The Byzantine Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus has performed a new performance with a separate history, spotlighting early Christian remains.
After the Turkish invasion in 1974, many artifacts were once stolen by robbers and smuggled on the black market, said the Reuters.
Mysterious pyramids, ancient bronze coins discovered by archaeologists
Mosaics, icons and wall frescoes were recovered after the the island was stolen from churches.
A new performance in Cyprus is displaying ancient religious relics already sold and sold in black market during an invasion in the 1970s. (Reuters/Yianis Cortoglu)
The museum is still searching for many stolen items, the director of the museum, Eonis Eleiads, according to the PhD, the Reuters said.
“Looting, destruction was on a great scale … we calculated that more than 20,000 icons have been stolen and disappeared from churches,” Eleiads said.
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According to the CIA World Factbook, Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960, but Greek-Turkish Cyprhat tension led the violence, Turkey seized the 1974 Greek-backed coup in 1974 and for more than one third of the island.
According to the museum director Eonis Eliads, the museum is still searching for several stolen items, the Reuters. (Reuters/Yianis Cortoglu)
Turkish-Ageons North declared itself independent in 1983, but only recognized by Türkiye.
Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but the European Union laws apply only to the government controlled areas, factbook note.
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Mosaike from the church of the Church of Panagia in Panagia Kanakaria is painted in Lythrangomi and is known by archaeologists as rare, when the Byzantine emperors banned the use of religious images.
“Looting, destruction was on a great scale … we calculated that more than 20,000 icons have been stolen and disappeared from churches,” Eleiads said. (Reuters/Yianis Cortoglu)
A depiction of Christ, The Virgin Mary, Archengals and inspirations was chopped into pieces and sold into the black market in the late 1970s.
Most of those pieces were later discovered in a private collection acquired by Cyprus authorities after litigation.
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Eleiads said, “We want the new generation to understand what happened on our island, and why it is important that we can also protect the smallest piece, which we can bring (home).”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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