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• On this day, 25 July, 1570, the Ottoman Turks began the siege of Nicosia

The Venetians had concentrated their defensive efforts mainly along the Famagusta -Nicosia - Kyrenia axis (fortification works were carried out in all three of these towns), whilst in the rest of Cyprus their defensive installations were entirely insignificant or even non-existent.

Of course, there were not enough troops to defend the whole of Cyprus (the Venetians did not conscript the Cypriots themselves because they did not trust them, given that the Cypriots were deeply dissatisfied with the harsh Venetian administration and exploitation), and several castles were blown up (such as those at Pentadaktylos, Limassol and others) in order to prevent their use by the enemy, given that it was not possible to man them.

Thus, the numerous forces of Lala Mustafa Pasha very easily subdued the rest of Cyprus before turning their attention to the Famagusta - Nicosia - Kyrenia axis. Of these three cities, the capital, Nicosia, was the first to fall.

Starting from Nicosia:

Lala Mustafa Pasha and his advisers, having already easily captured a large part of Cyprus, decided on 24 July 1570 to lay siege first to the capital, Nicosia, where they hoped to find the greatest treasures. Subsequently, a small force (500 horsemen) was sent to Famagusta to prevent any aid from that city reaching Nicosia. On the same day, the vanguard of the Ottoman forces reached the walls of Nicosia, whilst the main body of his forces arrived the following day, on 25 July 1570. Lala Mustafa himself, together with the bulk of his army, encamped on Mandia Hill to the south-east of the city, whilst the rest of the army was scattered around the capital, with encampments at Agios Dometios, Agios Dimitrios, Aglantzia and towards Athalassa, where there was an abundance of water (water sources supplying Nicosia were also located at Agios Dometios). It is reported that the Ottoman army, upon its arrival in Nicosia, numbered 80,000 infantrymen and 2,500 cavalrymen, and was equipped with many cannons.

https://youtu.be/qgjM9yHjAZ8?si=5BhE98P3MU577lbC&t=550

• On this day, 25 July, 2011, the internationally renowned Cypriot film and theatre director, and screenwriter, Michalis Kakogiannis (Cacoyannis), passed away. He pursued his career outside Cyprus, on the international stage, and is one of Cyprus’s most famous contemporary figures

Michalis Kakogiannis was born on 11 June 1922 in Limassol. He died in Athens on 25 July 2011. His father was the lawyer Panagiotis Kakogiannis and his mother was Angeliki Efthivoulou. He was the brother of Stella Soulioti, a lawyer, former minister and Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus, and of Georgios (Gogos) Kakogiannis, also a lawyer. His father held the title of Knight (he was known as ‘Sir’), which was conferred upon him by the British government in 1936.

After completing his secondary education, Michalis Kakogiannis moved to London in 1939 with the aim of studying law and following in the family tradition. He enrolled at Gray’s Inn in London, where he studied for four years. As he himself once said in an interview with the *New York Times* (24 January 1965), his father wanted him to become a lawyer and, although he initially complied with his father’s wishes, his interests drew him in a different direction, though he never told his father that he ‘wanted to go into the theatre’.

He obtained his law degree (LL.B) from Gray’s Inn at the age of 21 (in 1943, during the particularly difficult years of the Second World War). It was precisely during the war years that he began to pursue his true interests in London, devoting his spare time to them. In 1941, he began working at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a radio director of Greek-language programmes aimed at Greece, which had already been subjugated by Nazi Germany and was under occupation. At the same time, he was studying acting at the Central School of Dramatic Arts in London.

When the war ended, Michalis Kakogiannis decided to stay in London and pursue a career in the theatre, rejecting once and for all the prospect of a career in law. He continued to work with the BBC and, in 1947, made his acting debut, playing the role of Herod in Oscar Wilde’s play *Salome*. He soon became a well-known figure in the London theatre world and, in the years that followed, took on leading roles in various theatre productions, such as ‘Captain Brassbound’s Conversion’, ‘The Fig Tree’, ‘Caligula’ and ‘Two Dozen Red Roses’. At the same time, he developed an interest in directing and studied at the Old Vic Theatre School in London. Eventually, directing won him over, which is why he decided to devote himself exclusively to it, as well as to screenwriting, giving up both his job at the BBC and his fledgling acting career. In 1951, he wrote his first screenplay, ‘Our Last Spring’, based on the Greek novel ‘Heroic’ by Kosmas Politis. Hoping that he might be able to direct the film himself, he tried to secure funding from England and other countries (France, the USA), but without success. He subsequently decided to leave London and, in 1953, settled in Athens. As he himself later said in an interview: ‘In England they called me an English director of Greek origin, but I say no. I lived in England for 13 years, butI was never given the chance to make films there… Whenever I wanted to make a film, I had to go to Greece…’.

