THE PLACE

THE REAL EXPERIENCE OF CYPRIOT ARTS & CRAFTS CULTURAL SPACE

AN OPEN SPACE OF CULTURE, ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE

The Place opened in May 2015 in the Old Town of Pafos. This cultural space has been created by Natalia Antoniou Hadjigeorgiou. Natalia’s mother worked for the Ministry of Commerce for over thirty years in the Handicrafts department, so she grew up surrounded by Cypriot artefacts. This love of Cypriot crafts promoted her to open her own cultural vision called The Place. When asked why she has dedicated her life to The Place, Natalia says, “I definitely saw a gap in the market to promote Cypriot culture. I wanted to offer a real, authentic visit to give a real hands-on experience to visitors. When people come to The Place, they have the unique opportunity to try a new craft and create something to take home. The Place is for the whole family”. Natalia continues, “We are delighted to receive so many visits from locals, international travellers and from school children across Cyprus. The Ministry of Education has included The Place as part of their learning excursions. It is wonderful for me to see the children come and learn about their heritage through the craft demonstrations”.

The Place has traditional handicrafts, pottery, mosaics, Phytiotiko weaving, handmade jewellery, wood burning, encaustic art and many others available. In 2020, there are plans to expand the number of workshops they have on offer. They also have a wine cellar which offers wines from local wineries. This forms part of their gourmet section under the title of ‘Flavours of Cyprus’ which includes many unique Cypriot food products made by small regional food producers for sale. Furthermore, an e-shop selling selected artisan gifts and jewellery is expected to be launched by the end of this month. In the showroom part of The Place, there is the opportunity to view and buy many of the unique works of the local artists who work there, ranging from small personalised gifts to unique home decorative articles. They also have a gallery space which is available for rent to artists to hold exhibitions. Next month, The Place will be relaunching their Café and Beer Garden, which is located in the beautiful courtyard at the back of the main building. It is an idyllic place to sit, relax and enjoy the Cypriot products on offer. A little piece of heaven in the middle of Pafos to enjoy the real, genuine experience of Cypriot Culture.