Another attempt to build a new temple in the Paphos municipal park failed.
The Cyprus Civil Engineers Association (SPOLMIK) stated recently that they support the position of the Scientific Technical Chamber of Cyprus and also opposes the construction of the cathedral.
According to the written statement of SPOLMIK, the implementation of this project is contrary to the principles of sustainable urban development and respect for the history, culture and identity of the city, and may also cause destruction of the local landscape.
According to the organization, the construction of the cathedral is contrary to the goals of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for the city.
SPOLMIK called on the Ministry of the Interior, the Municipality of Paphos and the Diocese of Paphos to work together to find a solution that will ensure the safety of the public municipal park, as well as allow the local authorities to continue its reconstruction, which, according to the initial plans, should have been completed as early as 2000.
As you may know, the Metropolitan of Paphos has repeatedly sent letters to the municipal council, in which they asked for permission to build a temple in the municipal park of the city.
As it turned out, in 1908, the land on which the Paphos municipal park is now located belonged to the metropolitanate. It was divided into 6 equal parts. The municipality rented the plots and the church owned them.
In 1945, the municipality decided to buy the land from the church for 1980 Cypriot pounds. Until 1955, the authorities paid approximately £1,007 of the value of the land. In 1955, the local authorities, fearing that the Turkish Cypriot community of Paphos would lay claim to the municipal park, returned the parcels of the metropolis and canceled the previous agreements. According to the new agreement, two out of six plots were transferred to the municipality, two more were leased to them.
Now the church wants to erect a building in the municipal park with an area of 730 m2 and a height of 19.6 meters. If this happens, the temple will occupy about 1/3 of the park's area. As compensation, the metropolitanate is ready to transfer to the ownership of the municipality the land that will not be occupied by the construction.
At the same time, the local metropolitan claims that the cathedral must be located next to his residence, since a large number of church rituals include processions from the episcopal residence to the temple.
