Nicosia authorities announced on Monday the city's candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2030, laying emphasis on the city's unique identity, as the last divided capital in Europe.
The unanimous decision of the Nicosia Municipal Council for a European Capital of Culture 2030 candidacy was announced by the Mayor of Nicosia, Constantinos Yiorkadjis, during a press conference at the Nicosia Municipal Hall.
Yiorkadjis said that the Municipality assigned the preparation of the candidacy to the company Nicosia For Art and former Deputy Minister of Culture Yiannis Toumazis will have the general coordination of the campaign.
The European Capital of Culture designates a European city as a cultural capital for a period of one year, and during this year, the city is given the opportunity to demonstrate its cultural life and development.
The Mayor stressed that several European cities completely transformed their cultural base and their image on the international scene.
Regarding the assignment to the former Deputy Minister, the Mayor stated that "Toumazis, with his knowledge, experiences and passion for culture, contributes and will continue to contribute to the cultural development of the capital from his position."
He also said that "the last divided capital of Europe, the capital of Cyprus for more than a thousand years, also claims the title of European Capital of Culture." He added that this is imposed by the main characteristics of its unique identity: Its pluralistic character, the harmonious coexistence of its rich cultural heritage with the dynamic achievements of modern civilization, as well as its commitment to research, innovation and sustainable development.
"Nicosia has a cultural background of a historical dimension with a numerous archaeological sites, a technological background and modern cultural infrastructure, make it worthy of claiming the title of European Capital of Culture 2030", the Mayor concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency