The building, established by the British way back when they first arrived in 1878, served as their first police station in Cyprus. It remained operational for more than 130 years until its closure approximately a decade ago. Since then it has stood empty, but recently ownership of the building transitioned from the police force to the antiquities department, marking a pivotal moment in its preservation and restoration.
\nTalking to the Cyprus Mail, Chrysanthi Kounnou, an archaeological officer at the antiquities department, said the renovation endeavour is set to transform the building, as well as the area around it.
\n\u201cFollowing an agreement with the former owners, the police department, the building has been officially listed as a historical monument, granting it protected status,\u201d Kounnou explained.
\nOnce a building achieves this designation, it falls under the purview of the antiquities department, which now assumes responsibility for its planned restoration.
\n\u201cOur objective is to undertake a comprehensive restoration process, considering the building\u2019s distinctive architectural features and its historical significance and location, right atop the Venetian walls.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift.jpg\")
The old UN guard post with the police station opposite<\/figure>\n![\"Paphos](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift-1.jpg\")
Paphos Gate police station above the old entrance to the city<\/figure>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift-2.jpg\")
The mediaeval remains uncovered by recent renovations<\/figure>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift-3.jpg\")
The new pedestrian bridge leading to the original Paphos gate with the old police station on top<\/figure>\n![\"The](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift-4.jpg\")
The view from one entrance to the gate<\/figure>\n![\"A](\"http:\/\/ch.jfdi.cc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/island-s-oldest-police-station-poised-for-facelift-5.jpg\")
A view from the gate<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSo, the building will be restored, but what will it be used for?
\nAt the moment that remains unclear.
\n\u201cWhile the specifics of its future use remain subject to further discussion, preliminary ideas are already emerging within the department,\u201d she said.
\nOne prospective concept entails repurposing portions of the building into a museum highlighting the history of the Venetian walls.
\n\u201cAs far as archaeological sites are concerned, few can rival the walls of Nicosia, that is why this could be a good idea,\u201d Kounnou said.
\nAdditionally, the antiquities department is also contemplating the idea of relocating the police museum, currently housed in a police station outside the city\u2019s historical centre, to the Paphos Gate building.
\n\u201cThe relocation of the police museum to the old town is indeed an appealing prospect, as it would certainly offer a more prominent location and expanded space for exhibitions.\u201d
\nDespite these early considerations, Kounnou, however, stressed of paramount importance is restoring the building before finalising plans for its future use.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s still early days and we must tread carefully,\u201d she said. \u201cThe building has been in disuse for over 10 years. That\u2019s why we must proceed cautiously and first assess and recognise the efforts that will be required,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cOn top of that, given the scale of the project, we are still unable to provide a definitive timeline for the time being.\u201d
\nThe upcoming restoration of the building follows the last month\u2019s official inauguration of the renovated Paphos Gate old city entrance way, opened by Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou and Nicosia mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis.
\nThe site now features a bridge over the mediaeval ruins leading to the old city gate. The project was a joint venture undertaken by the deputy ministry of culture, the antiquities department and urban planners back in 2014.
\nIt also relied on the input given by Nicosia residents, who were invited to contribute their ideas and opinions for the site management plan.
\n\u201cThe history of Nicosia is reflected in its monuments, which is why the preservation and enhancement of spaces such as the Venetian walls are important for maintaining the cultural identity of the capital,\u201d Kassianidou said during the inauguration ceremony.
\n\u201cPaphos Gate is a symbol of the city\u2019s rich, diverse and historical outlook and needed a restoration project that would do it justice.\u201d
\nEchoing Kassianidou\u2019s words, Yiorkadjis said the restoration of the area \u201cwill change Nicosia\u2019s face for the better, especially at night\u201d.
\n\u201cThe archaeological site project at Paphos Gate is completely separate from the upcoming one concerning the old police station,\u201d Kounnou said.
\n\u201cIt does, however, provide a glimpse into the project\u2019s future possibilities, which will ultimately transform the area and benefit both Nicosia\u2019s residents and future visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fact: Nicosia’s Paphos Gate police station has been empty for nearly a decade and is set to undergo a significant renovation project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11528,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3038,7496,6923,6497,4368,461,4039,1275,3348,4073,9672,4708,303,3,225,2632,8903,4081,250,3330,2655,9721,658,9191,582,6653,4086,6926,875,3331,406,130,7497,9720,8345,184,9056,4753,7904,9294,5515,3583,335,618,3125,414,227,6305],"class_list":["post-11527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cyprus","tag-agreement","tag-archaeological-site","tag-archaeological-sites","tag-benefit","tag-bridge","tag-british","tag-building","tag-ceremony","tag-change","tag-closure","tag-constantinos","tag-cultural-identity","tag-culture","tag-cyprus","tag-deputy-minister-of-culture","tag-exhibitions","tag-follow","tag-future","tag-google","tag-google-news","tag-historical","tag-historical-monument","tag-history","tag-inauguration","tag-justice","tag-management","tag-mayor","tag-monuments","tag-museum","tag-news","tag-nicosia","tag-paphos","tag-paphos-gate","tag-paphos-gate-police-station","tag-pedestrian","tag-police","tag-police-station","tag-project","tag-relocation","tag-renovation-project","tag-responsibility","tag-restoration","tag-space","tag-top","tag-transformation","tag-un","tag-vasiliki-kassianidou","tag-who"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n