Cyprus

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The deep love for the people, landscape, history, and traditions of my country inspired my collection of maps, engravings, and books about Cyprus, along with portraits of significant figures in its history. My wife soon shared this passion, rooted in our affection for this beautiful island, described in a folk song as the "golden-green leaf" cast into the warm, deep-blue Eastern Mediterranean. Memorable moments in building our collection include discovering our first map in an antique bookshop in Amsterdam, a remarkable piece by Joannes Janssonius, and finding a Vincenzo Coronelli map in a rare Merian edition in Athens in 1975. Other highlights include Coronelli's map of Cyprus and a plan of Famagusta, both in a rare garland frame version. This catalogue documents our collection, enriched with geographical and historical insights. While we made great efforts to accurately identify all maps and illustrations, this remains the work of an enthusiastic private collector without the resources of historians or experts. We could not travel to libraries or museums for comparisons, but we greatly benefited from the works of Andreas and Judith Stylianou and the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus. Despite its limitations, I hope this volume contributes meaningfully to the study of Cyprus's cartography and engravings.