The A. G. Leventis Foundation

Established in May 1979, the A. G. Leventis Foundation is the outcome of the vision of the Cypriot entrepreneur Anastasios G. Leventis (1902-1978), who had set out the primary objectives of action for his eponymous foundation since its inception, with a focus on society, education and culture.

Now in its fifth decade, the A. G. Leventis Foundation demonstrates significant involvement in the study and conservation of the cultural heritage of Cyprus, Greece and the Hellenism of the diaspora. In Ghana and Nigeria there is an ongoing commitment to agricultural training programmes and sustainable management of environmental resources. Support for the environment and conservation of biodiversity has increasingly received a greater emphasis in recent years.

In March 2014 the Foundation launched one of its most ambitious projects to date by opening the A. G. Leventis Gallery in Nicosia to house the Foundation’s art collections.
Through an international programme supporting Greek studies, with the fostering of various educational activities, the systematic granting of scholarships, the ongoing contribution to academic research and the publication of scientific books, the Foundation consistently adheres to Anastasios G. Leventis’s vision.

Nicosia Municipality

Nicosia is today the capital of the Republic of Cyprus and as such is the administrative and cultural centre of the island. The city is divided into municipalities, but the metropolitan power belongs to the Nicosia Municipality – according to the constitution, the basic governmental agencies have to be located within the municipal limits of the Municipality.

The head of the Nicosia Municipality is the mayor and the city council, which consists of 26 municipal councillors, one of whom is the deputy mayor. The mayor and the councillors carry out their duties based on the municipal law. Subcommittees, which consist of members of the city council, operate solely as advisory bodies and according to their instructions and provisions, which are determined by the council. The mayor has total executive authority and carries out the central control and administration of the city council. The council is in charge of the appointment of the council staff.

Since 1963 the city has been divided by the so-called Green Line and until today Nicosia remains the last divided capital in Europe. The vision of the Nicosia Municipality is to constitute Nicosia as a prosperous contemporary European capital; a cultural capital with a local identity and international range; a city with prospects and opportunities, a contemporary centre of knowledge, research and innovation. The goal is to become a creative, attractive, ‘smart’, friendly and accessible city, which has at its core the people and the environment, with social sensitivities which respond to the needs of its citizens, offering a high-quality life.