THE MUSEUMS OF CYPRUS
TRAVEL IN TIME; PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Whether historical, archaeological or thematic, the museums of Cyprus, mere memories of our school years’ educational excursions, never cease to offer exciting journeys in time for people of all ages. Time Out has visited all the museums of Cyprus one by one, small and big ones, and provides the reader with all the necessary details. The Cyprus Museum
This is the main archaeological museum in Cyprus, containing artefacts dated from the Neolithic to the Early Byzantine periods. Exhibits:
The first of the fourteen galleries in the Cyprus Museum contains objects from the earlier phases of the Neolithic (10000-7000 B.C.) to the Chalcolithic periods (3900-2500), as well as photographs of the locations of the finds and contemporary sites around the island. The second gallery is entirely dedicated to the Early Bronze Age (2500-1900 B.C.), a period marked by major changes on the island. The third one contains clay vessels which cover a long period of the history of Cyprus. On entering, the visitor immediately notices the change in pottery from the Early to the Middle Bronze Age (1900-1050 B.C.). In the fourth gallery, approximately two thousand clay figurines and statues are displayed in a special case. They were found in an archaic sanctuary on the north coast of the island. In the fifth and sixth gallery the evolution of Cypriot sculpture in stone, clay and bronze, from the archaic to the roman periods, is represented (8th-1st c. B.C.). The sixth gallery includes a series of bronze statuettes dated from the 7th to the 2nd c. B.C. as well as a series of busts from the roman period. The seventh gallery houses tools, weapons and other objects made of bronze together with coins, cylinder seals and fragments of pithoi with impressed decoration consisting of multi-figured scenes. Its last section contains jewellery, glass objects and lamps dating from the Early Bronze Age to Early Christian times. The eighth gallery has been specially designed to house a reconstruction of tombs dating from the 4th millennium BC to the 4th century BC.
The ninth gallery contains grave monuments such as carved grave steles, and painted clay sarcophagi. Finds and photographs which show the evolution of writing in Cyprus, from the 15th to the 3rd c. B.C., are exhibited in the tenth gallery of the Cyprus Museum. The eleventh gallery contains impressive finds from the royal tombs of Salamis, while the twelfth one is devoted to the production of copper in ancient Cyprus. Sculptures which decorated the gymnasium of Salamis during the 2nd century A.D. are displayed in the thirteenth gallery. They copy classical as well as Hellenistic prototypes. Finally, the fourteenth gallery houses clay figurines dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period. There is a bookshop at the entrance to the Cyprus Museum and a cafeteria in the garden. Look out for: one of the must important exhibits in the Museum is the marble statue of Aphrodite from Soloi (Gallery no. 5), a work dated to the Hellenistic period (1st c. B.C.). 1 Museum St., Nicosia. Mon.-Sat. 9.00-17.00, Sun. 10.00-13.00.
Every Sunday free entrance for EU citizens.
Tel:22865864
Thalassa Municipal Museum of Agia Napa
A modern and carefully designed museum which opened its doors to the public at the end of August 2005, under the direction of the Pierides Foundation in collaboration with the Greek Institute for Protection of Marine Tradition and the Tornarides-Pierides Foundation of Marine Life.
Exhibits:
The five different levels of the museum contain Cypriot antiquities covering 7000 years as well as paleontological exhibits including embalmed fish and fossilised sea shells dating back up to 100 million years. On all levels there is audiovisual information concerning the history of Cyprus. Apart from the exhibition areas there is also a versatile gallery, which is used for educational programs, a shop and a restaurant which serves Mediterranean cuisine. Look out for: among the exhibits of the museum, there is a copy of an ancient ship which was named “Kyrenia II”. 14 Kryou Nerou St., Ayia Napa. Tue-Sun. 9.00-13.00 & 18.00-22.00. Tel: 23816366
Limassol Medieval Museum
The medieval castle of Limassol has housed the medieval collections of the Cyprus Museum since 1987.
Exhibits: the museum covers a period from 400 to 1870 A.D. In the garden of the castle, there is an olive press dating from the 8th century, which dominates the rest of the exhibits. Inside the castle there are collections of photographs depicting the medieval fortifications and churches of Cyprus. The various rooms of the castle contain wooden sculptures from the 17th and the 18th century, paintings, stone sculptures and a large number of tombstones. A staircase leads to the first floor where the visitor can see cannons dating from the 14th to the 19th c., helmets of the 16th c., armour, Byzantine and medieval coins, metal vessels, Cypriot and imported glazed ceramics (12th-16th) as well as coarse ware, glass objects and Islamic vessels dating from the 18th and 19th c. Limassol Castle. Mon.-Sat. 9.00-17.00 Sun. 10.00-13.00
Tel: 25305419
Kykkos Monastery Museum
A newly renovated museum with exhibits of great value and long history, since the Monastery was founded by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius A΄ Komnenos (1081-1118).
Exhibits:
The collections include early Christian antiquities from various Greek states, specimens of Cypriot pottery from the Bronze Age (2300 B.C.) to the Roman period (50 B.C.-330 A.D.) and a very interesting series of black-figured and red-figured vessels from Attica and Magna Grecia. Most of the exhibits reflect the Early Christian, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine world, including a rich collection of gold and silver objects.
