Last week's news that the old leper colony of Agios Charalambous along Faneromeni Street will become a University of Cyprus campus is most exciting! Granted, it will take years to become a reality – two years before construction is started, then however long it takes to complete it – but imagining the area full of life is wonderful.
My parents live in a street off of Faneromeni and close to the colony. As such, I spent my youth in the area and vividly remember it in its heyday. Like Dhekelia Road at the time, Faneromeni was a thriving street and its selection of shops made it almost unnecessary to head into town for shopping. From fruit to shoes, and gifts to haberdashery, Faneromeni had it all.
But like its then-popular cousin, Dhekelia Road, the last decade has seen a steady decline. To the unfamiliar eye, the street appears to be doing okay with a wide mix of establishments, and seems busy enough, but the residents of the area know it's not what it used to be.
The prospect of new life that the university will bring has so excited some in the area, that they are already planning on turning their properties into student digs, and a big name developer with a strong presence in neighbouring Drosia is also readying itself for the big day. For the struggling shops along the street, holding out and struggling for a few more years until the big cash cow comes to town offers a ray of hope. Imagine cafes, restaurants, shops and services all filled with young adults… If the street plays its cards right with its choice of establishments geared towards the youth, it may very well end up giving other popular areas of the town a run for their money.
As for the leper colony, I have to admit it always appeared creepy to me. Logically, I know that it is nothing sinister, but as a child, the stories were of residents that looked like zombies with body parts missing and misshapen features. We would never dare approach it, and it took me many years to finally pluck up the courage to drive through and have a look. What I found was a quaint and peaceful little community of small houses and a church. There were a couple of old ladies sat outside on chairs - nothing sinister at all, but my childhood impressions will always remain with me.
I don't think there is anyone left now, or if there is, it is only a handful of very elderly patients, but I do wonder what will happen to the church when it becomes a university. The church was moved to the colony brick by brick from the old colony in Nicosia and rebuilt by the residents themselves in 1955, as such, it is a piece of the town's history. I hope it is treated with respect and incorporated into the campus.
And of course, the university development comes with a national park for the adjacent salt lake, which is also fabulous news, although the combination of boisterous, carefree students and a protected natural area isn't one that really marries well on paper! I just hope that there is enough along the regenerated Faneromeni street to keep the young 'uns occupied and merry, and that we won't regret putting a university next to one of our loveliest beauty spots.
