Ecological Activism: A Three-Decade Review of A Private Cactus Garden In Northern Cyprus

Öz

Exhibitions come in varied forms and scopes, and garden exhibits are no different. Gardens play a huge role in Cypriot culture. This article deals with the use of gardens as exhibition spaces open to public and focuses particularly on a private one that has been shared by the public as an exhibition space for the last eight years. The Cactus Garden in Lapta, Cyprus, is selected as a case study since it has the potential to evaluate the Mediterranean's valuable and rich landscape. The research conducted by observing the progression of different properties of the garden and conducting an extensive interview with the gardener/exhibitor himself aims to demonstrate an original case, which is an act of ecological activism to rehabilitate the society and the environment. It concludes that it is a wake-up call to retrieve the local flora from going extinct.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ecology
• Mediterranean gardens
• Native flora
• Extinction
• Cyprus
• Gardens as exhibition space

Teşekkür

We would like to thank Mr. Hikmet Ulucam, for taking the time out for the extensive interview.

Ecological Activism: A Three-Decade Review of A Private Cactus Garden In Northern Cyprus

Öz

Bahçe sergileri de çeşitli biçim ve kapsamlarda oluşan diğer sergilerden farklı değildir. Bahçeler, Kıbrıs yerelmimarisinde ve dolayısıyla da kültüründe büyük bir rol oynar. Bu çalışma, bahçelerin kamuya açık sergi alanlarıolarak kullanımını ele almakta ve özellikle son sekiz yıldır sergi alanı olarak kamuyla paylaşılan özel bir bahçeyeodaklanmaktadır. Çalışmada Kıbrıs’ın bir ilçesi olan Lapta'da bulunan ‘Kaktüs Bahçesi’, Akdeniz'in değerli ve zenginpeyzajını değerlendirme potansiyeline sahip olduğu için örnek bir alan olarak seçilmiştir. Çalışmada bu alanın farklıözelliklerinin gelişimi gözlenirken sahibinin/sergileyicinin kendisiyle kapsamlı bir görüşme de yapılmıştır. Araştırmada,toplumu ve çevreyi iyileştirmek için ekolojik aktivist bir eylem olarak değerlendirilen bu özgün örnek, vaka çalışmasıolarak sunulmaktadır. Sonuçta araştırmada ele alınan kaktüs bahçesinin ve bu çevrenin gelişimi için yapılan tümeylemlerin yerel bitki örtüsünün yok olmaktan kurtarılması için bir uyarı niteliğinde olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ekoloji
• Akdeniz bahçeleri
• Yerel flora
• Soyu tükenme
• Kıbrıs
• Sergi alanı olarak bahçeler

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