As part of a joint effort to preserve, promote, and digitally showcase the cultural heritage of Nikos Kazantzakis, an Agreement was signed on November 3, 2025, between the Cultural Association “International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis – Hellenic Branch (ISFNK)” and the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH).

The objective of the Agreement is the creation of the digital cultural project “European Routes of Nikos Kazantzakis”, an interactive cultural mapping platform that will connect—through advanced information and geospatial technologies—the places, journeys, and narratives associated with the life and work of the great Cretan author.

Member states of the Council of Europe that Nikos Kazantzakis traveled to

The platform aspires to function as a modern “cultural observatory”, where memory, literature, and technology converge creatively, highlighting:

• Places where Nikos Kazantzakis lived, wrote, or traveled
• Locations featuring commemorative plaques, busts, monuments, or streets bearing his name
• Sites and museums twinned with Kazantzakis-related institutions
• Other landmarks directly or indirectly connected to his work, ideas, and intellectual legacy

Visitors will be able to explore an interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) map featuring points of interest across 22 European countries, search locations by city or thematic project, and access rich multimedia content, including texts, photographs, and audio narrations.

Designed in compliance with international accessibility and usability standards, the platform will offer an immersive, inclusive, and educational experience for a wide audience.

The Institute of Computer Science of FORTH will be responsible for the design and development of the platform, as well as its hosting and ongoing technical support, ensuring its seamless operation and long-term sustainability.

Statements

Dr. Katerina Zografistou, President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis – Hellenic Branch (ISFNK), stated:

“We entrust the Institute of Computer Science of FORTH with the development of the digital platform ‘European Routes of Nikos Kazantzakis’ with great confidence. The collaboration between the scientific team—comprising ISFNK members from abroad and from the Hellenic Branch—and FORTH’s Institute of Computer Science is excellent.

The platform will be continuously enriched, as the work of the great author Nikos Kazantzakis remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration and information.

Our aim is to use technology to make information about Nikos Kazantzakis—our universal author—easily accessible to everyone. At the same time, the interactive platform and GIS application will serve as the foundation for the certification of the cultural route ‘European Routes of Nikos Kazantzakis’ by the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. This effort, initiated in 2023, is ongoing in collaboration with FORTH and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.

This is why 22 countries are currently included in the platform, even though the places visited by Nikos Kazantzakis are many more.”

Professor Vassilis Charmandaris, President of FORTH, stated:

“The ‘European Routes of Nikos Kazantzakis’ project represents a modern digital bridge between technology and culture.

With deep respect for the author’s work and spirit, we are leveraging advanced information technologies to create an engaging exploration experience, bringing Kazantzakis’s journeys and writings closer to people of all ages and from all parts of the world.”

Professor Constantine Stephanidis, Scientific Coordinator of the project and Head of the Human–Computer Interaction Laboratory at ICS-FORTH, stated:

“The ‘European Routes of Nikos Kazantzakis’ is not merely an interactive platform; it marks the beginning of a comprehensive digital cultural ecosystem that connects places, ideas, and people. Through modern technologies, we are creating an evolving and open environment that transforms cultural memory into a living experience of learning and discovery.”

Professor Vassilis Charmandaris, President of FORTH, Dr. Katerina Zografistou, President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis – Hellenic Branch (ISFNK) and Professor Constantine Stephanidis, Scientific Coordinator of the project and Head of the Human–Computer Interaction Laboratory at ICS-FORTH