Filenews 30 November 2024
Sixty-nine Cypriot antiquities were handed over yesterday to the Cypriot authorities in Vienna to be repatriated to Cyprus.
According to an announcement, the antiquities were handed over by Mr. O.D to the Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou, in the presence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Vienna Andreas Ignatiou, as well as representatives of the Ministry of European and International Affairs and the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Public Administration and Sports of Austria, international organizations (OSCE, UN/UNODC), the Museum of Military History and the University of Vienna.
Specifically, the 69 antiquities were kept in an apartment in Vienna, which was inherited by Mr. O.D. As reported, he immediately contacted the Cypriot authorities in Austria and, after it was established that they had been illegally exported from the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, decided to return them.
These antiquities date from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period and consist mainly of ceramic vessels, fragments of stone and clay figurines, glass perfume containers, bone fibula and tobacco syringe.
As noted in the announcement, the Department of Antiquities would like to warmly thank Mr. O.D for informing the authorities and for handing over the antiquities. The warmest thanks are addressed to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Vienna and especially to Ambassador Andreas Ignatiou and Charilaos Palmas, "whose contribution was decisive for the positive outcome of the case".
The Department of Antiquities, as the Department of Antiquities responsible for the protection and management of the archaeological heritage of Cyprus, will continue its intensive efforts to protect the cultural heritage of Cyprus and other countries, always in close cooperation with the National Commission for the Suppression of Looting and Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage.
These efforts include, inter alia, stepping up efforts to identify, claim and repatriate illegally exported antiquities, controlling imports of cultural objects, developing new technologies in this field, strengthening the training of staff of the competent authorities on combating illicit trafficking in antiquities and raising public awareness; whose role is crucial for the protection of our common cultural heritage.
