Pafos2017 European Capital of Culture

Agrotis Travel was proud to have been a Pafos2017 Sponsor!

For the year 2017 the city of Pafos had the honour of being Europe's Capital of Culture. A joint honour along with Aarhus in Denmark.

Many cultural events and functions took place in Pafos during 2017 but also in the months leading. R. Agrotis Travel was thrilled and extremely proud to have been an official Pafos2017 Sponsor!

Read on to learn more about the European Capital of Culture institution and the Pafos2017 concept!

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The Institution

The European Capital of Culture is the most important cultural institution of Europe and one of the most prestigious cultural events in the world. Τhe award of this title is a great tribute for any European city and country.

The European Capital of Culture is a title designated by the European Union for a period of one year during which a city is given the opportunity to highlight the importance of cultural development, to involve citizens and creators in this process and to promote European cultural identity.

Even before Europe was united in an economic level or was conceived at the level of economic interests and trade, it was culture that united all the countries of Europe.

The arts, literature, music are the connecting link of Europe.

- Dario Fo (1997 Nobel Laureate in Literature)

The European Capital of Culture Programme was launched in 1985 and by 2019 the title will be awarded to 60 cities in 30 countries. The Project has become a key platform for city positioning and a catalyst for economic and cultural regeneration. This prestigious title has developed a significant audience in both Europe and across the world.

It is a high level cultural project that is monitored by the European Commission so that its programme content is maintained to the highest standards.

The impact of the Project can be evaluated through the change that is stimulated through cultural and social capacity building, by infrastructure improvements and cultural venue development, but also by the economic impact from the upsurge of visitors to the city.

The implementation path of a European Capital of Culture has turned into a model followed by many European cities seeking cultural growth and image change. The European Capitals of Culture have become a popular destination, while the variety and the quality of their cultural programme acts as an important catalyst for cultural tourism.

The city of Pafos

Pafos has abundant historical legacy with many wonderful cultural heritage sites. Among them the remains of Aphrodite’s temple, castles, amphitheatres, fortresses, the famous Roman period mosaics and the Tombs of the Kings situated in the UNESCO listed archaeological sites of Kato Pafos.

In ancient times, the first settlement of Pafos was built in Palaepafos (Kouklia village area), and then it was moved west to Nea Pafos (Kato Pafos). Nowadays, the town is divided into the upper part, which is known as Pano Pafos or Ktima and the lower part near the sea, which is known as Kato Pafos.

In the 1980s Pafos became a major tourist destination, and in 1980 the archaeological sites of Kato Pafos were included on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, placing Pafos on the international map as the cultural city of Cyprus.

The first capital of Cyprus in Hellenistic and Roman times is now once again a capital: THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE FOR 2017

The Logo

The logo of Pafos’ candidacy was designed in such a way so as to be interpreted in many and different ways. First of all, it represents the sun that under its light the island of Cyprus prospers. At the same time though, it also portrays an artistic schema which attracts a multicultural audience and in which Pafos is featured as a mosaic of modern culture.

The variations of the orange color are the symbol of the energy and the warmth of both the city of Pafos and its people. In addition, the bottom part of the logo is the representation of the whole city, while the small fragments that surround it represent the different cultures and people that will jointly contribute to this effort. More simply, it is a cultural core which the more it receives the more it reflects the energy that surrounds it.

The Open Air Factory concept

This central concept of the Pafos2017 programme was developed based on a tradition spanning thousands of years when culture was enacted out in the open air and on the acknowledgement that there is a necessity for a new openness in our way of thinking, living and acting so that we may re-connect spaces and people in our region.

The Open Air Factory guarantees a wider outreach into all parts of the region and community, mass exposure for the Pafos2017 activities and a shared space open to communication and collaboration.

The concept of the Open Air Factory is not just about the openness of space; it is about tolerance, acceptance, encouragement and inclusion of different cultures, ideas and beliefs. The Open Air Factory will encompass the entire district, both spatially and socially. It will have a decentralised structure with various sections, units, and workshops within the centre of Pafos, extending outwards to the district’s municipalities and smaller communities.

Linking Continents - Bridging Cultures

Pafos has always been at the crossroad of the Eastern Mediterranean and through its modern multicultural reality Pafos now aspires to be the first European Capital of Culture, which will link East and West.

Its geographical proximity to the Middle East as well as to the European mainland, positions Pafos to act as a link for cultural exchange.

Our motto also expresses the need for linking and bridging the differences between Pafos’ various groups of citizens: residents, visitors and migrants. Moreover, it stresses the importance of uniting the scattered parts of the city and transforming the entire district of Pafos into a common and a shared space for all its citizens – symbolically and physically.

Last but not least, it highlights the need for bridging the differences between the Greek and the Turkish Cypriot communities through various comprehensive and capacity building projects that Pafos2017 will develop along the way.