This time of year is a natural time for nostalgia, even more for me because December 27th is my birthday, with New Year’s just on its heels. 2016 is also an important anniversary since the beginning of 2006, ten years ago, was when I began exploring north Cyprus in earnest and compiling my digital photographic archive of the art and architecture of the region. It was the spring of 2006–one of the best seasons of my life–that Cyprus came alive for me; its history and beauty, its complexity and tragedy. It was the time that I had the idea to make the documentary film, The Stones of Famagusta, and had the first thoughts of doing the illustrated field guide to the archaeology and architecture of the area.  This is an image I took on February 17th, 2006, of the church of Panagia Kyra near the village of Sazlikoy/Livadia. Most of what you can see here dates from around the year 1000, though the boxy extension on the left is later. The oldest part of the church was the apse, dating from the 7th century, where a fragmentary mosaic from that era persisted until around 1980 when it disappeared without a trace. Yet it was already mostly gone in the early 20th century; only an arm of the Virgin Mary and part of the infant Christ’s robe had survived 1300 years. The sacred mosaic icon was said to cure many ills, but one had to pluck out a piece of the mosaic and carry it around in one’s pocket. The efficacy of the icon thus ensured its eventual destruction; it was loved to death, finally to vanish in a final and mysterious iconoclastic moment.