Government department
Department of Antiquities and Museums (TRNC)
Nicosia, Cyprus · founded 1975
Government department in Nicosia, founded 1975. 17 people in the register connected with it.
The Cypriot collection
Administers the museums and archaeological sites of the Turkish Cypriot administration in the north (not internationally recognised); its own website listed 15 museums plus an online museum. No object count found. (2011)
History
- August 1974Ankara sent a delegation of Turkish university archaeologists headed by Ekrem Akurgal to inspect war-damaged sites, monuments and museums, after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974.
- October 1974A second Ankara delegation, of museologists, came to record damage, stop looting and the trade in antiquities and prepare inventories of recovered objects and icons.
- 1975The first Turkish Cypriot antiquities administration (Eski Eserler Dairesi) was founded in Nicosia with substantial support from Turkey, under Nurettin Yardımcı, who engaged about 80 new staff; another source dates the enabling legislation to 1975.
NicosiaNurettin YardımcıSummerer 2023National museums in Cyprus:… 2011
- 1975Tuncer Bağışkan, University of Istanbul graduate of 1972, returned from London to join the new department.
- 1976Kyrenia Castle with the Shipwreck Museum opened to the public.
KyreniaSummerer 2023
- 1979An Archaeological and Nature Museum opened in the former residence of the Archbishop of Morphou, and an Archaeology and Icons Museum in the monastery of St Barnabas (the source gives 1979 for both).
- 30 September 1980A letter (No. 10/80) from Director Altay to the Ministry on antiquities smuggling is printed in the English text of the 1982 Olay article 'Perishing Cyprus'.
- 1982Criminal proceedings against Savarona opened at Kyrenia Castle; archaeologists of the department, among them Ayhan Mustafa, gave evidence. Hofstadter reports he was not convicted; the final outcome has not been seen in a court record.
KyreniaMehmet Rasih SavaronaAyhan MustafaYaşın 1982Hofstadter 1994
- 1988–1992Salvage excavation by department staff of looted graves at Krini (Kırnı-Hüsnü Kayası), Early Bronze Age finds; published by the staff themselves (the source's own chart gives 1990-92).
KriniSummerer 2023
- 1989Renamed the Department of Antiquities and Museums (Eski Eserler ve Müzeler Dairesi).
- 1990–1992Rescue excavation at Lambousa (Lapta) by the department, with foreign student volunteers, which caused controversy in the south.
- c. 1990–c. 1995Müge Şevketoğlu, employed for some years in the Kyrenia district, surveyed Neolithic and Chalcolithic sites there under a permit granted by the department (Director Ali Kanli and assistant Tuncer Bağışkan thanked).
Kyrenia districtMüge Hüseyin ŞevketoğluAli KanliTuncer BağışkanŞevketoğlu 1998
- 1991Department excavated Late Classical/Early Hellenistic elite tombs at Soloi (further tombs 2005/06); the material became the subject of Hazar Kaba's dissertation.
- 1992–1994Lambousa Open-Air Museum Project reports issued under the department's imprint by Bağışkan, Caner, Lefkonuklu and (1993) Öner.
Tuncer BağışkanF. CanerÖ. LefkonukluRasime ÖnerSummerer 2023
- 1995Karpas Peninsula survey by Tuncer Bağışkan for the department.
- 1995–1997Ali Kanli is recorded as Director of Museums and Antiquities; Ayhan Özar as Director of the Kyrenia District.
- 1997Ankara University and Eastern Mediterranean University set up the research centre AKVAM, focused on Salamis; the source says the department had been left to its own devices before this.
- 2004DAKMAR research centre created (focus Kaleburnu/Galinoporni); the Kral Tepesi bronze hoard found that year was excavated as a rescue by a team from EMU and Tübingen; the Republic's Department of Antiquities called it illegal.
KaleburnuSummerer 2023
- 2011Five marble statues excavated in the Roman baths at Salamis in 2011 are exhibited in the Iskele/Trikomo Archaeological Museum, which opened in 2018.
