News , Research and Discovery News

        - 17/07/10   Three Roman marble statues were found during the archaeological excavation and restoration works at the ancient town of Salamis, by the East Mediterranean University (DAU) with the cooperation of the Ankara University. The statues are two metres and twenty centimetres high and two of them have no heads. It is said that one of the statue is Persephones husband Hades. The other one is believed to be a satyr, half man and half animal.

        - 12/06/10 Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper reports that Turkeys General Directorate of Evkaf religious foundation and the Turkish Cypriot Evkaf Foundation signed a protocol on Friday which provides for the restoration of the ottoman monuments in the areas of the  Republic of North Cyprus. The protocol was singed out of the prime Minister's office in  Lefkosia.

        -  29/05/10  Turkish Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper  reports that two persons were arrested for possessing antiquities the total value of which is 151 thousand TL (100 thousands Euro). According to the paper, the antiquities are twelve icons and a statue of Artemis belonging to Hellenistic era.

        -  22/05/10 : DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT BURIAL CHAMBER TURNS RUMOUR MILL. Theories about occupants are plentiful. 

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Locals say it could be the final resting place of Ajax's niece, contain a golden chariot and will unleash a horrible curse.

But whether a tomb recently uncovered on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus contains the bones and booty of a close relative of a Trojan war hero straight from the pages of Homer, or will just yield better evidence for understanding the rituals and lives of ancient Greeks, is yet to be revealed.

Construction workers in the eastern coastal town of Paralimni, popular with tourists, literally stumbled onto a rare unlooted tomb dating back to the ancient world, when they were digging up the roadside to lay new paving stones in the "Fig Tree Bay" area.

"The ground just gave way," said Andreas Evangelou, said the mayor of the once sleepy fishing village.

Beneath the road's surface, a burial chamber, untouched by looters was awakened from thousands of years of slumber, and will now give experts the opportunity to piece together a more accurate picture of the life and rituals of the ancients.

"It's a usual tomb found in the area of Protaras, which is unlooted. We don't know yet what it is, the only unique thing is that it is unlooted, which may give us a better understanding of their life and rituals during that period," said Maria Hadjicosti, the director of Cyprus's Antiquities Department.

At least four clay coffins (sarcophagi) were found, along with the usual offerings of pottery and glassware, accompanying the dead to the next life. At least one of the clay coffins is adorned with floral motifs.

"It looks like it was in continual use because there are four sarcophagi with their remains," Evangelou said.

Local press on the east Mediterranean island have carried wild claims that the tomb belongs to an ancient princess, the daughter of King Teukros of Salamis. Salamis was once the capital of Cyprus's 10 city kingdoms.

Legend has it that the king -- whose brother was Ajax and uncle was the Trojan King Priam -- ordered that his daughter be buried along with her golden throne and chariot at the point where the sun meets the sea.

Cypriot experts don't share the local speculation on the tomb's relationship with the figures of Greek mythology.

"It is impossible to connect the content of this tomb with ancient sources," Hadjicosti said.

According to Evangelou, it is likely that this is not the only burial site in the area.

"Personally, I believe that this area is full of tombs and ancient relics, and it looks like this legend has a basis," Evangelou said.

Plans are now underway to share this glimpse into the past with visitors.

"We want to create something similar to that outside the Acropolis museum in Athens, with a glass pavement," Evangelou said.

On a darker note, the mayor said an old wives' tales says the person who uncovers the princess's grave site will come to a sticky end.

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 - 26/04/10 :  Under the title," Here is the importance we give to the historical monuments", Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper  reports that the Castle of  Keryneia has been left neglected and that resulted to the beginning of its destroy. According to the paper, the surroundings of the castle are destroyed and the visitors are in danger. The destroyed embrasures and the landslide created by the floods are falling upon the castle as a shadow, the paper added.