Museums to Offer Free Entry on Saturday

In his message, Ataoğlu emphasized the importance of International Museum Day, declared by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to raise awareness about the preservation of world cultural heritage, promote museology, and highlight the role of museums in societal development.

In North Cyprus, Museums Week is observed from May 18 to 24, with various activities organized under the leadership of the Department of Antiquities and Museums. Ataoğlu mentioned that efforts are underway to establish a new central Archaeology Museum in Nicosia and that they are working to meet this need as soon as possible.

Ataoğlu also detailed plans for opening an Archaeology Museum in Kaleburnu village to exhibit artifacts uncovered from the ongoing excavations at Kaleburnu King’s Hill. Additionally, he noted that the transformation of Vasıf Palace in Lefke into the Lefke Mining Museum is nearing completion.

Restoration work on the Mevlevi Tekke Museum in Nicosia, supported by TIKA, is also in progress, and Ataoğlu expressed a commitment to bringing all museums up to contemporary standards within the available resources.

As part of International Museum Day celebrations on May 18, entry fees will be waived at all open museums and archaeological sites managed by the Department of Antiquities and Museums. Ataoğlu invited the public to visit these sites and wished a successful Museums Week to museum professionals, employees, and the general public.

Events Scheduled for Museums Week

Since 1992, ICOM has selected a different theme each year for International Museum Day. This year’s theme, "Education and Research in Museums," will inspire various educational and awareness-raising activities aimed at primary and middle school students.

Starting on May 20, 2024, events will include:

• May 20: At Derviş Paşa Mansion Museum in Nicosia, primary school students will learn about traditional Cypriot handicrafts such as loom weaving, basket making, wheat grinding, and playing with traditional toys like the spinning top.
• May 21: At Lusignan House Museum in Nicosia, a theater event will be held for 5th grade students, led by Cypriot State Theater Artist Suzan Polat.
• May 22: At the recently renovated National Struggle Museum in Nicosia, 7th grade students will participate in seven different workshops organized by Science Nicosia Atelier, including frame making, placing endemic plants on a map of Cyprus, creating simple mechanical boats, constructing an arch in traditional Turkish architecture, programming a line-following robot to travel between museums on a map of Cyprus, printing museum artifacts on canvas bags, and designing Cengiz Topel’s aircraft with wooden sticks. Concurrently, at Güzelyurt Archaeology and Nature Museum, Dr. Fazıl Küçük Education Faculty of Lefke European University will conduct museum education workshops for university students, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Ferda Öztürk Kömleksiz.

These activities aim to engage students with the cultural heritage and foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of museums and their contributions to education and research.