Today, Cyprus welcomes 173 stolen relics repatriated from Munich, Germany. The relics are now in the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios Foundation.
The relics have been identified after extensive investigations by Interpol and the German police, who searched the apartments of the Turkish antiquities smuggler, Aydin Ntikmen in September and October 1997.
These relics are important icons, frescoes, mosaics, and other items of high value that were removed from 50 churches in occupied Cyprus. The mosaics come from the monastery of Panagia Kanakaria and the frescoes from the churches of Antifonitis, St. Solomoni and Panagia Pergamiotisa.
The relics will be exhibiting for one year at the Byzantine Museum. After that, the Department of Antiquities will proceed with their conservation. The Republic of Cyprus was represented by the lawyer Eno Engpvers in the German courts.
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