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Cyprus Museum (Nicosia)

Florian Buechting Museums & Exhibitions No Comments

Cyprus Museum

free entry
Cyprus Museum
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great overview of the history of Cyprus
  • Large, very entertaining exhibition
  • Free entry

While I so far introduced you to parts of modern life in Cyprus, the Mediterranen island is full of history. Thus, if you are in the capital Nicosia (or Lefkosia, which is the Greek name), you just have to have a visit at the Cyprus Museum and get a bit of an overview. I did so in October 2022 and share my thoughts with you.

 

Cyprus Museum – Location & Admission

The museum is located in the Northwest of the Greek/Cypriot part of the island. The building is a large, traditional style one, with a nice garden area. From the museum, it is just a short walk to the neutralized zone, which separates Cyprus from the part of the island occupied by Turkiye. If you have a central hotel in the capital city, you might likely walk to the museum. However, the Central Bus Station and some municipal parking lots / garages are also available at short distance.

Like most historic museums on the island, the Cyprus Museum is driven by the Department of Antiquities. From a touristic perspective, this means that opening times are reliably presented on their website. The museum is opening from Tuesday to Friday from ::138:00 to 18:00, Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 13:00. The museum is closed on Fridays. Every first Wednesday of the month, the museum is closing at 20:00. The entrance to the museum is free.

 

Cyprus Museum – The Visit

The building is rectangular. You more or less do one round-trip through the house. The museum is on one level, which turns it into an easy visit if you have mobility issues. Only the tomb area (see below) and entering the building as such requires stairs. Ramps and elevators are available, though. The documentation of the museum is in English and Greek. If you want to have a deeper dive into the items presented, you might go for one of the audio guides. The museum has already been founded in 1882.

You more or less visit the exhibits of the museum in chronological order, starting with the very early stages of Cypriot civilization. However, the key focus is definitely in the time between Bronze Age and the Greek and Roman Empire. The museum is split into different rooms, which are typically representing a certain era or a certain topic. The first pictures you see below reflect the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period, though. Of course, the techniques and level of detail is increasing the younger the exhibits are. The archive of the museum is massive – and so is finally the museum itself. If you are interested in a certain period, you might spend half an hour in a room, which I visited in five to ten minutes. Overall, I would at least plan for a 60 minute visit (which is really a rush), 90 to 120 minutes are a better choice.

A wide range of items – Hundreds of Statues and Coins

One of the most impressive parts of your visit is the fourth room. It features hundreds of statues and figurines. They have been excavated at a former circular altar in a sanctuary next to Agia Irini. The huge glass display is absolutely stunning and made me explore all the smaller and major items for a couple of minutes. Thereafter, you also more and more run into larger statues during your visit. However, this section of your visit also features an impressive collection of coins and jewelry as well as metal items.

Thereafter, you also run into former graves and a reconstructed tomb. This area is split into two levels and might require walking stairs. At that point, you are already rather at the end of the visit, the later ages are represented comparably compactly.

 

Cyprus Museum – Services

The beautiful garden also features a nice cafe, which was unfortunately closed during our visit. If you feel like having some memories, the museum drives a souvenir shop. The staff was really friendly and helpful. Communication in English is easy on the whole island.

 

Cyprus Museum – My View

It is a great place. Full stop. It is really hard to spot any negative about the Cyprus Museum. It is named to be the most important historic museum on the island – and it was definitely also one of the highlights of our stay. Needless to say that this one is a Top Pick!.

 

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