Photography exhibition “OLKAS: From the Aegean to the Black Sea – Medieval Ports in the Maritime Routs of the East
On December 1, 2015, 17.00 PM in the exhibition hall of the George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation a photography exhibition was arranged ” OLKAS: “From the Aegean to the Black Sea” – Medieval Ports in the Maritime Routs of the East”. the exhibition was arranged in the frames of the EU financed project:”Limen”.
Project LIMEN. Cultural Ports from Aegean to the Black Sea (2013-2015) is co-financed from the Joint Operational Program “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013” and national resources and is being coordinating by the European Center for Byzantine and Post- Byzantine Monuments (E.K.B.M.M. Thessaloniki, Greece). 7 bodies from 6 countries are collaborating as partners to this project: Istanbul University and Koc University of Istanbul (Turkey), Municipality of Kavala (Greece), Museum for National History and Archeology for Constanta (Romania), Odessa City Council, Department of Culture and Tourism (Ukraine), and Municipality of Varna (Bulgaria). Georgia is represented by George Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation.
Assisting and supporting the project are the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Black and Azov Seas Ports Association and the International Black Sea Club.
The aim of the “LIMEN” project is to decisively contribute to addressing an important gap in the development of cultural tourism in the wider Black Sea area.
Using the valuable experience from the institution of the European Capital of Culture, the special objective/aim of the project is preparing basis for establishment of a new institution, the “Black Sea Cultural Port”. The establishment of this new and promising Institution is proposed as an inovative tool for the promotion of the cities-ports of the Black Sea and of their cultural treasures.
Additionally, the aim of the project is to promote the institutional cooperation of the cities-ports on a permanent basis. Also, to develop a structured cultural-touristic-economic-social network, to improve the administrative capacity at local level and to create the conditions of promoting and supporting the SMEs involved in the fields of culture and tourism.
Project “Limen” is a continuation of the project OLKAS: “From the Aegean to the Black Sea” – Medieval Ports in the Maritime Routs of the East, (www.olkas.net) that has been implemented in 2012-2013 under the same program: Joint Operational Program “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013”.
Within the frames of this Project an exhibition has been arranged, that reflected relevant images and cultural-and historic data, concerning the cultural ports in the participant countries.
“Olkas exhibition”, has been displayed in Thessaloniki, Athens, Volos, Kavala, Aiani (GREECE), in Constanta (ROMANIA), in Odessa, Simferopol (UKRAINE), in Istanbul (TURKEY). The same exhibition, enriched by 26 more city-ports from Aegean and Cyprus has been displayed in Cyprus (Lefkosia, Paphos, Limassol, Ayia Napa) .
In the course of exhibition presentation of the project “Limen” printed materials has been arranged .
The Exhibition was organized in Tbilisi by the Georgian Partner of the “Olkas” and “Limen” project, the G. Chubinashvili National Research Centre for Georgian Art History and Heritage Preservation.
The exhibition in Tbilisi was attended by the Leader of the”Olkas” and ” Limen” projects, Dr. Flora Karagiani (EKBMM, Thessaloniki) and Dr. Charalampos Chotzakogly, President of the Society of Cypriot Studies, (Cyprus).
“Olkas exhibition”, has been attended by Mr. George Psiachas, First Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Greece to Georgia; Mr. Plamen Bonchev, Ambassador of Republic of Bulgaria to Georgia, Mr. Zeki Levent Gümrükçü, Ambassador of Turkey to Georgia, Mr. Revaz Lominadze, Embassy of Georgia to the Republic of Cyprus.