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Nicosia Museums

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Cyprus Museum

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is undoubtedly the museum capital of the island too, with more than 60 museums, exhibition halls and galleries.  There are small family museums with artifacts lovingly collected, and state museums with large collections and exhibits.

Here we will tell you about some of them.

Cyprus Museum

This is a quiet museum in the centre of Nicosia, close to the old city Cyprys, which collects unique and antique items from different eras.

The museum was built in 1882 and is considered to be one of the largest and oldest on the island.  A large number of the most precious items discovered on the island are preserved here in wonderful condition.

There are a total of 14 halls in the museum, featuring ceramics, bronze, coloured glass ware, and stones with intriguing carvings, vases, ancient coins, gold decorations and sculptures.  They include a statue of the goddess of love, the world famous Aphrodite, dating back to the 1st century b.c., and which became the symbol of Cyprus.  Its grandeur and beauty can’t be put into words.  Her image adorns all the souvenirs of the island – badges, key trinkets, day-to-day items, booklets, bags and china.

While passing from one hall into another you find yourself in different periods of Cyprus’ history, and you become immersed in the different eras.  The halls are located in thematic and chronological order, beginning with the prehistoric period.  Clay figurines in one of the display cases are worthy of special interest.  It is noticeable that they are all unique, of varying sizes, with different facial features and clothes.

This is one of Cyprus’ best museums, definitely not to be missed, and would be of interest to both professional researchers and visitors who like and appreciate history.  Each exhibit is described in both English and Greek.

The entrance fee is €4.50 and the whole exhibition will probably take around 2 hours to peruse.

Shacolas Tower Museum & Observatory

This is the place where you get to know the capital of Cyprus.

The city is in plain sight and you can clearly see the occupied territory.  Visitors can see the city and its sights using interactive tips on displays and sights of Cyprus maps, creating a personal route to get acquainted with the city.

There are free binoculars to use, and in a small room in the centre of the hall you can watch a fascinating documentary on the history of Nicosia which is shown in several languages, including English.

The entrance fee is €2 and you are allowed to take photos.  There is a café and shop on the floor below.

The Cyprus Classic Motorcycle Museum

Everyone who loves motorcycles and scooters will like it here.

There are about 300 items in the whole collection, but space limitations mean that only about 100 items are exhibited at one time.

There is more than enough to see though, with British and Italian motorcycles, several American police models and the legendary Harley Davidson from the 60’s.

There are also various styles and types of bicycles from different eras and you can take a photo with your favourite exhibit as a memento.

Check the map from the Shakolas Tower and you will easily find this museum.

The Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums

This is a hidden treasure and a must visit for anyone who appreciates cultural traditions and the heritage of the island.

The museum occupies two floors – one is devoted to the history of school itself with samples of uniforms, learning aids, documents and school items, and the second floor is the history of the island with a wonderful collection of clay crockery, ancient coins and weaponry and various archeological finds.

There is a Byzantium museum nearby too, which is also very interesting to visit.

Anyone will be able to give you directions and the entrance is free.

Archbishop Makarios III Foundation – Byzantine Museum and Art Galleries

This is one of the few places in the world to look at ancient Greek Orthodox images, and tell you about the methods of painting pictures, icons and mosaics.

The museum is located in the historical centre of the old city of Nicosia, in the same building as the residence of Archbishop Makarios, but with the entrance from the opposite side, closed off by an iron fence and right behind the cathedral of Nicosia.

Here you can enjoy the icons painted in the 9th century b.c., and mosaics of the 6th century. Fragments transported from the domes of churches are interestingly displayed.

You may take photos only in the halls where the work of the visiting children attending art classes is displayed.  The gallery is not only a collection of ancient artifacts, but also a memorial to war – the barbarism, desecration and the cause of returning spiritual values to the motherland.

This place is good for both children and adults and a ticket costs €4.

The National Struggle Museum

If you are interested in the modern history of Cyprus and want to learn about the reasons behind the split of the island, then you should visit this museum.

Here you can see the history of the fighting with documents and exhibits. Freedom does not always come through peaceful means. In the museum you can see materials and documents relating to the years 1955 – 1959. Letters, samples of weaponry and clothes of that time are displayed here.

English speaking staff with first-hand experience can tell you all the historical details.  The museum, like all government organisations, is only open on work days.

Cyprus Folk Art Museum

Ethnographic museums always trigger a lot of interest.  How the local inhabitants lived, how they dressed and decorated themselves and their homes, how they cooked their food and kept their homes.

The exhibition of this museum is of the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, and is very interesting and educational. The museum is located in a very old building – the palace of the Archbishop which was constructed in the 15th century. An exhibition of national clothes and wedding attire is very impressive.

Here you can also see pictures of wedding couples taken between the years 1915 – 1980.  The exhibition includes clay crockery, jewelry, stones, musical instruments and household items, coverlets, kitchenware, utensils, lamps, services, pans, sewing machines and embroidery, clothes, pictures and handicraft tools.

The entrance fee is €2

Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia

A small museum in the capital, with a perfectly selected collection for the exhibition.

The museum is located in the district of Ledra in the centre of the old city.  The museum is very charming with an atmosphere of lightness and airiness; no depressing academicism or strict museum staff here. The museum itself is quite large – several floors with many rooms and exhibits, perfectly renovated and with modern equipment.

There are many exhibits from different eras showing the history of the development of the island, its different periods (Turkish, British rule etc.), with screens and monitors to show films about the different eras of the island.

The museum often holds exhibitions devoted to the cultural connections of Cyprus with other countries.

All the artifacts are memorable, bright and with a lot of historical documentation, pictures of Cyprus of the times of colonisation, costumes and weaponry come alive here. There is also a collection of old books.

Entry is free and the museum is also open on weekends.  The premises are air conditioned, very important in the summer here, and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.

Cyprus Museums – Nicosia

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