Author: Christos

Fikardou Ethnological Museum: The Houses of Katsinioros and Achilleas Dimitri

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Deserted at the beginning of the 19th century, the entire village of Fikardou has been declared an Ancient Monument, and carefully restored to preserve the 18th century houses with their remarkable woodwork and folk architecture. Two of these houses have been turned into museums, exhibiting rural items and depicting rural life in years past.

The House of Katsinioros – which was named after its last owner – is a two-storey stone-built manor house with a steep-pitched wooden roof and many architectural features of the 16th century. Following the traditional arrangement of homes of this period, the upper floor functioned as the living area of the house, while the ground floor was used for the pressing of grapes, as well as for storing other agricultural produce and tools – all of which can be seen at the museum.

There is also an exhibition of photographs, drawings and texts on how the houses were restored, earning them – and the village – the Europa Nostra Award in 1987.

The second house – that of Achilleas Dimitri – has been turned into a weaver’s workshop and scholar’s guest house.

Region: Troodos area [Lefkosia (Nicosia) district]
Address: Fikardou village
Contact No: Tel: +357 22 634 731
Operating Hours: April 15 – October 30, daily: 09:30 – 17:00
November 1 – April 15, daily: 08:30 – 16:00
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Mondays and on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: FREE
Disabled Access: Partially accessible.
Website: www.mcw.gov.cy/da
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Ecclesiastical and Viticulture Museums – Koilani village

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Located in the mountainous village of Koilani, the Ecclesiastical Museum was created by Lemesos Bishopric to house the ecclesiastical art of the parish, and as a district branch of the larger Byzantine Museum of Lemesos (Limassol).

The museum is housed in the church of Monogenis, and showcases exhibits that span a period of around seven centuries. Included are pieces of an iconostasis from 1735, a 19th century pulpit and altar, old icons (from the 13th – 19th centuries), holy utensils, old books (from the 16th – 19th centuries), a 15th – 16th century ‘epitaphios’ (richly embroidered cloth icon used in special religious services), and other relics.

Nearby to the church is the Viticulture Museum, which is housed in a traditional village house and exhibits viticultural equipment and folk art pieces.

Region: Troodos Area (Lemesos district)
Address: Koilani village
Contact No: Ecclesiastical Museum: +357 25 471 008 / +357 99 213 682
Viticulture Museum: +357 25 471 008 / +357 99 198 789
Operating Hours: By appointment.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Free
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Museum of Byzantine Heritage – Palaichori Village

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Located in the mountainous village of Palaichori, the museum is housed in an old restored building and exhibits the Byzantine art wealth of several churches and chapels of the village.

The exhibits date from the Frankish period to the present day, and portray a wide range of ecclesiastical art, such as icon painting, woodcarving, silverwork, weaving and printing – mainly of the post-Byzantine period.

A multimedia info-kiosk provides information about the area in four different languages.

Region: Troodos area [Lefkosia (Nicosia) district]
Address: Palaichori village
Contact No: Tel: +357 99 82 87 00 or 97 79 08 30
Operating Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 – 13:00 (After 13h all visitors are requested to pre-book)
Operating Period: All year round. Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: €2 (Price includes a mini tour to other points of interest located at the square of the village)
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Museum of Kykkos Monastery

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The Museum of Kykkos Monastery is an integral part of the monastery and houses a priceless collection of icons, consecrated vessels, manuscripts and Cypriot antiquities.

The Monastery itself is the richest and most lavish of Cyprus’ monasteries and sits on a mountain peak, at an altitude of 1.318 metres northwest of Troodos.

Dedicated to Panagia (the Virgin Mary), the monastery possesses one of three icons attributed to Agios Loukas (Apostle Luke) the Evangelist. The icon, covered in silver gilt, is in a shrine made of tortoise shell and mother-of-pearl that stands in front of the iconostasis.

