Letter to the Mayor

This is a letter from the residents of Takt-el-Kale, explaining very basic problems the area has. We’ll collect now the signatures of the neighbors and send them to the Mayor.

Nicosia, 17-11-2007

To the Mayor of Nicosia, Ms. Eleni Mavrou:

The neighbours of the streets of Thiseos, Agiou Ioannou, Antigonou, Pnytagorou, Iracleous, Othellou, Klearchou which belong to the residential area of Takt-el-Kale, Nicosia, would like to bring to your attention the following problems caused by traffic, among many others that exist in the neighborhood. The basic ones, the people have identified are due to the following factors:

Lack of security

-Very narrow streets (less than 3m wide, typical of all medieval cities) that cannot function due to the following problems.
-Excessive velocity of cars.
-Excessively large vehicles.
-Disrespectful and dangerous attitude of drivers (especially at night).
-Nonexisting pedestrian facilities (narrow insufficient side walks with no barriers to avoid illegal parking). Pedestrians (especially small children and older people) constantly threatened by traffic.

Circulation problems

-Unjustified traffic unrelated to the area crossing it while other more sufficient streets (wider, with no residents) exist around on the borders of the neighborhood.
-24 hour disturbance of the area caused by the unrelated traffic, who’s drivers ignore the existence of the residents.
-Non-existing drainage system for the rain water in the streets. Constant damage to the houses (newly restored and old ones) due to the water that gathers in the streets during rainy weather. The continuous movement of cars at high velocity endlessly splashes the buildings (up to a height of 1.5m on the facades), and the water and dirt enters in big quantities inside causing even more damage (a specific example of this is Thisseos str. which turns into a river every time it rains, and the traffic is continuous and uncontrolled).

Parking problems

-Lack of parking for residents.
-Cars unrelated to the area in search for parking.
-Streets blocked and not functional during the day and night due to inconsiderately and recklessly parked cars of unrelated traffic, which make it impossible for pedestrians to walk, and handicapped people to ‘exist’.

Due to the above, we demand and await from the municipality an urgent intervention to solve the problems. The pedestrianisation of streets, closing them to non-residential traffic, the correct infrastructure (drainage system etc.) and the solution to parking issues that will solve residents´ needs, is a ‘must’ not a luxury.

Too basic needs, aren't they...?

Mmmm, good ideas!

New picture for the contest.

Title:

"Parking problems in Nicosia? No. Why ask?"

P.S. Yes, is Famagusta Gate...

T-shirts

Here are the T-shirts! Wearing them for the first time at the Bazaraki that took place in Phaneromeni last weekend. Great work from Lara!

Interview

Pola just send thils link. Here is a very good interview published on Politis. We are working on a translation in english, soon will be ready.

http://www.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=756763&-V=archivearticles

Beauty and the beast...

And this is our first picture from Maria Kosti.

Title: "I was trying to get out of home to start the day..."

Photo Contest

Today we are going to start a new section in the blog: "Photo Contest"

The subject will be: “Reports about the situation of the City Within the Walls”. You can send as may pictures as you want, any format and size, to the e-mail of the blog (awakewithinthewalls@gmail.com), including a title for every photo. The jury will be the members of the group in the first meeting after the end of the deadline, choosing there a winner. The prize for the winner will be a T-shirt with the logo of the group.

The first contest will last until the end of this year, so works will be accepted until 31 of December 2007. We will also try to exhibit the works whenever we have a chance. This is not an official contest, and the only objective is to show the situation in the old city through pictures, that, sometimes, are better than thousand words!

Thriller

I'm a real fan of Blair Witch Project, and this is real close!

Try to walk Nicosia on Saturday night, if you dare!