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Καλώς ήρθατε · Hoş geldiniz
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★ Has its own city story
The island of Aphrodite, of copper and of painted mountain churches: 10,000 years of history at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa.
Cyprus gave copper its name, and its museums show why so many peoples wanted the island. In Nicosia, the Cyprus Museum keeps the Neolithic idols, the gold of the kings and hundreds of clay warriors from Agia Irini. In Paphos, the Roman villas have some of the finest mosaic floors in the Mediterranean, and on the coast nearby, the rock of Petra tou Romiou marks where Aphrodite rose from the sea. In the Troodos mountains, ten small churches with wooden roofs hide walls covered in Byzantine paintings. Limassol's castle holds the Cyprus Medieval Museum, Larnaca has the church of Saint Lazarus, and Choirokoitia shows a village of round stone houses from 7000 BC. Buses link the towns; there are no trains. Since 1974 the island has been divided, and Nicosia is the last divided capital in Europe. This museumtickets.com guide follows Cyprus district by district.
Copper, kings, empires and a divided capital.
Farmers build round stone houses at Choirokoitia and bury their dead under the floors.
See it at: Cyprus MuseumCopper from the Troodos mountains is shipped across the Mediterranean; Mycenaean Greeks settle on the island.
See it at: Cyprus MuseumPaphos becomes the capital of Roman Cyprus; rich families cover their floors with mosaics.
See it at: Paphos Archaeological Park →Richard the Lionheart takes the island; the French Lusignan kings build cathedrals and castles.
See it at: Cyprus Medieval MuseumVenice rules until the Ottoman army takes Nicosia and Famagusta in 1570 and 1571.
See it at: Leventis Municipal Museum of NicosiaAfter British rule from 1878, Cyprus becomes an independent republic.
See it at: Leventis Municipal Museum of NicosiaAfter a coup backed by the Greek military government, Turkey sends troops and the island is divided; the Green Line still runs through Nicosia.
See it at: Leventis Municipal Museum of NicosiaA goddess, the last queen and the lacemakers of Lefkara.
In Greek myth the goddess of love was born from the sea foam off Paphos; her sanctuary at Kouklia drew pilgrims for a thousand years.
See it at: Paphos Archaeological Park →The Venetian noblewoman who became the last queen of Cyprus; in 1489 she had to hand the island to Venice.
See it at: Cyprus Medieval MuseumFor centuries the women of Lefkara made lefkaritiko lace and sold it across Europe; today the craft is on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage.
Names from the Byzantine churches to modern art.
Fifteenth-century painter who covered the church of Stavros tou Agiasmati in the Troodos with bright Bible scenes.
Painter of village life; his huge The World of Cyprus shows the island's people side by side.
See it at: A. G. Leventis GalleryPioneer of modern art in Cyprus, with bold colours and fabric collages.
See it at: A. G. Leventis GalleryPainter and engraver of Cypriot landscapes and of the refugees of 1974.
See it at: A. G. Leventis GalleryHalloumi, slow-cooked lamb and sweets from grape juice.
The squeaky cheese of Cyprus, eaten grilled, fresh with watermelon in summer or folded with mint.
Big pieces of lamb or pork turned slowly over charcoal – the Sunday smell of every village.
Lamb cooked for hours with potatoes and bay leaves in a sealed clay oven.
Vine leaves filled with rice and minced meat, cooked in lemon.
Strings of almonds dipped again and again in thickened grape juice, hung to dry in autumn.
Small fried dough balls in honey syrup, sold hot at fairs and festivals.
Kites, Easter fires and a festival of the flood.
Limassol's carnival fills the streets with parades and masks for ten days.
The first day of Lent: families go to the countryside for picnics and fly kites.
The most important feast: candlelit processions, bonfires and flaounes, cheese pastries with raisins.
The Festival of the Flood at Pentecost: water fights, boat races and music on the seafront of Larnaca.
Each village celebrates its saint with music, dancing and food under the trees.
Children sing the kalanta door to door; families bake christopsomo, the Christmas bread.
In Nicosia you can walk across the Ledra Street crossing; take your passport or ID card.
Some Troodos churches are kept locked; a caretaker in the village often has the key.
In July and August visit museums and sites early in the morning.
Travel by bus or car between towns; buses run from the main town squares.
On museumtickets.com: 20 museums with photos, the way there and the museums nearby. Save your favourites in the free Culture Passport and, where the museum offers it, pay your admission in advance.
From the airport to the city centre by public transport, then the trains and local lines to the museums.
Lines and timetables change. Check the operator’s website before you travel.
From the temples of Malta to the Wall in Berlin: Europe is one big cultural family. One site to plan your museum days, in your language.
