Cyprus International Fair 28.5.1983

The Cyprus State Fairs Authority (CSFA) was established in 1968 as a semi-government organization in order to run and promote the annual Cyprus International Fair. It has since expanded and runs several annual and biannual events such as the education fair, and the Cyprus motor show.
The largest event the Cyprus International Fair was first held in 1975. Since then it has steadily grown and in currently has around 130,000 visitors. In 2007 the CSFA announced a decision to rename the event to Expo-Cyprus.
The grounds of the state fair moved to their current location in the Nicosia suburb of Makedonitissa in the early 1970s and have undergone several phases of expansion since. Currently they cover an area of 30,000m² of indoor space and 100,000m² of outdoor grounds. Apart from hosting exhibitions the grounds have at times been used for other purposes such as music concerts, large rave parties even as a service station for the Cyprus arm of the Middle East Rally. In 2006 the American Embassy to Cyprus was allowed to use two large exhibition halls as temporary accommodation to house the thousands of American citizens evacuated from the war in Lebanon.
The CSFA is a member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry and the International Congress and Convention Association.

Releasing the significance which the preservation and projection of Cultural Heritage has for all mankind, UNESCO has compiled the well known World Cultural Heritage List which includes archaeological sites, monuments and civilization cradles of international splendour. UNESCO included in this important list Ancient Paphos (Palaepaphos and New Paphos) on the 2 September 1980. Ancient Paphos, besides its remarkable contribution to all forms of art, is also the birthplace of Goddess Aphrodite who was worshipped by all civilized people of those times. She has become a world symbol of live and beauty and has inspired artists at all times. It was also in Paphos that Christianity was for the first time preached on a European territory. This new series of stamps commemorates the inclusion of Ancient Paphos in the List and projects its cultural contribution.

The stamp depicts the sign XP, the monogram of Christ together with letters A.

Thank you Merja for this exceptional FDC.