Archbishopric secures ownership of extensive land plots via 1948 agreement

On October 5, 2026, a court ruling granted the Archbishopric of Cyprus ownership of tens of thousands of square meters of land. The legal decision enforced a historical agreement signed on June 21, 1948, between the Hellenic Mining Public Company Limited and the Greek firm Anonymos Elliniki Etaireia Chimikon Proionton kai Lipasmaton AE. The latter company was subsequently liquidated under the administration of the National Bank of Greece.

Evidence of the property's significant historical value is found in its 1948 purchase price, which totaled 150,000 Cyprus pounds. Some individual plots involved in the case exceed 30,000 square meters. The complex nature of this title transfer was underscored during the legal process when the Archbishopric contacted the National Bank of Greece to request the transfer; the bank was reportedly unaware that it held the assets claimed by the Church. The Hellenic Mining Company, incorporated in Cyprus in May 1948, had originally sought to acquire the business assets of the Greek chemical company, yet the specific property titles remained in limbo for decades until this recent judicial intervention.