The West refuses to assign Cyprus to the Ottomans

A painting by the Italian Philhellene Giuseppe Lorenzo Gatteri (1829–1884) from the collections of the Philhellenism Museum.

In this rare artwork, the distinguished history theme painter Gatteri depicts Marcantonio Bragadin (1523–1571), the heroic defender of Famagusta during the Ottoman siege (1570–71), refusing to surrender the city to them.

The female figure on the right side of the composition is a personification of Cyprus, pleading that Famagusta not be surrendered to the besiegers.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism (SHP) pays tribute to the fallen, emphasising that the restoration of Cyprus’s freedom and independence is primarily the responsibility of Europe and civilised humanity.

Information: info@phmus.org