CULTURE WALKS shops from the part of Lefkosia that is now occupied following the Turkish invasion of 1974. Bars and cafés alongside them bring new energy to the neighbourhood, breathing fresh life into the old city. Along Ermou Street Pentadaktylou Street intersects with Ermou Street, much of which lies within the Buffer Zone. Once Lefkosia’s busiest commercial street, the non-occupied part has since been revitalised. This street, which leads to the beautiful Pyli Ammochostou (Famagusta Gate), is one of the city’s most enchanting areas. Artists and creators have long established their studios here. They welcome visitors and keep their doors open so that people can see them working on their creations in their workshops on a daily basis. Handmade stories At number 272E, there’s “Souzana Petri Crafts”. Petri is a Cypriot ceramicist and metalworker who specialises in preserving and reviving the ancient history and traditions of Cyprus. Across the street, “Vagabond Handcrafted”, based on a handmade doll workshop, also showcases the work of artisans from Greece and Cyprus. The art of clay and ceramics is thriving in this part of town, and just as our Cypriot ancestors once did, the artists here bring this craft into the present. Further down the road, where Ektoros Street becomes an extension of Ermou Street, at numbers 24–26, Djovanna (Vania) Serghiou Souroulla, works with clay in her studio. “In the old days, the raw materials used to come from the now occupied Lapithos,” she says, working on her potter’s wheel, creating mugs, candle holders, vases, and other beautiful objects. A few steps away, at number 47, Elia Neophytou at Studio Kuza mainly uses clay to create ceramics, from sculptural vases to functional objects. On Glass and Metal At the end of Ermou Street, before it branches into Ektoros and Ammochostou Streets, Sotiris Sevastides has been creating interesting artworks in his “Metamorfosis Art” workshop for thirteen years. His works have been sold and “travelled” worldwide. He creates them by taking once-useless objects, such as bicycle saddles, screws, or hammer heads, and reshaping them into imaginative metal sculptures. As he says, “I don’t recycle, I transform” – a nod to the workshop’s name, Metamorfosis, the Greek word for transformation. Just a few steps away, once you enter Stavros Kofteros’ workshop, glass takes centre stage! A once aircraft mechanic is reviving the craft of glassmaking in his studio on Ammochostou Street, creating glassworks – “transparent sculptures”, as he calls them. These pieces are the result of years of research and experimentation. As he mentions, glassmaking has a long history on the island Atelier 301 Photos: Stefanos Kouratzis
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