Tuesday, April 30th, Nicosia, Cyprus

Greetings!

The Cyprus Museum in Nicosia has one of the most extensive and impressive collection of Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Early-Middle-Late Bronze Age, Iron Age, Helenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman archeological materials.  Pat and I spent two hours this morning, avoiding tourist groups and trying to listen to an audio guide in quieter corners.  We were amazed at the life-like figurines, incredibly useful tools, and artistic skill displayed by the objects presented.  Most photographed were at least 3,000 years old.

Demonstrating influences from all over the eastern Mediterranean for almost three thousand years, it is clear that Cyprus became a center of commerce and cultural interconnections.  Room after room we visited contained glass cases showcasing more and more treasures (with description, location, and period produced).  The audio guide added important insights into sources of materials and perspectives on scenes displayed or techniques used.

Exhausted, we returned to our apartment for lunch and battery charging (both us and our equipment). 

To see all of the many photos taken today, click on Tuesday, April 30th, Nicosio, Cyprus.