LAMPOUSA is the name of an ancient city in Cyprus, situated on the northeastern coast, which is the richest in Byzantine treasures. It turns out that Lampousa was one of the most ancient cradles of Greek civilization in the island. During the Greco-Roman era, Greek cities were sending colonies to the various islands including the northern coast of Cyprus. The Laconians who settled at the northeastern coast, then built the town of Lapithos. This town became very powerful and later was one of the seats of the nine kingdoms of Cyprus, and during the Christianity expansion era it was named a bishopric throne. Lampousa is also known as the town of the Byzantine monastery of Acheropiitou. The famous silver trays of Lampousa, examples of exceptional art, were discovered in this area. The trays adorn the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the British Museum, while some oft them are on display at the Cyprus Museum.
Across the plains of Lampousa lie the villages with the townships of Karavas and Lapithos. Many of their residents have migrated and settled all over the world, and they have prospered, as all other Greeks do. But most importantly they never ceased to remember their homeland.
The people who settled in New York have founded back in October 1937 their own Lampousa for the purpose of promoting the social, moral and intellectual conditions of its members, to promote and secure friendship and social strength amongs them, to strive for the general welfare and to voluntarily assist any and all of its members towards their social and civic betterment, and promote the cause of education in the native towns of its members at Karavas and Lapithos and vicinity.
During the society’s first steps, Lampousa was fortunate to have as its first President, Christos Foskos. He was followed by George Papoulas, George Nicolaou and Aristides Demetriou.
Lampousa Cypriot American Association through the years has worked very hard together with the other Cyprian societies all over the world on several fronts: as a member of the committee for the benefit of the Cyprus Sanatorium in the old days, the Cyprus Emergency relief committee, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and others. In addition, Lampousa donated sums of money to many national organizations including the American Red Cross. In 1968 the church of Saint Peter was erected at the town of Karavas at the expense and efforts of Lampousa and its members.
Now, thirty years after the brutal Turkish invasion and continued occupation of the northern part of the island that includes our beloved Karavas and Lampousa region, the biggest problem facing Lampousa is keeping the memories alive and pushing for a fair solution to the Cyprus problem.
The beautiful harbor of Karavas in a pre-1974 picture. At the background the monastery
of Ayios Evlalios. The Acheropiitos monastery is not visible from this angle.