Paphos is where an exciting and different artistic, deliciously romantic, intellectually and spiritually stimulating nexus is forming on Cyprus' western tip, set amidst an eye-wateringly beautiful sub-tropical backdrop, but within the scope of the island's snow-capped Troodos Mountains. This unusual and magical topography where alpine meets tropical affords one the luxury of bathing amidst turquoise watered lagoons reminiscent of the South Pacific by morning and hitting the snowy slopes by afternoon. The setting is divine, the precious stone at its nexus a city that until now has been more associated with mass tourism, albeit with an amazing slew of archeological sites within its environs.
The masses might still be somewhat in evidence but less so nowadays. as the galleries, boutiques and eateries multiply, so the demographic is moving slowly but irrecovably upmarket. The masses don't do class jazz, poetry and literary readings, ballet, chamber music or opera. They don't covet haute cuisine or great art in general and they eschew high end shopping so they can stay quite happily within the confines of their all inclusive hotel and the beach. Paphos, however, has a plethora of other splendors for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Like a Cypriot mother ensures one never goes hungry, Paphos is keen to feed your soul.
The genesis of all this frenetic reinvention is Paphos' awarding of European Capital of Culture in 2017. This is an opportunity for two cities within the EU to host a year long culture fest and Paphos, which shares the honor with the Danish City of Aarhus, has used the opportunity to morph itself into a scaled down world city, one without exorbitant costs, pollution or congestion. Although Paphos now sprawls for about 40km along the coast, densities are low and it has preserved the better part of its character whilst reaching the kind of critical mass that allows it to offer what it does.. The offering is so rich and impressive with visits from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra amongst other things, and the infrastructural legacy so full-blooded that they lands the city in a totally new paradigm
A fulcrum for all the changes can be found in Ktima, or Pano Paphos, the 2,500 year old upper core of Paphos, a city which was reputedly founded by Agapenor, chief of the Arcadians following the siege of Troy,
Current performance venues in Paphos include the Ancient Odeon, located in the archeological park in Kato Paphos, close to the sea, a site for ,open air recitals (Vladimir and Vovka Ashkenazy are playing there come June, 2017), the Castle in the harbour, where the city's Aphrodite Opera Festival takes place each September, the Kouklia Manor house, an old Lusignan building in the midst of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Palea Paphos, the original siting of the city, some 13km to the east of the Nea Paphos where the current Ktima or Pano Paphos (upper Paphos) and Kato (lower) Paphos are to be found. Here the superb Pharos chamber music festival happens each spring. There have also been various other recital venues to date including the Technopolis 20 Centre, again in Pano Paphos,. Thus there was already a fair bit doing in the city, including the previous incarnation of the Markedion Theatre, where symphony concerts were held.
