The commemorative 2 euro coin praises the city of Pafos as European Capital of Culture 2017, an honor that is shared with the Danish city of of Aarhus.
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension. Preparing a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. In 1985, former actress Melina Mercouri, then Greece’s minister of culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual Capital of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values. The Commission of the European Union manages the title and each year the Council of Ministers of the European Union formally designates European Capitals of Culture: more than 40 cities have been designated so far.
Paphos is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. It is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural and natural treasures of the world's heritage for its spectacular ancient remains, and was selected as a European Capital of Culture for 2017, along with Aarhus.
The coin depicts the image of the ancient Odeon of Pafos, a small amphitheater built with limestone in the second century and is still used for theatrical and musical performances. The venue was also used for a multitude of events within the Pafos 2017 program. The volume of emission foreseen for the currency is 430,000 pieces. The scheduled date for its emission is during the month of November.
Total Mintage: 430.000 coins