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About the Company
ST.CHARA DEVELOPERS LTD is a leading development company in Cyprus. Based in Nicosia, St. Chara was established in 1986 with a commitment to develop reliable residential and holiday properties.
St Chara's primary aim is to focus, foresee, satisfy and exceed all of our client's needs, wants and expectations. Our major commitment is to achieve continuous improvements in all our new constructions in order to satisfy the present as well as the future needs of our customers. Our innovative designs setus apart from the competition and allows us to offer clients the widest array of property choices. Through exceptional service; attention to our customers' wide-ranging needs; prompt and efficient transfer of title deeds; quality in our projects; and careful focused expansion, we have positioned ourself amongst the leading developers in Cyprus.
Today, we are proud to be able to offer a wide variety of holiday apartments, maisonetes, villas and shops in the Protaras area, Dhekelia road and Paphos Latsi. In addition, to holiday projects, we offer a wide range of apartments and residences in the capital city, Nicosia as well as plots of land both at sea and mountain resorts. We are also one of the first developers to be able to offer luxurious villas in the mountain regions of Lithrodontas, Ayia Anna and Psevdas.
St. Chara Developers has been awarded the internationally recognized Certificate ISO9001 and is proud to be the First Quality Developer in Nicosia.
The Birth of Aphrodite
"Ouranos (the Sky) came, bringing on night and longing for love, and he lay about Gaia (the Earth) spreading himself full upon her. Then the son [Kronos] from his ambush stretched forth his left hand and in his right took the great long sickle with jagged teeth, and swiftly lopped off his own father's members and cast them away to fall behind him...
and so soon as he had cut off the members with flint and cast them from the land into the surging sea, they were swept away over the main a long time: and a white foam spread around them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden. First she drew near holy Kythera, and from there, afterwards, she came to sea-girt Kypros, and came forth an awful and lovely goddess, and grass grew up about her beneath her shapely feet. Her gods and men call Aphrodite, and Aphrogeneia (the foam-born) because she grew amid the foam."
Source: Hesiod, Theogony 176
The story handed down to us from Hesiod describes the creation of an incredible deity of the old world, the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite. But the birth of Aphrogeneia (born from the foam) does not stand merely as a legend. Historic facts found their way inside the folk tradition of the civilized world of 8th – 7th century BC to narrate the creation of the birthplace of the goddess. When movement of the plates of the Earth created an eruption, it resulted to the formation of an island which emerged from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. The new land was Cyprus.
Whether Cyprus got its name after the numerous cypress trees that stretched across the island or the copper reserves that brought fame and wealth to its people, that we do not know. But standing on the crossroads of civilizations – literally floating in the “middle of the earth”, i.e. at the centre of the known world at the time – Cyprus seems to have always been, ever since the early colonization, the meeting point between the West and the East; a land of continuous movement and struggle, flourishing commerce, rich history and vivid culture.
A few factors should be taken into consideration when examining the island’s modern history, especially the ongoing subjection to different patrons (Phoenicians, Greeks, Venetians, Turks and English) religious dogmas (Christians and Muslims) and ethnic groups (Greeks, Turkish, Armenian etc). Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom and became a Commonwealth in 1961 and as it happens with most young nations, hosting cultural diversity was not easy. After the troublesome 1974, the island was separated by a UN buffer zone known as the ‘Green Line’, which separated the two dominant communities: the Turks to the North and the Greeks to the South. From then onwards, the two parts of the island developed independently of each other, each formulating a very solid national identity and strong affiliation with the motherland (Greece and Turkey).
