a walk in the neighbourhood *
[taken by K on easter monday]
* we live in an old suburb of cyprus' capital, nicosia. the 'village', as kaimakli is also known, was once inhabited by the stone masons that built the mansions of the old town. here, many houses are of the same ottoman or neoclassical traditions but not quite as grand, mostly in mud brick and honey-coloured sandstone, with some 20th century haphazard additions in between.
the population is a mixture of locals who have inherited property, immigrants renting cheap, dilapidated accommodation, and 'parachutists' like us who were attracted to the quiet, the narrow streets, the scent of jasmine, and the opportunity to renovate a crumbling pile close to the centre of town.
but the melancholy patina that time had bestowed to the place is about to be lifted. the municipality has embarked on a long-term project of renovation and rejuvenation, and the parachutists are in two minds. the place will look neater, cleaner and more uniform, but the link to the past will be broken.
we're hoping to preserve our memory of it by photographing some street corners and architectural details.
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