A “Walk Through Tulipa Cypria and Maronite Culture” took place in Kormakitis Village on Sunday, March 20, 2022, from 10:00 to 14:00. The event was organised within the scope of Healthy Lifestyle 4 All Campaign from EU Infopoint, carried out with the support of Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation and the European Commission.
The event was launched in Kormakitis Village Square Amphitheatre with an informative presentation on “Tulipa Cypria / Medoş Tulip”, one of the endemic treasures of Cyprus, delivered by Hasan Sarpten, President of the Cyprus Turkish Biologists Association for Research and Protection of Nature. Followed by a 2 hour walk towards the tulip valley passing through the streets of Kormakitis which reflect the Maronite culture. During the walk, the participants were provided with information on Tulipa Cypria/Medoş Tulip, the local flora and fauna, and the natural richness of the island was highlighted.
In his speech, Sarpten stated that Medoş tulip bulbs propagate every year in March-April. However, their biotope is narrowing down due to wrong agricultural practices, chemicals used for weed control purposes and plucking. He added that Tulipa Cypria/Medoş Tulip has been under protection since 1998. Thus, picking, plucking and selling this tulip is prohibited.
The event was concluded with a presentation on Maronite culture and SANNA language by Antonis Skoullos, Chairman of the Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation. In his presentation, Skoullos expressed that the Sanna language, a mixture of Arabic and ancient Aramaic languages, is probably one of the oldest legacies of the Maronite culture. “We are trying to encourage the youth to learn this language in order to prevent its disappearance, we compose songs and write books in the Sanna language. Sanna is our legacy, our history and we cannot aspire a future without it," said Skoullos.