Today, Cyprus is a European Union country with a population of eight-hundred-thousand. Following the island’s EU accession as a divided country the two communities are working hard to create an intercommunal cultural bridge aiming to abolish their isolation and re-unify the populations upon their common ground. Of course this is far from suggesting that the political dispute is over, rather that it remains to be solved. The prosperous Greek Cypriot economy is dominated by the services sector including the public sector, trade, tourism and education, but has also diversified in recent years. Cyprus has been sought as a basis for several offshore businesses, due to its highly developed infrastructure and recently oil has been discovered in the seabed between Cyprus and Egypt, bringing the countries of the eastern corner of the Mediterranean into negotiations. The predominant spoken languages are Greek in the South and Turkish in the North, but English is widely used as it is being taught in schools from an early age. Culturally speaking, the country is on a tidemark, balancing between East-Anatolian and West-European modes of living which are marked by the rich religious traditions that have found ways to penetrate the buffer skin and become assimilated. The unusual combinations of cultural elements, which seemingly belong to different cultures, have harmoniously unified to embody the true Cypriot spirit. Regardless of whether one is Turkish or Greek, Christian or Muslim, all Cypriots seem to be infatuated with the small island. It is essential to mention, even as a closing thought, the sunlit landscapes of exceptional and rare beauty, the tranquil pace of life under the kind weather and the good food and of a welcoming people who share the strongest bond of all, their love for the island of beauty.
About Nicosia
Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus and the centre of administration, culture and commerce. Compared to most European capitals, Nicosia is a fairly sized metropolis of 250,000, sprawling for several kilometers and engulfing surrounding villages and settlements. It is located on the Pedieos river and situated roughly in the centre of the island, in the Mesaoria plane. Nicosia evolved from the settlement of Ledri, a small city-state of ancient times (also known as “Lefkothea” in Roman and Hellenic times), into the capital of the island around the 10th century AD when the Arab raids in the 6th century AD and the pillage that ensued in the coastal cities, forced people to move to the centre of the island and the mountainous areas.
The city is roughly divided into the old and new quarters. The old sector is contained within a star-shaped stoned fortification built by the Venetians in the 16th century AD and includes a rich and varied selection of historical architecture including samples of early-Christian, Ottoman, Classical and Colonial buildings. This area of the city has the highest concentration of museums, galleries and art studios, beautified by well preserved monuments and traditional neighborhoods. From the narrow streets to the wide highways, the new sector is everything round and about unrolling beyond the walls. Since 1974 and the end of a string of unfortunate events for the Greek and Turkish Cypriots, the city of Nicosia, which is otherwise infamously known as the last divided capital in Europe, has developed extensively into a flourishing modern capital. The surroundings are predominantly of modernist and contemporary character with the leisure and luxurious signature of a modern world metropolis. South Nicosia (we use this term to distinguish from the part of the city that is under Turkish-Cypriot jurisdiction) is divided into seven municipalities, each distinguished from the other in development and character. All municipalities however work under a common scheme of improving and upgrading the city, both in form and function, by investing in renovations, better traffic networks, green spaces and the infrastructure.
From the centre to the suburbs, this city has to offer the hippest lifestyle: high street department stores and boutiques squeezing between them meticulous eating and drinking spots; well equipped gyms and facilities specializing in particular sports; theatre and concerts halls; the University of Cyprus, as well as a number of established private colleges and institutions. It is becoming apparent that Nicosia, previously overlooked by holiday makers, investors and movers, is nowadays a sought-after market for investment and living. The increasing presence of international business companies results in an ever-growing number of European executives who chose Cyprus as their next clever career move. Of course Nicosia is far from being perfect and appears to be especially lacking in the area of public transportation, an omission which has resulted to the overpopulation of the city by automobiles. However, it is everyone’s hope that the vehicular contestation will soon detensify by the ministry’s initiative for more public buses in association with the EU.
Although Nicosia may appear to be small in comparison to metropolises abroad, however, what remains beyond doubt is that it is one of the safest cities to be living in, and despite its commercial, blue-tie façade, essentially retains the slow pace of all Mediterranean destinations.
About Larnaca
Larnaca is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus. The major international airport of Cyprus, Larnaca International Airport is located in this city. Larnaca is the oldest living city of Cyprus and was originally known as Kition, or Kittium. Legend has it that the first settlement at the spot was founded by Noah's great-grandson Kittim. Unlike other ancient cities of Cyprus, which were abandoned by their inhabitants, Larnaca from the time of its founding 6,000 years ago, has existed and still exists on the same site.
It has a population of 72,000 (end of 2001) and is the island's second commercial port and an important tourist resort. To the north of the town lies the island's oil refinery, while to the south of Larnaca the International Airport is situated. The city of Larnaka is well-known for its picturesque sea-front which includes rows of palm trees (oi finikoudes, in the Cypriot dialect). Much of the activity is centred around the city promenade during the major festivals. The most important of these for the city of Larnaka is Kataklysmos or the Festival of the Flood, celebrated in early summer with a series of cultural events.