Monastery of Kykkos – Audio Guide 

Region: Troodos area [Lefkosia (Nicosia) district]
Address: Kykkos Monastery, Marathasa Valley, 13km from Pedoulas village
GPS coordinates: Lat: 34.98334 Lon: 32.741299
Contact No: Tel: +357 22 942 736
Operating Hours: November – May, daily: 10:00 – 16:00
June – October, daily: 10:00 – 18:00
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: €5,00 / Groups €3,00
Website: www.kykkos.org.cy
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

The Avgorou Ethnographic Museum

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The Ethnographic Museum in the village of Avgorou is housed in a 1921 two­storey, traditional residence (the Koutras House), and depicts the daily life of previous generations.

Amongst its exhibits are rare 19th century wood­carved furniture, costumes, silverware and pottery, a collection of paintings by self­taught Cypriot artists, and priceless traditional textiles and embroideries of the 18th – 19th century, as well as many other traditional utensils and tools.

The museum also has a large courtyard, stockyard, water reservoir and wheel­well.

Region: Ammochostos (Famagusta)
Address: Leoforos Karyon, 52, Avgorou village
GPS coordinates: Lat: 35.0395 Lon: 33.83987
Contact No: Tel: +357 23 923 340
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 08:30 – 13:30
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 16:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00
Closed on Sunday.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Adults €1,71 / Children €0,86
Special rates for students and groups.
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Thalassa Agia Napa Municipal Museum

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Named after the Greek word for ‘sea’ – the Thalassa Museum was created to promote awareness of the marine heritage of Cyprus from prehistoric times to the present, and is a modern, interactive museum, housed in a multi­purpose cultural centre.

Pride of place among the exhibits is a life­size replica of the famous 4th century Greek trading ship ‘Keryneia II’ that sank off the coast of Keryneia around the year 300 BC. Due to the museum’s design, the ship can be viewed from different levels, including a birds­eye view – as can the other exhibits, that include pottery and other antiquities.

Housed in the basement is a marine life section with various exhibits, from fish and sea mammals to crustaceans, corals, shells and fossils – some dating back 130 million years ago.

The museum also functions as an arts exhibition centre, as well as a multipurpose hall for a variety of events and conferences.

Region: Ammochostos (Famagusta)
Address: Leoforos Kryou Nerou, 14, Agia Napa
GPS coordinates: Lat: 34.987634 Lon: 34.002424
Contact No: Tel: +357 23 816 366, Fax: +357 23 816 369
Operating Hours: October – May: Monday: 09:00 – 13:00, Tuesday – Saturday: 09:00 – 17:00, Sunday: closed
June – September: Monday: 09:00 – 13:00, Tuesday – Saturday: 09:00 – 17:00, Sunday: 15:00 – 19:00
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Adults €4,00 / Children €1,50
Special rates for students and groups.
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible.
Website: https://thalassamuseum.org.cy/ 
 
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Deryneia Folkloric Museum / Open Air Museum for Traditional Professions -Ammochostos district

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Housed in an old traditional residence, Deryneia Folk Art Museum exhibits a collection of everyday agricultural tools and equipment used by traditional farming families of bygone times.

Located opposite is the Open Air Traditional Folk Art Museum which further showcases traditional professions in its exhibition rooms, including that of furniture and shoe maker, carpenter, tailor, blacksmith, builder, barber, sculptor, fisherman and farmer, among others. Exhibitions are also held on the grounds, along with civil marriages and other cultural events.

Region: Ammochostos (Famagusta)
Address: Demetri Liberti 2 & 3, Deryneia village
Contact No: Tel: +357 23 811 000
Operating Hours: Winter: Monday – ­ Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00 / 15:00 – ­17:00
Summer: Monday – ­ Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00 / 15:00 -­ 18:00
Closed on Sunday.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: €2,00 / Groups €1,00 (both museums)
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible
Website: www.visitfamagusta.com.cy
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

Folklore Museum ‘Kostas Kaimakliotis’ – Aradippou

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The Folklore Museum in the village of Aradippou was founded in 2007 as a centre for preserving, researching and promoting Cypriot Folklore Tradition.

Housed in a 1901 mansion, the museum uses the basement and upper storey of the building for exhibits, whilst the small amphitheatre in the yard is used for cultural and artistic performances and exhibitions during the summer.

