As the Republic of Cyprus takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, an exhibition entitled “Cyprus at the Louvre” offers the numerous visitors to this iconic museum the opportunity to learn about Cyprus’ unique cultural tradition and its timeless contribution to Europe’s common heritage.

Cypriot antiquities that have been housed in the Louvre since the 19th century will be on display from Tuesday, February 10 until June 22, 2026, in an open dialogue with 16 Cypriot antiquities made of bronze, clay, and marble covering a wide chronological range, from the so-called Chalcolithic period (approximately 4000-2500 BC) to Roman times (approximately 200 AD), which were brought to Paris for the exhibition from various Cypriot museums. Two examples are two ‘cross-shaped’ figurines made of picrolite, masterpieces of ancient Cypriot art, and a fragment of a bronze talent from the Late Bronze Age (approximately 1650-1100 BC) which attests to the extensive export of this Cypriot metal across a vast geographical area, from Egypt to the Aegean and the Black Sea, and from Mesopotamia to present-day France and Germany. The exhibition also presents two of the approximately 2,000 clay figurines of warriors from the sanctuary of a male deity, possibly Apollo, excavated near the occupied village of Agia Irini in Morphou Bay (c. 1200-500 BC), as well as four bronze, delicate surgical instruments belonging to an anonymous Cypriot doctor, dating from around 200 BC, displayed next to a marble figure of Asclepius from Paphos. To honor the host country, the exhibition also presents the invaluable contribution of French archaeological research and excavations in Cyprus from the 19th century to the present day, highlighting the ties between the two countries.

The use of innovative digital technologies in this exhibition is also of great interest, bringing ancient and modern Cypriot culture to life. Visitors are invited to explore the world of Cyprus through their mobile phones and tablets, and through 3D representations, interactive screens, and augmented reality experiences activated on site with QR codes.

The exhibition “Cyprus at the Louvre” also highlights Cyprus’ rich intangible heritage. With the help of digital technologies and a telephone, the stone statues and clay figurines housed in the Louvre are given a voice and movement. Poetry inspired by the island and its people, ancient and modern, as well as well-known traditional Cypriot songs that have been echoing in Cyprus for centuries, can be heard through visitors’ mobile phones (via QR codes placed in prominent positions next to the exhibits). Poems by Giorgos Seferis, who was inspired by Cyprus for some of his most important works, the so-called ‘Cypriot Poems’ (Egommi, Eleni, Salamina of Cyprus, On the Outskirts of Kyrenia… ) are ‘recited’ by statues from the 6th and 5th centuries BC. Another statue recites poems by Constantine P. Cavafy and Costas Montis, which revolve around the universality of the Greek language. The poems are heard in three languages, Greek, French, and English—the entire exhibition is presented in all three languages.

It is also the first time that traditional Cypriot music and songs, such as Yiasemi, Arodaphnousa, Tillyrkotissa, Acherobasman, etc., are heard within the halls of the Louvre. Two 3,500-year-old clay figurines depicting women holding babies in their arms sing Agia Marina and Kyra, while two clay warriors from the ancient sanctuary at Agia Irini in Morphou sing Tessa and Tessa. The songs were recorded especially for the exhibition by the Amalgamation women’s polyphonic choir.

In these ways, the exhibition bridges the ancient world with the modern, inviting visitors to experience Cyprus’ rich cultural heritage.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 180-page catalog, richly illustrated and with short accompanying texts, which is available free of charge to all in the three languages of the exhibition on the Presidency’s website and the Louvre’s website. In the same context, three lectures are planned at the Louvre itself: a presentation of the exhibition on March 19, a lecture on medicine in ancient Cyprus on March 25, and a third dedicated to Salamis on April 1, 2026.

The exhibition is organized by the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and the Louvre Museum, in collaboration with the University of Cyprus and the CYENS Center of Excellence.

https://cyculture2026.eu/events/cyprus-at-the-louvre-archaeological-exhibition-in-paris/

https://www.louvre.fr/expositions-et-evenements/expositions/chypre-au-louvre-