Cape Greco, also known asCapo Greco (Italian for "Greek cape";Greek:Κάβο Γκρέκο), is a headland in the southeastern part of the island ofCyprus. It is at the southern end ofFamagusta Bay and forms part of Ayia Napa Municipality. It lies between the towns ofAyia Napa andProtaras, both tourist resorts, and is visited by tourists for its natural environment. It is the easternmost point of both theRepublic of Cyprus and theEuropean Union. According to local legend,[citation needed] it is also the home of the 'Ayia Napa sea monster'.
The cape was known asCape Pedalion (Greek:Πηδάλιον) in antiquity.[1] According toStrabo the trapezoidal hill lying above it was sacred toAphrodite.[2]
A 1209 the area encompassing the cape has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because it is a keymigration site for large numbers ofraptors and other birds. It forms a migratory bottleneck forred-footed falcons,pallid harriers,honey buzzards andcommon kestrels, as well as supporting breeding populations ofCyprus wheatears,Cyprus warblers andblack francolins. Although the cape is a National Forest Park under the administration of the Forestry Department of the Cyprus Ministry of the Interior, the birds there are threatened by illegaltrapping.[3]
Cape Greco was the location of a powerful mediumwave broadcasting station operated byRadio Monte Carlo; it carried the French- and Arabic-language programme ofRadio Monte Carlo Middle East / RMC Moyen-Orient aimed at audiences in the Middle East and Northern Africa. In the early morning hours and for some years at late night, it carried programmes ofTWR in Arabic, Armenian and Persian.
The transmitter site was constructed in the early 1970s and started operation 1973 carrying the French- and Arabic-language programme of RadioRadio Monte Carlo Middle East / RMC Moyen-Orient on a frequency of 1233 kHz with 600 kW. After 1974, early morning and late night hours were used to transmit programmes ofTrans World Radio targeted at the Middle East. For financial reasons and declining importance of mediumwave, the RMC Moyen-Orient transmissions were terminated on 31 December 2019.
The interest of the U.S. in a broadcasting facility to cover the Middle East led to a contract to use the reserve antenna and a second transmitter was installed in 1992. From 2002, this transmitter carried the Arabic-language programme ofRadio Sawa founded by the U.S. government. From the initial frequency of 981 kHz it had to move to 990 kHz because of interference with ERT broadcasting from Athens, the transmissions with 600 kW ceased on 1 July 2019.
In early November 2021, both antennas were demolished and a nature reserve information centre was to take the place of the transmitter buildings.[4][5]
