They date from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period
Sixty-nine Cypriot antiquities were handed over today to the Cypriot authorities in Vienna, to be repatriated to Cyprus.
According to an announcement, relayed by the PGI, 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 Mr. O.D. inherited. As reported, he immediately contacted the Cypriot authorities in Austria and, after it was determined that they had been illegally exported from the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, he decided to return them.
These are antiquities dating from the Bronze Age to the Ottoman period and consist mainly of ceramic vessels, fragments of stone and clay figurines, glass perfume bottles, a bone fork and a tobacco syringe.
As noted in the announcement, the Department of Antiquities warmly thanks Mr. O.D. for informing the authorities and for handing over the antiquities. Warmest thanks are addressed to the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Vienna and in particular to Ambassador Andreas Ignatiou and Charilaos Palmas, “whose contribution was decisive for the positive outcome of the case” as stated.
The announcement assures that the Department of Antiquities, as the competent Department of the Republic of Cyprus for the protection and management of the archaeological heritage of Cyprus, will continue its intensive efforts to protect the cultural heritage of both Cyprus and other countries, always in close cooperation with the National Committee for Combating the Looting and Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage.
These efforts include, among others, the intensification of efforts to locate, reclaim and repatriate illegally exported antiquities, the control of imports of cultural objects, the development of new technologies in this field, the strengthening of the training of personnel of the competent authorities on issues of combating the illicit trafficking of antiquities and the awareness-raising of the public, whose role is crucial for the protection of our common cultural heritage, the announcement concludes.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
