Eleftheria Square is about more than just aesthetics

Sir,
Your editorial in the issue of April 24 on the planned reconstruction (sic) of Eleftheria Square in Nicosia concludes with the sweeping dictum that “it is far too late to scrap the project because of aesthetic objections”.

Your conclusion could be misleading: The moat around the wall of Nicosia is a historical monument per se. The proposed construction of a concrete platform resting on concrete supports embedded in the moat is, in the view of some archaeologists, a brutal interference with one of Nicosia’s unique historical sites. The concrete platform, posing as a square, will do little to enhance the quality of life of the people of Nicosia, unless the heat to be reflected in warm days and the elimination of one of the few open and green spaces in the city centre is what we need for a better life
Since funding for the project, presently estimated to cost £4 million, will come in a great part from the Cyprus government’s budget, its citizens can legitimately question the choice of priorities: will this honey not be better spent on improving the miserable public transport in Nicosia (and Cyprus-wide), on solving problems of road safety and of traffic congestion, on saving the crumbling Nicosia within the wall from total ruin?
In my humble opinion, these and other issues constitute real and substantial objections, not merely of “aesthetic” nature or about the niceties of public consultation, or the lack of it, on the proposed project.

A concerned dweller (Cypriot) in Nicosia within the walls.
Name and address supplied

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.