DK Travel : Cyprus : Cyprus Museum, Nicosia

Cyprus Museum, Nicosia

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The Cyprus Museum is world-class in every way, with a treasury of millenniaold finds, from the earliest Stone Age and Bronze Age civilizations through to the remnants of the great Christian Byzantine Empire, laid out in a way that brings the island’s unique heritage back to life. Housed in a gracious historic building, the museum also benefits from its compact size and lack of crowds, making for a leisurely visit. If you’re interested in the ancient world everything in the collection is worth seeing but, above all, don’t miss the wonderful collection of ancient terracotta warriors and charioteers – some the size of toy soldiers, others as large as life – who gaze at you in Room 3 and seem almost eerily poised to step from their display to conquer the island once again.

Top 10 Exhibits

1. Neolithic Artifacts

Early Cypriots were Neolithic tool-users whose flint blades and implements are on display as you enter the museum. The collection also includes ornaments of shell and obsidian.
2. Mycenaean Bronze and Pottery

Ceramics and wine bowls made by Mycenaean settlers are the main exhibits here, but the most striking item is a gold-inlaid bowl discovered at Enkomi.
3. Terracotta Warriors

An amazing army of terracotta votive figurines discovered at the shrine at Agia Irini and dating from the 7th and 6th centuries BC. More than 2,000 were found at the site.
4. Statue of Zeus

Poised to hurl a thunderbolt, a marble statue of Zeus dominates Room 5. The room also houses a collection of Classical and Hellenistic statues, including one of Aphrodite from the 1st century AD.
5. Statue of Septimius Severus

The glowering, naked bronze figure of the 2nd century AD Roman emperor is one of the world’s most impressive relics of ancient Rome.
6. Enkomi Treasures

The enigmatic bronze “horned god” statue, together with a splendid bowl stand decorated with animal figures, are the highlights of this room full of finds from the Enkomi site.
7. Pit and Chamber Tombs

This eerie room recreates secret stone tombs from different eras, discovered at sites all over the island.
8. Royal Tombs

Ivory carvings of mythological beasts once adorned one of the thrones in this collection of finds from the Royal Tombs at Salamis.
9. Leda and the Swan

The colourful mosaic, made from red, ochre, black and white tesserae (tiles), depicts the myth of Leda and the Swan and was found in one of the Hellenistic villas at Palea Pafos.
10. Lambousa Treasure

The superb gold and silver jewellery, plates and chalices displayed around the Leda mosaic date from the 6th century AD and were found at Lambousa in northern Cyprus.

Practical Information

After visiting the museum, cross the road to the Municipal Gardens for a cool drink at the shaded outdoor café. If you visit on a Sunday morning, you’ll find a colourful outdoor market close by, run by expatriate Filipinos and Sri Lankans. Leoforos Mouseiou 1 228 65864 Open 9am–5pm Mon–Sat, 10am–1pm Sun Adm CY£1.50