Born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on April 29 1863, but with a family heritage from Constantinople and before that Sinopi in Pontos, Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis, commonly known as Constantine P. Cavafy, was a journalist and one of the greatest Greek poets.
His early life was characterised with moving to and living in different places such as, Alexandria, Liverpool, Constantinople and later Athens, Paris before returning to live in Alexandria where he remained for most of his life.
Cavafy’s poetry mostly involved historical and philosophical works inspired by Hellenism, Ancient Greece and Byzantine era culture and history, Athens, Sparta, Macedonia, Egypt with Alexandria being a primary focus.
As early as from the 1890’s, Cavafy was writing articles about the Cyprus issue in Egyptian newspapers.
Keeping alive the dreams of the Megali Idea he notes: “Let us hope that one day the desires of the Cypriots, or rather all Greeks, about the unification of the island with the Greek Kingdom, we will then be fulfilled”.
He died of cancer of the larynx on April 29, 1933, his 70th birthday.
It was only after his death that his works became popular and appreciated in Greece and his work is now taught in Greece, Cyprus and around the World.
His house in Alexandria is today a museum of his works.
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