9 Must-See Museums in Cyprus
9 ‘Secret’ Museum Spaces in Cypriot Villages and Communities that Everyone Should Explore
Despite its small size, Cyprus has an abundance of museums that hosts unique exhibitions, a testament to its rich history and cultural heritage. While many museums are housed in large, purpose-built structures, a few lesser known treasures are located in traditional buildings found in villages and communities found throughout the island (and may even require a call to the local mayor to open the door for visitors!).
Here’s our list of 9 off the beaten track museums.
Anogyra Carob Museum, Limassol District
The Carob Museum in Anogyra village in the Limassol District is housed in a traditional stone building dating to 1889. Immerse yourself in the history of carob, a distinct Cypriot product, its origins and variety as well as its many uses. Learn about the traditional method of making carob syrup and pastelli (a delicacy with carob juice as its main ingredient). Check out the production process in the workshop space next to the museum and try various carob delicacies. For large groups, 20-minute tours are offered.
Museum of Zivania, Limassol District
Fans of tasting local beverages can enjoy a visit to the Museum of Zivania that is located in the village of Vasa Koilaniou. The museum displays a journey from the production to the distillation, storage and consumption of zivania. Every exhibit is accompanied by information on its production and usage. Most of the museum’s exhibits have been donated by the villagers themselves, and its completion was a result of the voluntary work of the members of the Community Council. Tours of the museum are offered both to groups as well as to individual visitors during working hours.
Cypriot Wine Museum, Limassol District
Wine lovers will be eager to treat themselves to a tasting of different Cypriot wines. A visit to the Cypriot Wine Museum will be much treasured as it highlights the history of wine-making in the island, and boasts a unique thematic exhibition, a collection of archaeological finds and a series of displays all on the subject of the nectar of the gods. Providing a unique trip through the 55 centuries of wine production in Cyprus, the museum gives information on the storage, usage and trade of wine from ancient times to today. It also outlines the influence of vineyards, grapes and wine in the arts, drawing attention to native grape varietials and the history of one of the oldest Cypriot dessert wines still in production today, Commandaria, known as Nama in ancient times.
Lectures, wine tasting lessons, performances and concerts are organised throughout the year at the museum. Join one of the free guided museum tours and if you want to go a step further, book a wine tasting (for a fee) to experience different Cypriot grape varietials. Tours for organised groups take place by prior arrangement only.
Entry Fee €7/ €5 Tour, Show, Cypriot Wines paired with traditional delicacies Tasting /€4, Tour, Show /€1 For School Visits.
Bee and Embroidery Museum, Larnaca District
The Bee and Embroidery Museum in Kato Drys features a range of objects from old and new beekeeping tools to information on the production of Commandaria and Zivania to a variety of looms and a collection of textiles, including silks and linens. Encompassing far more than its name, the museum allows visitors the opportunity to learn about the culture and history of Cyprus, and to gain insight on the local hospitality. The Bee and Embroidery Museum is dedicated to the Cypriot volunteers of the 1912-13 Balkan Wars. A 30-minute guided tour is offered to groups as well as individual guests.
Cyprus Elementary Education History Museum, Limassol District
If you’re eager to explore more culture in Vasa Koilaniou, then pay a visit to the Primary Education Museum; the only one of its kind in Cyprus and characterised by its tagline “The School of Vasa remembers…”.
Housed in the old school for boys on a mound near the village centre, the four museum units cover the history of the community as well as the history of the Cypriot Primary Education in the countryside during the Turkish occupation and English rule. There are audio-visual materials, a touch screen with rare photographs, pages from the very first books (known as ‘mathemataria‘), and information about the requirements of school life. An alternative addition to your daily discoveries.
Entry Fee €1
The Cypriot Railway Museum, Troodos
Looking for a cultural activity while exploring the island’s mountainous region? The Cypriot Railway Museum, housed in the old Evrichou Railroad Station in Troodos, will prove to be an exciting venture for all. The Cyprus Government Railway (CGR) which operated between 1905 and 1951 covered a route from Ammochostos in the east all the way to Morphou in the west, passing through Nicosia en route. The Evrichou station is the only Railway Museum in Cyprus thus offering a unique insight into Cyprus’ only railway system. Within its walls, authentic documents, blueprints, photographs and objects relating to the Cypriot Railroads are on display. This includes a train station and rolling stock models, a part of the original platform and railway line. Two wagons of the Cypriot Railway are also exhibited under a metallic shelter in the courtyard.
The Commandaria Historic Museum, Limassol District
The Commandaria Historic Museum is situated in the Zoopigi Village in the Limassol District. The museum is housed in a modern building which was developed by the Cooperative Commandaria Wine Making of the community, and is right next to the winery itself. A showroom features the history of this ‘wine of kings’ through photography, traditional wine-making paraphernalia, paintings and visual media. The exhibits inhabit four galleries and are organised chronologically. There is also a museum shop.
The Museum of Fairytales, Nicosia
One of the newest museums on the island, the Nicosia-based Museum of Fairytales is an absolute delight. Well-known and unknown fairytales, artworks based on fairytales, rare books, themed exhibitions, music inspired or written for fairytales meet within a space which inspires both the young and old. Story-telling sessions, themed exhibitions, events and performances take place on a regular basis. This strongly interactive museum encourages visitors to explore everything from Aesop’s Fables to Narnia.
Cyprus Medical Museum,Limassol District
Based in Kato Polemidia, the Cyprus Medical Museum is housed in a beautiful building from 1889, and hosts over 100 exhibits documenting the progress of medicine on the island from decades past. Divided into seven sections and specialties, its various exhibits include the first electrocardiograph to have been used in Cyprus in 1938, an X-Ray Machine from 1965, as well as an assortment of medical tools such as syringes, a haemodialysis machine and old paediatric tools.
