A new observatory in Troodos has opened its doors to the public.
The opening ceremony took place on Sunday 19 May at 19.00 in the presence of the President of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulidis, and a number of other high-ranking officials.
Space is a new priority area for Cyprus. Projects involving research and technology are of particular importance to our country. The satellite communication and navigation infrastructure in our country is already well developed thanks to private initiatives," said Christodoulidis at the event.
The Cypriot President said that the new observatory should be used "not only for tourism purposes, but also for the benefit of the entire Cypriot people". According to Christodoulidis, the government will give its full support to the project.
Our aim is to have a contractor selected by September to manage and promote the new observatory as a major attraction in the mountainous region. Astrotourism, as a special form of tourism, has attracted a great deal of international interest in recent years. In this context, I am particularly optimistic about the positive impact that the observatory will have on the development of the entire region and its ability to complement a series of governmental measures aimed at developing an updated tourism policy for the Troodos mountain product," Christodoulidis said.
He also expressed the hope that the Troodos Observatory will attract both local and foreign tourists interested in astronomy and space.
Recall that the new observatory is located in Troodos at an altitude of 1,200 metres above sea level, between the villages of Agridia and Chandria.
It takes about 45 minutes to reach the observatory from Limassol and Nicosia, and only five minutes from the Agros-Troodos road. The site was not chosen by chance. The main criterion was the favourable natural conditions - low humidity, no wind and no light pollution. More than 200 cloudless Cypriot nights a year will allow astronomers to observe the stars without interference.
The architectural design of the project was developed by Helena Tsolakis in collaboration with her brother Nicodemus. Their idea is for the observatory to look like a spaceship that has landed and is ready to take off. It is worth noting that the construction of this unusual object began in April 2021. Two main telescopes will be installed in the building: a 20-inch astronomical telescope and a telescope for observing the sun.
The new observatory is expected to attract scientists, researchers and astronomy enthusiasts from all over the world, as well as becoming a centre of attraction for all schools in Cyprus. In addition, the construction of the observatory will contribute to the development of the village of Agridia and the entire Pitsilia region.
