The cultural treasures of Larnaca are housed at the unique Pierides Museum – Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, as well as at the Archaeological Museum of the Larnaca District, which recently re-opened its doors following a period of extensive renovations. Aside from archaeological museums, there are also folkloric museums at various Larnaca villages, alongside specialist interest museums that are truly worthy of a visit.
Agios Lazaros Byzantine Museum
Priceless Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons are exhibited across the five rooms of this museum located in the courtyard of Agios Lazaros (Saint Lazarus) Church. Included in the exhibits are ancient books and gospels, sacred vessels, candelabras, woodcarvings, priest’s vestments, and a plethora of other precious and sacred religions items dating from the 16-20th centuries.
Kyriazis Medical Museum
Located in a traditional mansion in the city centre, Dr Marios Kyriazis has preserved a series of objects relating to the science of medicine. Visitors to the museum can see - among other things – the Hippocratic Ladder, traditional elixirs and ancient medical contraptions such as an amputation saw, as well as learning about special therapies of the past, including healing oil from Larnaka Salt Lake, and an ancient vial with snake venom.
Municipal Museum of Natural History Museum
This small museum is nestled in the grounds of the Municipal Park Gardens and features a large collection of stuffed reptiles, insects, birds and animals, along with fossils and rock formations. The marine life collection includes shells, corals, sponges and sea creatures, whilst the island’s national creatures - the Moufflon and the Cypriot donkey - are of course featured too! Also noteworthy are the collections of local insects and endemic plants.
Museum of Christian Art – Christoforou Collection
The region’s newest museum is located in Aradippou and presents a rich collection of over 300 works of art, engravings and sculptures from the personal collection of Charalambos Christoforou with the common theme of Christianity and religion. The collection charts five centuries of religious art from Europe and Latin America and includes many significant and well-known artists. The section featuring pieces by the great masters Rafael and Rembrandt that have been transferred into engravings is especially interesting.
Craft of Caning Museum - Livadia
The interior of this museum is ‘dressed’ with reeds that grow in Livadia; a community that is well-known for its skilled craft of basketry and mat weaving for centuries. Exhibits are displayed in ‘memory windows’ that reveal the intricate art. The audio-visual material captures the skill required when working with the reeds and cane, and showcases the versatility of the items that can be made, from household storage to musical instruments.
Kato Drys Bee & Embroidery Museum
The renovated mansion that houses the museum has been lovingly transformed by owners Iacovos and Ellie Kornioti, creating a journey through time of what life was like on the island over 300 years ago. There are over 1000 exhibits and relics that have been thematically arranged to create areas dedicated to beekeeping, rural life, Zivania making and the traditional Cypriot household, as well as the main collection of embroidery that features a large and rich collection of linens by different artisans.
