Neoklis Kyriazis (; 1877 – August 1956) was a Cypriot medical doctor and historian known for his significant contributions to the history of Cyprus. He was a member of the National Council of Cyprus.
Family Neoklis Kyriazis was born in 1877 in Nicosia. His father was George Kyriazis,A. Koudounaris. Merikai Paleai Oikogeneiai tis Kyprou – Some Old Families of Cyprus. Nicosia 1972. one of five Greek brothers from Thessaly, who founded the cigarette empire Kyriazi Freres.Papastratos SA. History of Greek Cigarette, Athens 1998 His mother was Zafiro Odyssea Chasapoglou N Kyriazis. Tselepis Hadji-Petrakis Kytherios. Kypriaka Chronica 1923, 320–323. great granddaughter of Tselepis Hadji-Petrakis Kytherios (1770–1830), one of the richest landowners in Cyprus.De Marcellus. Souvenirs de l’Orient. Paris, 1839 Neoklis' maternal grandmother, Maritsa Tano, was a descendant of the Tano family, belonging to the Italian nobility.A. Georgiadis. The Tano Family. Gastria-Patriki 1992. He married Maria Pieridi (1871–1953), herself a descendant of another Italian nobility family (Cariddi).A. Koudounaris. Merikai Paleai Oikogeneiai tis Kyprou –Some Old Families of Cyprus. Nicosia 1972.Mihail Dimitri Sturdza. Grandes familles de Grece, d’Albanie et de Costandinople. Paris 1983.
Historical work
Kyriazis was a member of the National Council of Cyprus.Nikodemos Mylonas, by Ch. Papadopoulou, Times of Cyprus 1957, vol 10–14. As a member of the St Lazarus Committee he founded the Museum of St Lazarus church in Larnaca.MK Christophides. Cypriot Biographies. Literary Cyprus (Filologiki Kypros) 1962, pp. 170–179. One of his greatest achievements was the salvage and subsequent publication of many historical details concerning Cyprus through the ages.MG Michaelides. Neoklis G Kyriazis, Kypriakai Spoudai 1982. He started publishing articles on this subject from 1909, and over a period of 47 years he published several books and over 370 articles and studies. He participated in the publication of the monumental 'Cyprus Chronicles' (Kypriaka Chronica) a scientific/historical magazine (1923–1937) consisting of 4200 pages.KP Hadjioannou. Neoklis Kyriazis, Cypriot Studies (Kypriakai Spoudai) 1956, pp. 213–215. These Chronicles were under the auspices of a four-member committee (the Bishop of Kition Nikodemos Mylonas, prof. Ioannis Sykoutris, Loukis Z Pieridis, and Neoklis Kyriazis), and covered every aspect of the history of Cyprus from the ancient times through to the Turkish and subsequently British occupation. Kyriazis was the only, or nearly only, author of this periodical from 1929–1937.
Medical doctor He worked as medical doctor in Larnaca and wrote both scientific and popular papers on the Cypriot Medical History, a subject continued by his grandson Dr Marios Kyriazis.Medicine in Ancient Kition and Old Larnaca. 2001, Larnaca Municipality. As a doctor he was credited with the founding of a quarantine facility to prevent the spread of communicable diseases from sailors visiting Larnaca. His medical library, instruments and other memorabilia are now exhibited at the Kyriazis Medical Museum in Larnaca.
Books Popular Medicine (Dimodis Iatriki), 1926 Historical Pages, 1929 Bibliography of Cyprus (Kypriaki Bibliographia), 1935 Cypriot Proverbs (Kypriakai Paroimiai), 1940 Social Activities of Larnaca, 1947 Historical News of the Holy Stavrovouni Monastery, 1948 History of the Holy Kykkos Monastery, 1949 Monasteries in Cyprus, 1950 Names of the Holy Mother (Eponymiai tis Panagias), 1950 The Villages of Cyprus, 1952 History of Larnaca Municipality (published posthumously in 1995)
Honours The Bishop of Kition said: Kyriazis was a rare and constructive personality with live national consciousness and selfless love for this island.Holy Bishopric of Kition, 30 January 1985. Larnaca Municipality honoured Kyriazis by naming a street after him. The Society of Cypriot Studies dedicated a commemorative plaque Kypros Chrisanthis, Kypriakai Spoudai MΣT 1982. in the courtyard of St Lazarus church. This roughly translates as:
Of the same craft as Aesculapius - Neoklis Kyriazis - Humble pride of Larnaca - Lover of honourable letters - And sailor of the manuscripts - We salute you.
See also
Pavlos Xioutas Simos Menardos
References