Kyrenia Museums and Art Galleries

(Kyrenia, Cyprus)

North Cyprus has a rich history, both past and modern 20th century, and the town contains a handful of very appealing museums, providing a good alternative to sunbathing on the surrounding beaches. The town's intriguing Shipwreck Museum is to be found within Kyrenia Castle and is housed in a room off the main courtyard.

Established in Kyrenia in the early 1990s and located in the rather eye-catching former Greek Orthodox Arkhangelos Church (Archangel Michael Church), the Icon Museum is certainly a historical highlight of Kyrenia. Alternatively, the quayside Folk Art Museum may be of interest and is much more than just a simple Cypriot folk art gallery, coming complete with a series of historical displays and antiquities.

Folk Art Museum (Halk Sanatlari Muzesi)

Address: Girne Limani, Kyrenia, Cyprus
Known locally on Cyprus as the Halk Sanatlari Muzesi, the Folk Art Museum is to be found within a historical Venetian house, next to the harbourfront. Exhibits include a mixture of rural utensils and agricultural tools, antique furniture and colourful, embroidered cloths. The main highlight here really is the actual house, which comprises three storeys, classical Venetian architecture, a watchman's room and the reconstruction of a period bedroom.
Open hours: June to mid-September, daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Shipwreck Museum

Address: Kyrenia Castle, Girne Kalesi, Kyrenia, Cyprus
Although the Shipwreck Museum is relatively compact, the displays are well thought out and interesting, with the remains of an ancient merchant ship from Greece being the main draw card and more than 1,700 years old. This wooden ship was discovered as recently as the late sixties, lying just off the coastline of Kyrenia, and its cargo of millstones and several hundred olive-filled amphorae (originating from both Rhodes and Kos) was still very much intact. The pine hull of the ship measures just under 50 feet / 15 metres in length and is preserved in its current state within a carefully controlled environment.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 18:45
Admission: charge

Icon Museum

Address: Archangel Michael Church, Kyrenia, Cyprus
The Icon Museum is spread over three different levels at the Archangel Michael Church. Here you will enjoy an array of ecclesiastical treasures and icons (religious paintings / portraits of Christ), a number of which originate from churches around the Kyrenia region of Cyprus and date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The Archangel Michael Church itself is rather an impressive attraction in its own right and features a tall belfry, which is clearly visible on the town's skyline. If you have time, head across the road to explore the fascinating Byzantine catacombs.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: free