The Municipality of Kourion is promoting the creation of a Marine Aquarium and, in parallel, a Research Centre for Mediterranean Marine Life on the western side of the Akrotiri Municipal District, an ambitious project estimated to cost €10 million.
For the implementation of the project, a request has already been submitted to the British Bases Authorities for the lease of a 16,000 square metre plot of land, as Mayor of Kourion, Pantelis Georgiou, stated to “Entrepreneurial Limassol”. He added that a preliminary meeting was held with representatives of the British Bases, during which a positive approach towards the project was observed.
According to the Mayor, the Bases requested that the Local Authority submit a preliminary inquiry to the Limassol District of Local Government Organisation so that all Public Utility Services can provide their input on the plans. The aim is to define the appropriate terms that will be incorporated into the architectural competition to be announced for the project.
The Municipality of Kourion is currently preparing the preliminary inquiry to the District Organisation, while Mr. Georgiou has already informed the Organisation’s Licensing Directorate of the upcoming submission in order to expedite procedures.
Mr. Pantelis Georgiou stated that the project is being viewed positively by the bodies and organisations that may potentially finance or contribute to its implementation.
“Our goal is to carry out the necessary studies through a long-duration architectural competition, with strict specifications and requirements regarding the designers, as this is not a simple project,” he noted, emphasising that the involvement of ichthyologists and other specialised scientists will be required.
As the Mayor stressed, this is a project that will upgrade the Akrotiri Municipal District and enhance the environmental value of the area, while at the same time becoming a landmark for the wider Kourion region and for Cyprus as a whole.
The Aquarium and Research Centre are planned to be constructed on the western side of Akrotiri, south of the chapel of Agios Georgios, on land belonging to the British Bases.
Regarding the Research Centre, Mr. Georgiou explained that its objective will be to conduct research and studies on the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on the wider area of the Limassol bays and the Akrotiri peninsula, which presents significant particularities, such as the underwater meadows of the marine plant Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica), as well as the severe problem of coastal erosion.
Within this perspective, the aim is for the Centre to become a reference point for the implementation of European programmes, which the Municipality is not able to attract and manage independently. At the same time, cooperation will be pursued with scientific and research centres in Cyprus and abroad — relevant contacts have already been made — with the vision that the Centre will take initiatives, pioneer in its field, and establish itself in the awareness of both the scientific community and the public.
