Byzantine Museum, Nicosia

Nestled within the walled city of Nicosia, in the historic precincts of the Archbishopric near Saint John’s Cathedral, the Byzantine Museum houses Cyprus’s richest and most representative collection of Byzantine art. With around 230 icons dating from the 9th to the 19th centuries, the museum offers a striking overview of the island’s ecclesiastical artistry across a millennium.

Displayed in three large galleries, the collection includes sacred vessels, liturgical vestments, robes, and rare religious manuscripts-examples of the refined minor arts that flourished under Byzantine influence. A particular emphasis is placed on 12th-century iconography, widely regarded as the artistic peak of the era. These works, many salvaged from churches across the island, convey both spiritual depth and historical continuity.

Among the museum’s most significant exhibits are fragments of the 6th-century mosaics from the church of Panagia Kanakaria in the village of Lythrankomi. These early Christian masterpieces were illegally exported from the Turkish-occupied north but have since been successfully repatriated following international legal efforts. Also on display are 36 fragments of 15th-century wall paintings from the church of Christ Antiphonitis in Kalogrea, similarly rescued from illicit trafficking.

Beyond its aesthetic value, the museum stands as a quiet testimony to cultural resilience and the ongoing effort to reclaim and preserve Cyprus’s looted heritage.