The 13th century frescoes stolen from a church in Lysi, north of the island after the 1974 Turkish invasion and kept at the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, will be repatriated early next year.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II said the return of the frescoes belonging to Saint Themonianos Church in Lysi, was achieved through the systematic work and cooperation of all sources involved.
The Archbishop said that following the Turkish invasion of 1974, the churches in the north were looted. “The Turks removed frescoes, stole icons old and new and other items and transferred them to European and American markets where the Cyprus church, together with the government, have been struggling for 37 years now to repatriate them. Millions were spent by the Church and the government to bring these treasures home”, he added.