60 Cypriot Antiquities Returned from Munich

Sixty Cypriot antiquities have been repatriated to Cyprus from Munich. George Georgiou, Director of the Department of Antiquities, described this as "a significant success for the Republic of Cyprus."

Among the returned artifacts are ancient items, including ecclesiastical objects from both prehistoric and medieval times.

Authorities now face the task of verifying that these antiquities are indeed Cypriot, determining their precise origin, and confirming that they were exported after 1974, not before. Georgiou emphasized that "this is a complex and labor-intensive process."

"Over recent years, several measures have been taken, leading to substantial progress in this area, thanks to improvements in the mechanisms employed by the Department of Antiquities," he added.

The return of these 60 antiquities, which were looted following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, was made possible through an agreement between Cypriot and German authorities.

This agreement pertains to the case of Aydin Dikmen, who was involved in smuggling antiques. It facilitates the return of 24 ecclesiastical relics, 36 antique items, and other ancient artifacts to Cyprus.

Aydin Dikmen, a Turkish smuggler and art dealer, was arrested in 1998 for attempting to sell Eastern Orthodox art that had been removed from Cyprus during the 1974 invasion.

Cypriot authorities believe he was involved in the removal of over 50 Greek Orthodox, Maronite, and Armenian Christian artifacts, as well as antiquities from archaeological sites and private collections.

Among the items seized during an operation in March 1997 were 318 relics of Cypriot origin, including 6th-century mosaics, 8th-15th century frescoes, icons, doors, manuscripts, and various prehistoric artifacts.

The legal battle began in 2004 and concluded in 2010 with a decision by the Munich District Court. Subsequent appeals led to the partial repatriation of 173 relics in July 2013 and an additional 85 in August 2015.