Cypriot bookseller Ruth Keshishian, "who had an encyclopedic knowledge and understanding of Cyprus's history and literature, and owned the Moufflon Bookshop in Nicosia for decades," died August 6, Cyprus Mail reported. She was 81.
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Her brother opened the bookshop in 1967, catering to international tastes, schools, musicians, and more. Ruth Keshishian returned to Cyprus and took over the shop in 1995.
"For years, Moufflon Bookshop stocked books in various languages and themes, featuring a large collection of new and used, in-print and out-of-print books on Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean," Cyprus Mail wrote, adding: "In 2020, the bookshop moved to new premises and reinvented itself to meet changing customer demands. Apart from modernizing the shop itself and taking online orders and delivering too, the Moufflon streamlined its stock and focused on what it knew best: Cyprus."
Many tributes to Keshishian were posted on social media, including one by the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, which noted: "Moufflon Bookshop was always one of the first ports of call for generations of archaeologists working on Cyprus and a frequent stop for those who live here and Ruth always reserved a warm welcome for us all.
"The shop was always alive with myriads of volumes in piles on the floor, in boxes, on the shelves and Ruth knew everything about all of them. More than a tireless archivist of Cypriot book production, she was a guarantor of its continuity and continuation.... We will miss her warmth and wisdom terribly."
The Australian High Commission posted: "Over the years, Ruth formed a special bond with the many Australian archaeologists who visited Cyprus. Ruth, a proud independent shop owner, was a pillar of the cultural and intellectual community in Cyprus. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and the community she nurtured so lovingly. She will be missed."