13 Best Sights in Cyprus

Outside the city walls stands the Cyprus Museum, the world's largest collection of Cypriot antiquities and arguably the most interesting museum on the island. It houses archaeological displays ranging from Neolithic to Roman times, including a fascinating display of 2,000 terra-cotta figures from the 6th and 7th centuries BC, unearthed in Northern Cyprus in 1929, as well as three limestone lions and two sphinxes from approximately 475–400 BC, discovered south of Nicosia in 1997. Other highlights include a famous statue of Aphrodite of Soloi and beautiful mosaics. This stop is essential to an understanding of the island's ancient sites.

Located about ten minutes west of Limassol in the village of Erimi, this comprehensive museum succeeds at explaining the history of the grape in Cyprus, one of the oldest wine-making regions in the world. You'll get to view ancient wine jugs and vessels on a short, guided tour of the museum and watch a film before heading downstairs for a sampling of Cyprus wines, including the island's famous sweet Commandaria, accompanied by tasty halloumi cheese.

In a 1960 neo-Byzantine-style wing of the archiepiscopal palace, the Archbishop Makarios III Cultural Foundation houses the Byzantine Museum. Its fine displays of icons span 1,000 years, and another six sections of the museum showcase the 6th-century Kanakaria Mosaics stolen from Northern Cyprus following the Turkish invasion in 1974, which were not returned until 1991.

The Byzantine Museum houses notable mosaics, icons, and sacred books and artifacts collected from churches and monasteries throughout Paphos and dating from the 7th through the 18th centuries. The collection includes one of the oldest icons discovered in Cyprus, the Agia Marina, thought to be from the 8th or 9th century. Though it's on the small side, the museum provides a good introduction to the rich Byzantine history of the Paphos region and is well worth a stop.

The Ethnographic Museum, located in the 14th-century part of the archiepiscopal palace, has demonstrations of ancient weaving techniques and displays of ceramics and olive and wine presses.

The Larnaca District Archaeological Museum displays treasures, including outstanding sculptures, pottery, and other architectural fragments from prehistoric times through to the Roman period.

This museum traces the city's history from 3000 BC to the present, with exhibits on crafts and daily life. The permanent exhibition includes important artifacts, as well as an impressive collection of medieval and modern maps illustrating Nicosia's progression, dating from the birth of the region to now.

Browse interesting archaeological finds from the Limassol area, including pottery, coins, jewelry, tools, and sculptures, from the Prehistoric period (10,000 BC) up to the Late Roman period (AD 327). The collection also contains many items related to Aphrodite, including ancient terra-cotta figures.

For a glimpse of Cypriot folklore, visit the Municipal Folk Art Museum. The collection includes national costumes and fine examples of weaving and other crafts.

The Museum of the National Struggle has dramatic displays of the 1955 to 1959 Cypriot campaigns against the British.

Housed in the industrial setting of a former power plant, this compact contemporary art museum displays paintings, videos, sculptures, photography, and installations from up-and-coming (as well as established) Cypriot and European artists. Best of all, admission is free, and it's open until 11 pm most days of the week. There's also a hip restaurant out back with a leafy courtyard where you can hang with Nicosia's cool crowd.

The Paphos District Archaeological Museum displays pottery, jewelry, and statuettes in five exhibition rooms and one penthouse in the museum's yard. They represent all the prehistoric and historic periods through which the region passed.

The Pierides–Marfin Laiki Bank Museum is a private assemblage of more than 3,000 pieces distinguished by its Bronze Age terra-cotta figures, as well as Roman and Byzantine-era art.