The tender to find a contractor for the maintenance of the new observatory in Troodos has been completed.
This was announced recently by the General Accounting Office of Cyprus.
According to the authority, two contractors showed interest in the project - the Municipal Development Company of the Troodos region ANET LTD and the company CYWEM LTD. The first bidder has submitted a proposal with a total budget of €129,120, while the second has a total budget of €128,756. The Cyprus General Accounting Office is expected to review the bids and select the winner of the tender shortly. Interestingly, the office does not rule out the possibility of reopening the tender if none of the contractors meet the conditions.
Recall that according to the tender documents the contract with the winning company will be concluded for 10 years with the possibility of its extension for another 5 years.
Under the contract, the contractor will be obliged to do everything possible to make the new observatory function as
- A tourist attraction;
- A place for stargazing;
- A place for education;
- a place for research and academic activities.
The construction of the observatory will be completed in May 2024. The ceremony to mark this momentous occasion was attended by the President of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides. From the outside, the building, with its 5.6-meter mirrored dome, looks like a spaceship. Its design was inspired by the iconic Star Wars franchise.
The observatory is located at an altitude of 1.2 thousand meters, near the villages of Agridia and Khandria (near Agros). The location was chosen because of the low level of light pollution that interferes with stargazing, as well as the low humidity. More than 200 cloudless Cypriot nights per 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.
According to their idea, the observatory looks like a spacecraft that has just landed and is ready to take off. It is worth noting that the construction of an 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 become an attraction for all schools in Cyprus.