Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, on the occasion of her participation in the Informal Council of European Union Ministers of Culture in Nicosia, formally returned 48 Cypriot antiquities that were being repatriated from Greece to the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Lina Kassianidou, during a special ceremony at the Cyprus Museum.
According to a press release issued on Tuesday, these antiquities come from the collection of Ambassador Christos Zacharakis and are outstanding examples of Cypriot civilization, spanning a very broad chronological period, from the Early Bronze Age to medieval times. Following the collector’s death, his heirs immediately transferred all the antiquities in his collection to the Greek state, with the sole wish that their provenance be investigated and that they be returned to their rightful place.
In her speech at the handover ceremony, Mendoni noted: “Today, we are returning to Cyprus, to the land that created them, 48 antiquities of Cypriot culture. We feel great joy and emotion whenever we welcome displaced antiquities back to our country. However, our joy is equally great when Greece restores and returns antiquities to the country to which they belong. This is both the proper and the ethical course of action. The protection of cultural heritage can only be achieved through cooperation, mutual assistance, and mutual understanding among peoples and states.”
Concluding, Mendoni emphasized: “I would like to express the hope that others will follow this example. May they proceed with the voluntary return of antiquities to the countries to which they belong, to the peoples who created them and for whom they form an integral part of their cultural identity. Cyprus, like Greece, has been plundered by various conquerors. We remember the struggle for the repatriation of stolen Cypriot cultural treasures from the occupied territories, such as the Kanakaria mosaics. The occupation of unique Cypriot archaeological and monumental sites, such as the ancient city of Salamis and Enkomi, does not allow for complacency. It requires constant vigilance from all of us until the reunification of Cyprus, as provided for by international law and demanded by our historical and national responsibility.”
On her part, Kassianidou stressed: “The return of these antiquities is not merely a matter of cooperation between the competent authorities of Cyprus and Greece, nor is it simply another aspect of the bilateral agreement that we signed with the Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic a year and a half ago, which we are implementing in many ways. Above all, it is a tangible example of how the protection of cultural heritage and the right of societies to maintain a living connection with their history, memory, and identity are put into practice. The Republic of Cyprus recently had the opportunity, within the framework of UNESCO proceedings in Paris, to reaffirm its steadfast support for Greece regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles to their homeland. This position is not merely an expression of solidarity with Greece, but rather an expression of our shared principle: that cultural treasures acquire meaning and value when they remain in a meaningful relationship with their place of origin, its people, and its history.”
Photo: Ministry of Culture