Indeed, whilst he was in Athens, he met the great Greek actress Elli Lambeti, who immediately recognised his talent and entrusted him with directing her next film, which would also mark Michalis Kakogiannis’s directorial debut. Elli Lambeti would go on to star in three more films by the Cypriot director.

Film career:

Kakogiannis’s first film, a black-and-white production based on his own screenplay and starring leading Greek actors (Elli Lambeti, Dimitris Horn, Giorgos Papas), was *Sunday Awakening*. It took almost two years to complete, as, during its production, Cacoyannis was simultaneously experimenting, trying out various ideas and learning. The film was released in 1954 and was a commercial success; for this reason, as Cacoyannis later said, ‘after that, I no longer had any problems’. The film represented Greece at the Edinburgh Film Festival (1954), where it was awarded a Diploma of Merit. As the critic from *The Spectator* wrote at the time, suddenly, out of the blue, a film appeared that put Greece on the international map.

Shortly afterwards, Kakogiannis (Cacoyannis) returned to Greece to shoot his second film, *Stella*, based on a screenplay by Iakovos Kampanellis and with music by Manos Hadjidakis.

The leading roles were played by Melina Merkouri (who made her film debut in this film), Giorgos Fountas, Alekos Alexandrakis and others. The film represented Greece at the Cannes Film Festival (1955) and was also a major commercial success in Greece.

In the same year (1955), Cacoyannis shot his third film, also in black and white, on Hydra. It is a contemporary drama, albeit inspired by ancient Greek tragedies, entitled ‘ The Girl in Black”. The screenplay was once again written by Cacoyannis, whilst the film starred Elli Lambeti, Dimitris Horn, Giorgos Fountas and others. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews, whilst the *Sunday Times* and the * Daily Telegraph’ ranked it among the ten best films made worldwide in 1956. The film won an award in the USA in 1957. The international press wrote that with this film, Kakogiannis ‘rises to the level of the world’s great directors...’.

Kakogiannis’s next film was shot in Greece in 1958, based on a screenplay he wrote himself and featuring music by Manos Hadjidakis. It was titled ‘The Last Lie’ and starred Elli Lambeti, Michalis Nikolinakos, Giorgos Papas and others. It was also in black and white. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival (1958), the Melbourne Film Festival (1959) and the San Francisco Film Festival (1959).

In 1959–60, Kakogiannis adapted his first screenplay, ‘Our Last Spring’ (Eroika), for the cinema, featuring young amateur actors. It was screened at the Berlin Film Festival (1960), the London Film Festival (1960) and the Thessaloniki Film Festival (1961), where Kakogiannis won the Best Director award.

His next film, also in black and white, was released in 1961. He wrote the screenplay himself once again, and filming took place in Rome. Entitled “The Wastrel”, it was based on the novel by the American author Frederic Wakeman. The film was also released under the Greek titles “Lost Body or Shipwreck” / ''Lost Body or Shipwreck.” It starred Elli Lambeti and Van Heflin. The film was not particularly noteworthy. However, it represented Cyprus at the Cannes Film Festival in 1961.

Shortly afterwards, Kakogiannis turned his attention to ancient Greek tragedy, and specifically to Euripides, whilst in 1962 he adapted his great success ‘Electra’ for the cinema. It was also a black-and-white production, based on his own screenplay, with set design and costumes by the great painter Spyros Vassiliou and music by Mikis Theodorakis. The leading roles were played by Irini Papa, Yannis Fertis, Aleka Katseli, Manos Katrakis, Notis Pergialis and others. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival (1962), where it was awarded the prize for best screen adaptation and received a special mention. It was also awarded a Diploma of Merit at the Edinburgh Film Festival (1962). She received accolades in Greece, as well as at the film festivals in Acapulco (1962) and Berlin (1963), and also in Belgium, the Balkans and elsewhere.

Alexis Zorbas:

However, Kakogiannis’s best-known film, internationally speaking, was released in 1964. It is the film adaptation, based on a screenplay by the director himself, of Nikos Kazantzakis’s most classic novel, ‘Alexis Zorbas’. The film, titled ‘Zorba the Greek’, was an American production starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irini Papa, Lila Kentrova, Giorgos Fountas and Eleni Anousaki. The music was composed by Mikis Theodorakis. The film won three Oscars (for Best Cinematography in a Black-and-White Film – Walter Lasally, Best Supporting Actress – Lila Kentrova and Best Art Direction – Vasilis Fotopoulos). The film was also nominated for other Oscars.

