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- Ελληνικά
The Department of Antiquities, Ministry of State for Culture, announces that, on 17 June 2024, a Cypriot antiquity was handed over to the Cypriot authorities in Berlin by the Leipzig-based Alexander Malios Research Institute for Cypriot Heritage and Archaeology for repatriation to Cyprus. The antiquity was handed over by Mr. Malios to the Deputy Minister of Culture, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin, Mrs. Maria Papakyriakou and the Superintendent of Antiquities, Mrs. Eftychia Zachariou.
Specifically, the founder of the Institute, Mr. Alexandros Malios, after being informed by the Cypriot authorities that he had acquired an ancient object, which had been illegally exported from Cyprus, decided to hand it over to the Cypriot authorities for repatriation. It is a ceramic scythos (small open vase) of the 8th century BC with written representations of birds and geometric motifs decorating its surface. The object had been recorded in the registers of the Department of Antiquities in Famagusta before 1974 and published in archaeological publications since 1970. As a result of the Turkish invasion and occupation of more than 36% of the territory of Cyprus, antiquities were illegally exported from Cyprus and have been ignored ever since, as have a very large number of cultural objects located in areas not currently under the effective control of the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Department of Antiquities wishes to thank Mr. Malio, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cyprus in Leipzig, for informing the authorities and for the delivery of the ceramic dog. Warmest thanks are addressed to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin and especially to Ambassador Maria Papakyriakou and Deputy Head of Mission Dimitris Demetriou, whose contribution was decisive for the positive outcome of the case.
The Department of Antiquities, as the competent Department of the Republic of Cyprus for the protection and management of the archaeological heritage of Cyprus, will continue its intensive efforts for the protection of the cultural heritage of both Cyprus and other countries, always in close cooperation with the National Committee for the Suppression of Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Heritage. These efforts include, inter alia, the intensification of efforts to identify, claim and repatriate illegally exported antiquities, the control of imports of cultural objects, the development of new technologies in this field, the strengthening of the training of the staff of the competent authorities in the fight against illicit trafficking of antiquities and the raising of public awareness, whose role is crucial for the protection of our common cultural heritage.
(EC)
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