- Address: Museum 1, Nicosia
- Phone: +357 22 865854
- Website: mcw.gov.cy
- Foundation date: 1882
The Cyprus Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Cyprus . Moreover, as a result of conducting an active excavation on the island, so many collections of antiquities were collected, that Cypriot archeology took one of the leading places in international archaeological research.
The trip to the museum, which is located in the heart of Nicosia , will be incredibly informative and will allow you to plunge into the history of the island from prehistoric times to the early Christian period.
A bit of the history of the museum
The Archaeological Museum of Cyprus has a very interesting history of origin. It was founded in 1882 as a result of a petition that was submitted by religious leaders to local authorities. This happened, because on the island, illegal excavations were conducted at full speed, and the values found were uncontrolled outside the country. The main initiator of these illegal actions was the US ambassador to Cyprus, in combination - an archaeologist who in total took out more than 35,000 items that had archaeological value. A huge part of these samples was lost, some of them are now stored in the American Metropolitan Museum.
Exposition of the museum
There are 14 rooms in the museum, in which the exhibits are exhibited in a thematic and chronological order, starting from the Neolithic and ending with Byzantine eras. In the museum you will see unique examples of antique antiquity, ceramics, bronze, terracotta, old coins, vases, sculptures, dishes, gold jewelry, pottery. The most valuable are the statue of Aphrodite Soloi and the relics of the royal tombs of Salamis.
Recently, there was a problem of a lack of museum space for a growing collection of archaeological finds. The problem of transferring the museum to a new large building is acute. Meanwhile, the distribution of exhibits for small museums throughout Cyprus. One of the most famous representatives of the Archaeological Museum is the museum in Paphos - in the south-west of Cyprus. Therefore, if you have a rest in this region and do not plan a trip to the capital, you can see the archaeological heritage of the country here. Paphos also has a stunning collection of artifacts.
Conditions for visiting the museum
Since the museum is located in the city center, it is easy to get to. The center is a large number of buses, from where you would not go. Exit at the bus stop Plateia Solomou. The museum works every day, except Monday, from 08.00 to 18.00, on Saturday - until 17.00, on Sunday - from 10.00 to 13.00. The ticket costs € 4,5.
| | |
