The renovated building near the Old Electric Power Station on Evagoras Pallikaridis Street, inaugurated in 2019 by President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiades, is the space that housed one of the oldest and most historic cinemas in the city. The Attikon was founded during the Second World War, in 1941-42 by Nikolaos Taliotis (1911-2012), who converted the estate of businessman and landowner Mustafa Ahmet Rasit Bey (1896-1963).
Over the next two decades (1950-1970), the “Golden Age” of Greek cinema also marked a golden age for Attikon. It was its finest period as it also turned into an important centre of the city’s cultural life. Screenings of Greek as well as Turkish films attracted members of both communities from the Mouttalos district. Performances and concerts were also staged in the Atticon, hosting household names of the time, such as the legendary singer Sofia Vembo, singer Grigoris Bithikotsis, and cinematic star Andreas Barkoulis.
Attendance fell markedly in the decade that followed and the cinema never returned to the glory of its golden period. It was forced into closure in the mid-1970s. It reopened as ‘Othello’ , almost twenty years later, operating for a decade from 1990 to 2000.
From 2015 onwards, the Pafos municipality launched the olds cinema’s renovation process, converting the building into a multi-purpose cultural and conference infrastructure. The project was completed during the mayorship of Phedon Phedonos, with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus.
Along with the new Polychoros (Multi-Purpose), the summer Attikon was created outside the main building. This is a uniquely designed space for outdoor cinema screenings during the summer period, stretching from June to October.
Contact Details
Address: Evagoras Pallikaridis, Pafos, Cyprus
Phone: +357 99 972121