- 2018Rescue recovery by department staff of a Cypro-Archaic tomb group at Alaniçi/Peristerona found during power-pole work.
Alaniçi/PeristeronaSummerer 2023
- September 2019The Republic's Department of Antiquities circulated a letter against the Kyrenia conference on divided Cyprus's heritage, discouraging southern and foreign participants (Summerer's account).
People
17 peopleStaff and members · 15
- Nurettin Yardımcıdirector (from 1975) · first directorSummerer 20231975
- Tuncer Bağışkanstaff (from 1975) · staff member from 1975; assistant to the Director Ali Kanli in the 1990sSummerer 2023Şevketoğlu 19981975
- Abdurrazzak Yuceofficial (c. 1980–1982) · chief of the Nicosia branchYaşın 19821980
- Hasan Şefik Altaydirector (1980–1982) · Director of the Antiquities Department and MuseumsYaşın 19821980
- Annette Zeischka-Kenzlerstudent participant in its Lambousa rescue excavation · worked with1990–1992
- Müge Hüseyin Şevketoğlustaff (c. 1990–c. 1995) · employed for several years in Kyrenia district · worked for itŞevketoğlu 19981990–1995
- Ö. Lefkonuklustaff (1992–1994) · co-author of its Lambusa open-air museum project reports (affiliation inferred from the report imprint 'Eski Eserler ve Muzeler Dairesi Mudurlugu')Summerer 20231992
- F. Canerstaff (1993–1994) · member or staffSummerer 20231993
- Ali Kanlidirector (1995–1997) · Director of Museums and AntiquitiesŞevketoğlu 19981995
- Ayhan Özarofficial (c. 1995–c. 1997) · Director of the Kyrenia DistrictŞevketoğlu 19981995
- Hazar Kabaother (2005–2006) · published material ofSummerer 20232005–2020
- Ayhan Mustafaother (1982–1982)Yaşın 1982
- Mehmet Rasih Savaronadirector (September 1974 – 30 May 1981)Yaşın 1982
- Münevver Tanturastaff · museum officer, Kyrenia CastleŞevketoğlu 1998
- Rasime Önerstaff (from 1993) · colleague at Kyrenia CastleSummerer 2023
Others connected · 2
- Mehmetcan Soyluoğlupublished material of1990
- Aliye Öznergizpublished material of2006–2016
Objects
Late Classical/Early Hellenistic elite tombs with gold and silver finds, Soloi (tomb 4)
from Soloi1991Summerer 2023
Five marble statues from the Roman baths at Salamis
from Salamis2011Summerer 2023
Cypro-Archaic tomb group (amphora, two oinochoai, two bowls, lamp, amphoroid jug)
from Alaniçi/Peristerona2018Summerer 2023
Early Bronze Age grave group (vessels, spearhead, beaded necklace), Grave I
from Krini1988–1992Summerer 2023
Sources
- 1.Lâtife Summerer (2023). “In Fear of Blacklisting. How the Division Shaped Archaeology in Cyprus”. New Approaches toward Recording, Preserving and Studying Cultural Heritage in Divided Cyprus. Kyrenia, ARUCAD Press.
- 2.Müge Hüseyin Şevketoğlu (1998). “Archaeological Field Survey of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Settlement Sites in Kyrenia District, North Cyprus: Systematic Surface Collection and the Interpretation of Artefact Scatters”. PhD thesis, University of Edinburgh.
- 3.Mehmet Yaşın (1982). “Perishing Cyprus”. Olay. Online
- 4.Dan Hofstadter (1994). Goldberg's Angel: An Adventure in the Antiquities Trade.
- 5. (2011). “National museums in Cyprus: A Story of Heritage (chapter title as truncated in the file name)”. Building National Museums in Europe 1750-2010, ed. P. Aronsson and G. Elgenius, EuNaMus Report No 1, scan 177.