Over 100 Artifacts Repatriated to Cyprus from the United Kingdom

More than 100 historical artifacts, including ceramic decorations, coins, and icons, have been returned to Cyprus from the United Kingdom. These items were unlawfully removed from the island in previous decades.

According to the Department of Antiquities, the artifacts were handed over to the Cyprus High Commission in London by British police after being retrieved from individuals who had been in possession of them.

The collection includes Neolithic stone tools dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, clay vessels from the Early Bronze Age (around 2000 BCE), Roman-era clay lamps, jewelry from various periods, bronze coins, and icons, primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

One highlight of the repatriated items is an ancient Cypriot zoomorphic urn from the Bronze Age, which was officially returned to the Cypriot government during a ceremony in London on Saturday.

Additionally, numerous fragments of stone, clay, and glass vessels, as well as pieces of mosaics, were included in the repatriation.

Most of these artifacts were illegally exported from Cyprus during the 1960s and 1970s. Their return was facilitated by formal requests submitted by Cypriot authorities to the UK government through the Office for Combating Illegal Possession and Trafficking of Antiquities or via Interpol, with the goal of removing the items from auction listings.

In several cases, private individuals residing in the UK voluntarily contributed to the efforts to protect Cyprus's cultural heritage by assisting in the return of these items.

The Department of Antiquities expressed its gratitude to the British High Commission in Nicosia, the Metropolitan Police in London, and the North Yorkshire Police for their instrumental support in ensuring the return of the artifacts to Cyprus.