In the entrance chamber the visitor can find the shop, where books, slides, postcards and copies are sold and small objects are exhibited. Kykkos Monastery. Mon.-Sun. 10.00-16.00
Tel: 22942736
Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum
A museum for fans of the motorcycle and more, which was founded as a result of the personal initiative of Mr. Andreas Nikolaou. It presents, in short, the 20th century on two wheels…
Exhibits:
All the exhibits belong to the personal collection of Nikolaou, and consist of 150 motorcycles from 1914 to 1983 such as AJS, Matchless, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Triumph, Ariel, BMW, Moto Guzzi, James Enfield and many others. The history of the motorcycle is described through a series of photographs from the beginning of the 20th c. until today.
The museum also houses a special projection room, a gift and spare parts shop and a small cafeteria. 44 Granikou St., Nicosia. Mon.-Fri.9.00-13.00 &15.00-18.00,Sat. 9.00-13.00
Tel:99543215
Cyprus Wine Museum
A very well set out museum, devoted to wine and to 6000 years of Cypriot wine-making history.
Exhibits:
In the yard there are various stone wine-presses, equipment for the distillation of the traditional Zivania, a strong local spirit, and pithoi (large earthenware wine-storage jars). On the ground floor, where the permanent wine exhibition from 34 wineries of Cyprus is housed, the visitor may taste a glass of wine or grape-juice and can purchase wines from this large collection. The rest of the exhibits are on the first floor and they include ancient vessels used for storing and serving wine, unusual glasses, old photographs, maps, manuscripts and drawings. A ten-minute film completes the tour. 42 Paphos St., Erimi, Limassol (old road to Paphos). Mon.-Sun. 9.00-17.00. Tel:25873808, 25873809 Local Museum of Traditional Embroidery and Silverwork
The stone-built traditional house, known as the house of Patsalos, houses collections of the characteristic embroideries of Lefkara and also traditional silver jewellery. Exhibits:
In the yard of the museum along with the traditional oven and the earthenware storage jars, called pitharia, the visitor can see various agricultural tools, accompanied by information about the architecture of the house and its renovation. On the ground floor is the traditional kitchen, the cellar, a room with tools for cultivation and a basin which was used for the kneading of bread.
On ascending the elegant staircase we discover (in the furniture and the clothes exhibited), the cosmopolitan way of life which was due to the many journeys abroad of the men of Lefkara. They used to travel around the world in order to sell the embroideries made by the women of Lefkara. There is a traditional bed and also a cradle, old embroideries, painted plates and old photographs. Look out for: visit the silversmith’s workshop on the first floor. House of Patsalos, Lefkara. Mon.-Thu. 9.30-16.00, Fri. & Sat. 10.00-16.00 , Tel:24342326
Best of the rest
ARCHAEOLOGICAL Archaeological Museum of Mycenaean civilization
This is situated on the Maa peninsula and its exhibits include samples of processed metals, weapons and pottery from Mycenaean settlements in Cyprus (c. 1150 B.C.). Maa-Palaiokastro, Coral Bay area, Paphos. Mon.-Sat. 10.00-16.00.
ETHNOGRAPHICAL Avgorou Ethnographical Museum
The museum is housed in a traditional dwelling belonging to the Communal Council of Avgorou. The exhibits, most of which were provided by the Pierides Foundation, consist of agricultural tools, costumes, jewellery and carved wooden furniture. 52 Karyon Ave., Avgorou. Mon.-Sat.8.00-13.30, Tue & Wed.8.00-13.30&
15.00-17.00.
Tel:23923340
Deryneia Folk Art Museum
This is again an old house, donated by Varnavas and Margarita Hatsiliasi, which depicts traditional Cypriot daily life through objects also donated by locals. 4 Dimitri Liberti St., Deryneia. Mon.-Sat. 9.30-16.00.
Tel:23740353
ECCLESIASTICAL
Ecclesiastical Museum of Kalopanagiotis
This was built by the Morphou Bishopric towards the end of the 1990s and is within the Monastery of St. John the Lampadist. Rare and priceless pieces of ecclesiastical art, some of which are up to 1000 years old, are among its collection. Monastery of St. John the Lampadist, Kalopanagiotis, Nicosia. Tue.-Sat. 10.00-15.00, Sun. 11.00-15.00.
Tel:22952659
FOLK ART
Municipal Museum of Folk Art, Limassol
The exhibit houses a large collection of objects of Cypriot popular art and traditional life, dating from the 19th and the early 20th c. 253 Ayiou Andreou St., Limassol. Mon.-Fri. 8.30-13.30, Thu. 8.30-13.30 & 15.00-17.00.
Tel:25362303
SPECIAL INTEREST Police Museum
This was founded in the early 1930’s by the British Chief of Police and initially known as the Crime Museum. Through its exhibits the history of the Cyprus Police is narrated: weapons, uniforms, police cars etc. It was renovated and reopened in 2005. Evangelou Floraki St., Nicosia. Mon.-Fri. 8.00-14.00.
Tel:22808793
Marine Life Museum
This museum opened in the early 1990s and it houses fossils of shells and sea creatures, corals, turtles and embalmed birds and fish. An impressive feature of the museum is the representation of the seabed during the age of the dinosaurs.
25 Ayias Mavris St., Ayia Napa. Mon.-Sun. 9.00-14.00, Thu. 15.00-18.00. Tel:23723409
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