DOORS
Traditional doors are one of the most popular themes of the semi-touristy, semi-arty paintings depicting local scenes of Cyprus. And yet, if you want to learn anything more academic on the subject, booksellers on both sides of the "Green Line" will shake their heads. Nothing has been written and no one has done any research except for one book, published more than ten years ago, that is unfortunately out of print, "The Doors", by Northern Cyprus' founding President, H.E. Rauf Denktas, published by Tuncabank, with a preface by Dr Netice Yildiz.

Pictures:

Entrance door to the Citadel or "Othello's Tower" in Gazimagusa (Famagusta)

---

(...)

Dr Yildiz, an art historian and lecturer at Gazi Magusa's East Mediterranean University, adds that doors have always symbolised the power and wealth of their owner.

"It is obvious that the greatness of its size represents richness, while on the other hand, the decoration of the door reflects taste for aesthetic or religious ideas," she writes in her preface.

"This has been the same for centuries. For this reason, the monumental portals have been constructed at the entrances of cities or palaces in Mesopotamia as well as by the Hittites in Anatolia. And the entrances of the Egyptian temples were crowned by the decorated pylons."

In Cyprus, the doors, as with everything else, have a long and convoluted history. "The grandeur of the palaces, castles or religious buildings also symbolises the power of the nations," writes Dr Yildiz. "Palaces and other governmental buildings have always existed in Cyprus.

A chronological survey of the existing ancient doors beginning from the Lusignan period

would reflect the characteristics of the nations [ruling Cyprus]; mainly their economic power, customs and traditions. The doors of the Lusignan kingdom show the splendour of their era... These Gothic buildings have large monumental portals which exhibit perfect stone eraftsmanship, although the door leaves are rather simple."

The doors of the Venetian period bear Renaissance characteristies, with their doorways having rounded arches constructed with cut stone. Some of them have carved or moulded decorations. The doors have usually two leaves while one example at Güner Özbek Yolu in Gazi Magusa consists of three leaves. There are also some that have only one single leaf.

After the conquest of Cyprus by the Ottomans, since the Turks had a prefrence to live within the walled towns, the land for house building became scarce and this led to the diminishing of the size of the houses. So the doors became smaller as well. The doors of the early Ottoman period are usually battened or jointed. (...)

The full article "Magic of the doors", by Ralph Durber, in Cyprus Today (section Property & Home), January 8-14, 2005.

(Denktas, R.R., "Kapilar/The Doors", Tuncabank Kultur Hizmetleri Dizisi No:1, Lefkosa, 1995, (Baski: Istanbul), 96s.)