Ancient History of Cyprus at the heart of Europe

An exhibition portraying the ancient history of Cyprus and the island’s everlasting character as a point of cultural interaction between peoples of the region, was opened today, October 30, in Brussels. The exhibition, which is held at the Royal Museums of Art and History, is organised under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU and was opened by Cyprus’ Defence Minister, Mr. Demetris Eliades.

31-10-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — The exhibition, entitled “Ancient Cyprus: Cultures in Dialogue”, will run from October 31 2012 until February 17 2013 and is organised by the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus.

“The exhibits emphasise the interaction of ideas and influences from people of neighbouring countries, which were amalgamated to create artworks with an unmistakably Cypriot character,” said Mr. Eliades during his speech.

291 objects from across Europe

Some 291 objects will be on display, from public museums in Cyprus, the Pierides – Laiki Bank Museum, the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, the Royal Museum of Mariemont and the Museum of Louvain-la-Neuve.

The Cypriot minister stressed the exhibition’s poignant message of cultural communication, by highlighting the rewards that the modern society of a multicultural and globalised era could gain from understanding how ancient societies developed creative forms of cultural dialogue.

Moreover, Mr. Eliades noted that the exhibition would provide an unique opportunity for the European public to discover the history of Cyprus, being at the crossroads of the European, Asian and African continents.

“Through this exhibition all aspects of Cypriot culture are portrayed: everyday life, trade, religion, death, language and script, art, architecture and even social and political organisation”, the Cypriot minister underlined.

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Ancient History of Cyprus at the heart of Europe