Larnaca is one of the major seaside resorts in Cyprus. There are numerous beaches in and around Larnaca which which extend for approx 25 km (16 mi). The main Finikoudes and McKenzie beaches both have been awarded Blue Flags for environmental cleanliness.The archaeological sites and its six museums are in the centre of the town. Summer sports and sea activities are readily available. The shops are well stocked and medical care is good. There is one main six-screen cinema called 'K-Cineplex' which opened in 2001 and is on the edge of the town. Most English language films are shown in English with Greek subtitles. There is a wide variety of restaurants, tavernas, cafeterias and bars catering for varied tastes between 'traditional Irish pub' through international chains like McDonalds to local Cypriot fare. The Cyprus 'meze' is the food specialty of the town. Cultural life is rich and many events are organized by the town's municipality almost daily.
Larnaca is the ideal base for exploring the rest of Cyprus. Its international airport lies a few kilometers from the centre of the town, but because the flight path is over the sea there is almost no noise from landing and departing aircraft.
About Famagusta
Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea, east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour in the island. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion the city has resided in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
In antiquity, the town was known as Arsinoe after Arsinoe II of Egypt, and was mentioned by that name by Strabo. Its was also called Ammokhostos (meaning "hidden in sand") and it is still known by that name in Greek today. This name developed into the Famagusta used in Western European languages and the Turkish name, Maðusa.
About Limassol
Lemesos (Limassol) is the second-largest city of Cyprus with a population of 201.257 (2004 census), the largest city in geographical size and the biggest municipality of the island. The city is located on Acrotiri Bay on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of the Limassol District.
It is the biggest port in the Mediterranean transit trade. Limassol has since then become one of the most important tourism, trade and service-providing centre in the area. Limassol is renowned for its long cultural tradition. A wide spectrum of activities and a great number of museums and archaeological sites are available to the interested visitor.
Limassol was built between two ancient cities, Amathus and Kourion, so during Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis (new town). Limassol's tourist strip now runs east along the coast as far as Amathus. To the west of the city is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area of the United Kingdom.
Limassol also attracts a wide range of tourists mostly during the summer season to be accommodated in its several luxurious hotels and apartments. Limassol is also home to the Cyprus University of Technology.
About Paphos
The charming west coast town of Pafos focusses around an attractive little harbour whose picturesque open air fish restaurants line a quayside of bright fishing boats and pleasure craft. With a population of just 28.000 Pafos nestles in the lee of the Western Troodos Mountains, which add another dimension to this area of scenic beauty. The recent addition of its own international airport nearby has opened up the Pafos area, and the resort is graced with some luxury hotels along the coastline.
Pafos has an air of holiday charm combined with history, and olden-day elegance is lent to the town by its classical style buildings in the upper part of town which leads to the shopping area. The lower part of the town - known as Kato Pafos has a life of its own albeit so close by, down near the sea -home of the harbour, the fish tavernas, souvenir shops and several beautiful hotels with important archaeological sites around them.
Pafos is entwined with Greek mythology, and the legendary birth of Afrodite on her shores brought fame and worshippers there to follow the cult of the Goddess. Landmarks associated with Afrodite are the chunky, rugged rocks of her beautiful birthshore known as the Afrodite Rocks or "Petra tou Romiou", the evocative sanctuary of Afrodite at Kouklia Village, one-time shrine and scene of pagan festivals for thousands, the Baths of Afrodite at Polis, supposed source of fertility and the Fountain of Love, or Fontana Amorosa, a few miles further into the Akamas Peninsula.
Limassol is famous for its festivals. The Carnival festival lasts for ten days, with jolly and amusing masquerading. During the first quarter of September, the great Wine Festival of Cyprus takes place in the Municipal Garden of Lemesos every evening between 8.00 hrs - 23.00 hrs. During the festival the visitor has the chance to taste some of the best Cyprus wines, which are offered free of charge. On some evenings, various groups from Cyprus and abroad perform folk dancing and there are also choirs and others. Other festivals are Flower Festival (May), Festival of the Flood (June), Shakespearean nights and Ancient Greek Drama Festival.
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