The museum basement consists of a Sun Room, Family Chamber, Weaving Hall,Domestic Appliances Hall, Farming and Animal Raising Hall, and Traditional Jobs Hall. From March – May, visitors can watch the seasonal process of breeding silkworms as they make their cocoons and then hatch as silk moths.

There are two rooms contained in the upper storey; a single room and the Hall of the Social and Cultural Traditions of Aradippou, where a re-enactment of the traditional wedding ritual ‘the dressing of the bride’ takes place.

The building of the museum originally belonged to the Kostas Xatzikakou family. It was later bought by the Pavlos Konstantinides family and then the Kaimakliotis family, who in turn donated it to Aradippou Municipality in memory of Kostas Kaimakliotis.

Region: Larnaka (Larnaca)
Address: Thermopilon, 12, Aradippou village
GPS coordinates: Lat: 34.95182 Lon: 33.588538
Contact No: Tel: +357 24 531 218, Fax: +357 24 530 690
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 07:30 – 15:00
Closed on weekends.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: €1,00
Website: www.aradippou.org.cy
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.
 

 

Kallinikeio Municipal Museum of Athienou

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The Kallinikeio Municipal Museum of Athienou is housed in the Kallinikeio Municipal Hall and exhibits collections that showcase aspects of the history of the area from the Late Bronze Age (1600-1050 BC) until today.

The Museum consists of the Archaeological Collection, the Collection of Ecclesiastical Art and the Ethnographic Collection.

The Collection of Ecclesiastical Art includes priceless icons painted by the monk Kallinikos Stavrovouniotis and other icons from his personal collection. The monk was an excellent icon painter and a great benefactor to Athienou, and thus the museum is named in his honour. In the Icon Painting and Mosaic Workshop, icons and mosaics by the brothers George and Alkis Kepola are on display.

The Ethnographic Collection presents the daily life of the people of the 20th century through photographic material and other objects.

The museum also organises tours, periodic exhibitions, educational programmes, presentations and conferences.

As part of the Larnaka Virtual Museums project, you can tour the museum virtually below or in full screen here, with enriched and bonus material from home, or whilst at the museum for a hybrid experience.

 

Region: Larnaka (Larnaca)
Address: Archbishop Makarios III Avenue, 2, 7600 Athienou village
Contact No: Tel: +357 24 524 002 / +357 24 811 370, Fax: +357 24 522 333
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 08:00 – 15:00
Weekends: by appointment only.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: Adults €2,00 / Children free (under 12 years)
Groups of 10 or more €1,00 per person.
Website: https://athienoumuseum.org.cy/
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.

 

Local Archaeological Museum of Ancient Idalion

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The Local Museum of Ancient Idalion was founded in 2007 with the aim to promote the rich finds of the region of Idalion (Dali), and later to function as a Visitor Centre for the archaeological site in which it is located.

The exhibits of the museum represent all the chronological phases of the history of Idalion and come from both the old and the more recent excavations of the area of the ancient city, from both settlements and cemeteries.

The first exhibition hall includes information on the history of the site and its excavation, along with photographs of the most important finds that are now housed in museums abroad. It also showcases various other exhibits. The second gallery exhibits inscriptions that bear witness to the conquest of the kingdom, as well as a part of the archive of the Phoenician administration of the city. Funerary monuments, pottery types and objects of daily use of all periods, imported pottery types and typical examples of clay and stone statuary are also showcased.

According to legend, Dali is where Adonis – Aphrodite’s lover – was killed by her jealous lover Aris, the Olympian God of War.

The region is linked with the Aphrodite Cultural Route.

Region: Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Address: Dali village
GPS coordinates: Lat: 35.019373 Lon: 33.423336
Contact No: Tel: +357 22 444 818
Operating Hours: Monday – Friday: 08:30 – 16:00
Closed on weekends.
Operating Period: All year round.
Closed on Public Holidays.
Entrance Fee: FREE
Disabled Access: Wheelchair accessible
Website: www.mcw.gov.cy/da
  Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting.