New Cyprus Museum ‘a jewel for our country’

Satisfaction with the progress of works on the new Cyprus Museum was expressed on Tuesday by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades and Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou.

“It’s a project we’re all very proud of,” Vafeades said, adding it “will be a jewel for our country.”

He said the work is being closely monitored to make sure timelines are met.

The new museum is set to replace the existing one built in 1908 by the British colonial government and will house 6,500 antiquities in permanent exhibition spaces. It will also have spaces for temporary exhibitions, educational programmes, workshops, a library and an amphitheatre.

The new 40,000m² museum, dubbed the biggest cultural project in the country, is being constructed across the street from the previous premises, on the site of the old Nicosia general hospital.

Unforeseen issues identified at the site are being managed by the relevant committee in accordance with state procedures and will soon be resolved, the minister said.

The construction on the new premises started a little over a year ago, on December 12, 2022.

Vafeades explained that the necessary additional works had to do with further excavations needed to ascertain levels of underground water. In July, concerns had been raised that unforeseen groundwater from the construction was being irresponsibly dumped in the Pedieos river.

An official announcement by authorities sought to clarify that due to the high water table at the site drainage works had been needed, and that the run-off was harmless.

“These issues have created additional work, but the committee will judge whether this [will cause] delays or whether works can [proceed] in parallel,” Vafeades explained.

The additional work does increase the cost, the minister said, noting that he is awaiting expert evaluation.

Vafeades clarified the project was financed from the state budget with total cost set at around €140 million, but that this amount does not include the ten-year maintenance, which the government is working to make the responsibility of the contractor.

“It is not possible to take over a building and not include maintenance,” the minister said, noting that inclusion of this requirement in the contract would motivate the contractor to do a better job at the outset to offset later costs.

The deputy minister of culture, for her part, outlined the museum’s long-term prospects.

“The Cyprus Museum is 100 years old, so the work […] is for many generations to come. It is our responsibility to make a museum that will represent our culture and become a visitor attraction,” she said.

She praised the smooth cooperation between the department of public works and the contractor in one of the biggest projects [the contractor] had ever undertaken.

Meanwhile, the department of antiquities is preparing exhibits, texts and digital applications for the new site, and when the building is finished 18 months will be given for the artifacts to be transferred and for the new museum to open, Kassianidou said.

The government aims to establish the new Cyprus Museum not only as the island’s preeminent historical reference point, but also as one of the most important museums in Europe.