Cyprus Folk Art Museum

The Cyprus Folk Art Museum was founded by the Society of Cypriot Studies. It is housed in a former monastery of Gothic architecture, which also served as the old residence of the Archbishopric. Within it is preserved a richly decorated Gothic arch featuring a notable 16th-century fresco of the Annunciation, in the Italo-Byzantine style. Most of the artifacts originate from the occupied areas of Cyprus.

The museum’s collections include works of weaving, pottery, embroidery, metalwork, woodcarving, basketry, leathercraft, folk painting, traditional costumes, lace, agricultural tools, weaving instruments, and more. It also holds a significant collection of silver and goldsmithing, donated by institutions such as the occupied Monastery of Apostle Andreas and Maria Eleftheriou-Gaffiero. The museum also hosts the Silver and Goldsmithing Museum Collection. Noteworthy is the 19th-century door of Saint Mamas, which inspired Giorgos Seferis’s poem “Details in Cyprus.”

On the upper floor, visitors can explore the old Archbishop’s Palace, which includes the rooms of Archbishops Kyprianos and Makarios, the first Greek School, and the Grand Synod Hall.

The museum organizes various seminars, symposia, and lectures. It also offers workshops for children (during school holidays) and adults (such as “Introduction to the Conservation of Museum Objects”), as well as educational programs for school groups. Guided tours are available by arrangement.

Source: Laboratory of Visual Sociology and Museology. (2014), Guide to the Museums of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology.