Mosaics outside a studio in Ibrahim Khan in Paphos’ historical centre disappeared last week in what seemed to be a municipality purge to rid the area of posters and flyers pasted to walls, drainpipes and posts.

The cleansing was ordered by Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, who told the Cyprus Mail that only illegal additions and adverts unpleasant to the eye were meant to be removed.

“I personally added tesserae to the mosaics and I am very proud of that,” an apoplectic Phedonos said, flabbergasted at the complaint the Cyprus Mail had received.

The Sharen Taylor Mosaic Studio & Workshop designs mosaic artwork for private homes, corporate companies and art collectors, and also holds mosaic workshops for both children and adults.

Owner Sharen Taylor restores antiques for archaeological museums and has experience on the archaeological mosaic sites in Paphos.

Last week, she was devastated to find that mosaics featured outside the studio had been yanked off the wall with crowbars, one of which had been forgotten at the site and kept as evidence.

Sharen’s husband, Lefteris Neokleous, explained that the mosaics were a feature that enriched the area and that Phedonos and the community had also helped in the creation of one of them.

Specifically, the mosaic of a map was placed on the wall by the municipality itself about seven years ago.

Lefteris reported the incident to the police, which turned up later with the manager of the municipal works department, confirming that the mayor had ordered the area to be cleared.

Mosaics and signs were returned to the studio and the municipality assured that they would be putting them back up the latest by Monday.

The mosaics catch the eye of passersby and are continuously being photographed by visitors.

It is still unclear who actually took the mosaics down, possibly an employee taking the mayor’s instructions too literally.