Presidential Palace, Nicosia
Encyclopedia
The Presidential Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Republic of Cyprus. It is located close to the centre of the capital of Cyprus
, Nicosia
, and is surrounded by a thick pine woodland.
The building was burnt down during the Enosis
riots of the 21st October 1931.As a result of the disturbances a special law was enacted by the Governor of the Island Sir Ronald Storrs
on the 21st December 1931 where by the Greek Cypriot inhabitants had to pay for a new Government house to be built. The total amount being £34315 payable by the 30th June 1932 .The amount payable for each town was Nicosia
£14,000, Limassol
£5,500, Famagusta
£5000, Larnaca
£2000, Paphos
£500 and the villages £6315.
The new building was designed by Mr Maurice Webb
F.R.I.B.A of the firm of Sir Aston Webb & Sons, Westminster, London and construction was undertaken by J V Hamilton & L F Weldon of the Public Works Department, Nicosia. The main structure was built of Yerolakkos Sandstone with harder sandstone from Limassol
used for the staircases. Total cost of the build was £70,000 and was completed in 1937. Among the Palace's most prominent features are the British coat-of-arms four gargoyles with human heads depicting the British General Foreman in charge of construction, the head mason, head carpenter and an unknown labourer.
On the 16th August 1960 Government House was renamed the Presidential Palace
The structure was gutted by fire during the Coup d’etat by the Greek Junta and EOKA-B on the 15th July 1974 and was rebuilt by the Public Works Department and Philippou Brothers in 1977. The rebuilding costs were paid by the Greek Government.
On the 28th May 2010 it was announced that the building is to have a 1.2 Million Euro upgrade to cut the amount of carbon emissions that is produced. New systems to be installed are Solar Panels in the car park, new ventilation system and replacement of windows.
In addition to this a further £2.7 million euros(May 2011) will be spent to build a new hall for the purpose of the 2012 Cyprus EU Presidency. A. Panayides Contracting Public Limited will conduct the works
Dr Rita C Severis & Dr Michael Given, Hellenic Bank (2004) Monuments and Memories Government House ISBN 9963-42-702-2
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, and is surrounded by a thick pine woodland.
History
The original building was a prefabricated structure erected in November 1878 on a site known as snake hill (Richard the Lionheart is said to have set up camp here)The building was shipped by the war office from London to it original destination Ceylon, by the time it reached Port Said it was diverted to Cyprus since it was no longer required. The building arrived in Larnaca and transported on the backs of camels on boxes by a local contractor known as Mr Z Williamson.The building was burnt down during the Enosis
Enosis
Enosis refers to the movement of the Greek-Cypriot population to incorporate the island of Cyprus into Greece.Similar movements had previously developed in other regions with ethnic Greek majorities such as the Ionian Islands, Crete and the Dodecanese. These regions were eventually incorporated...
riots of the 21st October 1931.As a result of the disturbances a special law was enacted by the Governor of the Island Sir Ronald Storrs
Ronald Storrs
Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs, KCMG, CBE was an official in the British Foreign and Colonial Office. He served as Oriental Secretary in Cairo, Military Governor of Jerusalem, Governor of Cyprus, and Governor of Northern Rhodesia.-Biography:The eldest son of John Storrs, the Dean of Rochester...
on the 21st December 1931 where by the Greek Cypriot inhabitants had to pay for a new Government house to be built. The total amount being £34315 payable by the 30th June 1932 .The amount payable for each town was Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
£14,000, Limassol
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the...
£5,500, Famagusta
Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...
£5000, Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
£2000, Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
£500 and the villages £6315.
The new building was designed by Mr Maurice Webb
Maurice Webb
Maurice Everett Webb was an English architect of the early 20th century, who started his architectural career working for his famous architect father, Sir Aston Webb, the practice trading as Sir Aston Webb and Son for some years.-Projects:...
F.R.I.B.A of the firm of Sir Aston Webb & Sons, Westminster, London and construction was undertaken by J V Hamilton & L F Weldon of the Public Works Department, Nicosia. The main structure was built of Yerolakkos Sandstone with harder sandstone from Limassol
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the...
used for the staircases. Total cost of the build was £70,000 and was completed in 1937. Among the Palace's most prominent features are the British coat-of-arms four gargoyles with human heads depicting the British General Foreman in charge of construction, the head mason, head carpenter and an unknown labourer.
On the 16th August 1960 Government House was renamed the Presidential Palace
The structure was gutted by fire during the Coup d’etat by the Greek Junta and EOKA-B on the 15th July 1974 and was rebuilt by the Public Works Department and Philippou Brothers in 1977. The rebuilding costs were paid by the Greek Government.
On the 28th May 2010 it was announced that the building is to have a 1.2 Million Euro upgrade to cut the amount of carbon emissions that is produced. New systems to be installed are Solar Panels in the car park, new ventilation system and replacement of windows.
In addition to this a further £2.7 million euros(May 2011) will be spent to build a new hall for the purpose of the 2012 Cyprus EU Presidency. A. Panayides Contracting Public Limited will conduct the works
Further Reading and References
Kevork K Keshishian (1990 )Nicosia the Capital of Cyprus Then and Now ISBN 9963-571-21-2Dr Rita C Severis & Dr Michael Given, Hellenic Bank (2004) Monuments and Memories Government House ISBN 9963-42-702-2
External links
- Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus,The Presidential Palace.http://www.presidency.gov.cy/presidency/presidency.nsf/prc29_en/prc29_en?OpenDocument