Demetris Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus, inaugurated the new building of the Larnaca Chapter of the AGBU on Thursday 05 May 2011. The event was attended by the Armenian MP in the Cyprus Parliament Vartkes Mahdessian and Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian, who delivered prayers and blessed the new building.
The Armenian Cultural Centre is located at 13 Kilkis Street.
The project was made possible due to the encouragement, support and substantial contribution made by the AGBU Central Board, as well as contributions received from the AGBU Larnaca, Limassol and Nicosia Chapters. Furthermore, from its inception the project received the full support of the Kalaydjian Foundation in Cyprus whose representatives Roupen and Dikran Kalaydjian through their speeches welcomed the President of the Republic and highlighted the importance of the center to the future life of the Armenian community of Larnaca.
Source: Gibrahayer e-magazine, 05 May 2011
http://www.gibrahayer.com/
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AGBU Press Office
Website: www.agbu.org
Monday, April 25, 2011
Cypriot President to inaugurate AGBU Armenian Cultural Centre in Larnaca
The Larnaca Chapter of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) has the honor to announce that His Excellency Demetris Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus, will inaugurate the Armenian Cultural Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus, on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 12:45 pm.
The Armenian Cultural Centre is a new home for Armenian culture, ethnology and art. The Centre will present and promote the history and culture of the Armenian nation in general and the Armenian community of Cyprus in particular, with the aim of deepening the understanding and appreciation of
the cultural heritage that bonds all Armenians. It will also disseminate information with regards to the positive contribution of the Armenian community to the economic, social and cultural development of Cyprus.
In order to achieve the above objectives, the Centre will organize conferences, seminars, symposia, workshops, exhibitions, artistic and musical performances, as well as joint inter-communal activities with other Cypriot organizations. The Centre already has a rich library of rare books, maps, and journals, including several 19th-century publications.
The Centre is of paramount importance not only for the Armenian community of Cyprus but also the city of Larnaca. The establishment of the Centre has been encouraged and welcomed by the authorities in Cyprus, as well as by leading members of the Greek Cypriot community, a fact reflected in the gracious agreement of the President of the Republic to personally inaugurate the Centre.
The building housing the Centre was designed by architect Merouzhan Sarkisian of Limassol. The construction of the building began in January 2010 and was completed early this year. The building's main hall can accommodate up to 80 persons, and the roof garden, which will be the venue for outdoor events and gatherings, can accommodate up to 100 individuals.
The Armenian Cultural Centre is located at 13 Kilkis Street, opposite the Larnaca Archeological Museum and the ruins of the ancient city of Kition.
The ambitious project to establish the Centre was made possible due to the encouragement, support, and substantial contribution made by the AGBU Central Board, as well as contributions received from the AGBU Larnaca, Limassol, and Nicosia Chapters. Furthermore, from its inception, the project received the full support of the Kalaydjian Foundation in Cyprus, as well as a number of Armenian-Cypriot families and Armenian benefactors from abroad, who with their generous sponsorship and guidance helped the project reach a successful conclusion.
Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian program, annually touching the lives of some 400,000 Armenians around the world.
For more information about AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit www.agbu.org
Photos:
1) President of Cyprus Demetris Christofias inaugurates the AGBU Armenian Cultural Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus (Gibrahayer e-magazine).
2) The newly constructed AGBU Armenian Cultural Centre in Larnaca, Cyprus (AGBU website)
