The ANTIQUITIES Department yesterday said there was absolutely no way they would give Paphos Municipality permission to redevelop the area around the town’s lighthouse.

Speaking to the Mail, the Department’s Director, Pavlos Flourentzos said the general area of Kato Paphos was UNESCO World Heritage-protected, as it included ancient monuments such as mosaics and the Odeon Amphitheatre.

He added that it was also of great environmental importance, featuring rare wildlife.
“From time to time, the Municipality apply for permission to redevelop the area and they want to build restaurants and bars there. This has been going on for several years now and is totally unacceptable. I will never allow it to happen,” he said.

Mayor of Paphos, Savvas Verga, hit back though, saying the Municipality was only interested in constructing a coffee shop near the lighthouse.

“I don’t know what all this fuss is about,” he told us. “If you go there, you can see a lot of abandoned rubbish, with some of the buildings so old they are about to fall down. So tell me, what’s better? Having this horrible eyesore or a simple coffee shop?”

He said he had not given up hope and was to discuss the issue with the relevant authorities.

“If everything goes to plan, I hope to build the coffee shop by next summer.”

Back in August, a two-kilometre pedestrian walkway running along the coast from Paphos Castle to the lighthouse was given the green light by the Antiquities Department.

At the time, Vergas explained that the lighthouse would be cleaned and access to it improved as part of the project.

Flourentzos described the walkway as “a scenic one, which will allow people to see more of the area”.

The Antiquities Department needed to give their approval for the walkway, as it will pass through an area set aside for the creation of an archaeological park.

According to Flourentzos, the lighthouse was built, “sometime during the 1930s and we expect it to be added to the world heritage site in a few years.”