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CyI President and Delegation Met Pope Francis During His December visit to Cyprus

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On Friday, 3rd of December 2021, His Holiness Pope Francis was presented with a gift of a glazed ceramic bowl decorated with the medieval sgraffito technique and featuring the logo of The Cyprus Institute. The present was given by CyI President, Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, who was accompanied by a CyI delegation including the Director of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center (EEWRC), Prof. Fadi Comair, and CyI Assistant Vice President for Institute Affairs, Dr. Nicolas Jarraud. The meeting was held at the Church of the Holy Cross, on the occasion of His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit to Cyprus, December 2-4, 2021.

This meeting was also an opportunity to present the Pope with a portfolio containing a summary of the work that The Cyprus Institute has performed on Christian monuments over the years (CyI art characterization and digital cultural heritage expertise has been instrumental in analysing, digitizing and protecting numerous Christian works of art and monuments). The CyI delegation also highlighted the role of the Institute in leading efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East to address the key issues mentioned in the papal encyclical Laudato Si’, in particular as a leader in regional climate modelling, its coordination of the scientific component of the Regional Climate Change Initiative, and its state-of-the-art solar energy research facilities.

Additionally, the day before the meeting between Pope and CyI delegation, at a welcoming ceremony for Pope Francis to Cyprus, he was presented with a gift of a replica of the Medieval Liturgical Cross from the Maronite Church of the Holy Cross in Karpasia, which was first presented to the Maronite Church and community in July 2021. The gift was presented by Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, in the presence of the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus Monsignor Selim Sfeir at the Maronite Cathedral of our Lady of Graces in Nicosia. Instrumental in coordinating CyI’s involvement in the event was EEWRC Director, Prof. Fadi Comair.

The glazed ceramic bowl presented to the Pope, was inspired by ceramic ware widely used in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean during the Medieval period, and was made using original techniques and materials, as they have been studied by archaeologists and researchers based on excavation results – with the sites of medieval churches and monasteries being a primary source of archaeological finds.

The logo of The Cyprus Institute features a bronze coin of Cleopatra with her infant son, Caesarion minted in Cyprus, in 47 BC, as a parting gift from Ceasar on the restoration of her kingdom to the island of Cyprus, which had been detached by Rome. On the front of the coin is an idealized portrait of Cleopatra as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, with her son by Caesar, Caesarion, as Eros in front of her. On the reverse are two cornucopiae and a Greek legend which translates: "Of Queen Cleopatra". In addition, a stylized Kypr is present to indicate the origin of the coin. The monogram of The Cyprus Institute is based on the stylized Kypr, updating it and adding the letter 'I' to represent the word 'Institute'. The logo comprises of the monogram, the name of the Institute, and its mission through its three major outputs Research, Technology and Innovation.