With another summer coming to an end, the Ancient Odeon of Kato Paphos is admittedly spending this summer season essentially cut off from the cultural life of the city and Cyprus in general. This year, as in recent years, there are strong complaints from citizens and institutions about the fact that Paphos no longer hosts, to the extent it deserves, neither the performances of the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama, nor other important events such as the period when it was the European Capital of Culture in 2017.
On the occasion of the climate created this year around the great monument, the head of the municipal group of DIKO in the Municipality of Paphos, Agathi Savvidou, took the initiative to the competent state departments and THOC to change the current status.
Ms. Savvidou states in a relevant memorandum that she found that the problem is not a matter of planning or availability, but a matter of infrastructure. He noted that the International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama started in Paphos, on the initiative of the late Nikos Siafkalis and described as particularly sad the fact that the city that gave birth to this important institution cannot host more major productions today, because the existing infrastructure does not meet modern requirements.
For this reason, I believe that the time has come for all the competent bodies to take the initiative, he pointed out. The Department of Antiquities, the Deputy Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Paphos and all those involved must sit at the same table and examine ways to upgrade the Ancient Odeon, always with absolute respect for its archaeological and monumental character.
At the same time, Agathi Savvidou takes this opportunity to bring back a proposal she had submitted about a year ago, to the plenary session of the Municipal Council, during the debate on the creation of a garden theater in Paphos.
I had suggested Dasoudi Park, a beautiful natural space, in the center of the city, as the most suitable place, which could host modern cultural events and theatrical productions, offering Paphos an infrastructure worthy of its cultural history and needs, he explains.
Culture must not be limited by lack of infrastructure. On the contrary, these shortcomings should mobilize us, so that we can create the conditions for a Paphos that will always play a leading role in culture, as it deserves, he concluded.