In 1967, Cacoyannis directed his first colour film, produced by 20th Century Fox. Its title was*: «Όταν τα Ψάρια βγήκαν στη Στεριά»*  / ''*The Day the Fish Came Out.'' The screenplay was once again by Kakogiannis, as were the costumes. The music was composed by Mikis Theodorakis. It starred Tom Courtenay and Candice Bergen.

Dictatorship (Athens Military Junta, 1967–1974):

Following this mediocre film, and after being forced to leave Greece due to the military dictatorship imposed on the country, Kakogiannis turned once again to ancient tragedy and, in 1971, filmed Euripides’ play ''The Trojan Women in Spain, based on a screenplay he wrote himself. The music was once again composed by Theodorakis. The leading roles were played by Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave, Geneviève Boussol and Irini Papa. In Greece, the film was released in 1975 (after the fall of the dictatorship), but had already been screened at the Cannes Film Festival (1971).

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in the summer of 1974:

Immediately following the Cypriot tragedy of the coup d’état and the Turkish invasion of 1974, Michalis Kakogiannis returned to Cyprus, where he filmed the documentary ‘Attila ’74’.

Kakogiannis filmed the documentary ‘Eirini Papas Visits Cyprus’ in Cyprus in 1979, produced by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.

Following the fall of the dictatorship, he returned to Greece, where, in 1977, he filmed Euripides’ tragedy ‘Iphigenia’ based on his own screenplay. Theodorakis once again composed the music.

The film starred Irini Papa, Kostas Kazakos, Kostas Karras and the young Tatiana Papamoschou. This colour production by the Greek Film Centre opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1977 and won awards in Belgium (the ‘Fémina’ award for best foreign film of the year) and in Greece.

On 14 April 1981, Columbia University in Chicago awarded Michalis Kakogiannis an honorary doctorate.

The film *Sweet Homeland* was made in 1986. The cast includes international actors (Jane Alexander, Franco Nero, John Callum, etc.) as well as Greek actors (Eirini Papa, Yannis Vogklis, Katia Dandoulaki, etc.).

The film’s screenplay was inspired by Chile during the dictatorship.

This was followed by the films ‘Up, Down and Sideways’ in 1992 and ‘The Cherry Orchard’ in 1999.

Acropolis (Parthenon):

Michalis Kakogiannis was also responsible for the night-time lighting of the Acropolis monuments in Athens, he was the first to envisage this project and, in order to bring it to fruition, he founded the association ‘Friends of Athens’, securing the services of the renowned French lighting designer Pierre Bido and covering the cost of all the necessary studies.

In 2004, Michalis Kakogiannis established the charitable foundation known as the ‘Michalis Kakogiannis Foundation’ with the aim of studying, supporting and promoting the arts of theatre and cinema, as well as documenting and preserving works in these fields. The Foundation’s Cultural Centre, located at 206 Peiraios Street in Tavros, is expected to open in autumn 2009.

Square:

On 2 November 2022, a square in the heart of Limassol, at the junction of the city’s most iconic landmarks – the Old Harbour, the Castle, the Embankment Park at the Mole and the Marina – has been renamed Michalis Kakogiannis Square. The official opening ceremony was conducted by the Minister of the Interior, Nicos Nouris, in the presence of members of the Kakogiannis family.

Monument:

On 13 May 2024, an unveiling ceremony took place for a sculpture by Michalis Kakogiannis on the coastal road, within the boundaries of the Agios Tychonas Community Council, in Limassol. The sculpture depicts the famous film director holding a film camera. It was created by the sculptor Filippos Giapanis and donated by the Russian businessmen Alexei Gubarev and Nikolai Irchikov, through whom the community of Agios Tychonas honoured Kakogiannis for his contribution to the seventh art.

Meanwhile, Guterres is coming for a vacation in a few days

On the occasion of today’s anniversary of the destruction of the 181st Field Artillery Battalion, which was destroyed and decimated on a day like today in the village of Sychari in the occupied Pentadaktylos region (where the monstrous enormous flag of the illegal puppet regime now stands and lies), I am sharing a video filmed by Turkish correspondents that shows the scene following the ambush by the invading army.

The 181 MPB has suffered five deaths, 39 missing, and 48 prisoners of war.

For more details, read today's anniversary feature.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cyprus/comments/1v47q6c/on_this_day_23_july_1974_the_town_of_kyrenia_was/