New exhumation efforts to locate Cyprus national poet Vasilis Michaelides

On July 9, 2026, authorities began a new exhumation at the Ayios Nikolaos cemetery in Limassol to locate the remains of Vasilis Michaelides, the national poet of Cyprus who died in 1917. This process follows a new order from the Limassol District Court, allowing experts to collect genetic samples from the entire burial site, known as the 'grave of the unknown.' A previous attempt in January 2024 failed because the original court order mandated the immediate cessation of work once other human remains, specifically those of a woman and a child, were discovered. The current scientific team, led by geneticist Dr. Marios Kariolou from the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, is analyzing bone fragments, including a portion of a spine found on-site. The search is based on historical testimonies provided by researcher Aristides Koudounaris and civil engineer Christos Rotsidis. While the poet was buried with municipal honors in 1917, no plaque was ever placed to mark his final resting place. Limassol Writers’ Society president George Petousis noted that funding challenges for this procedure were resolved with the assistance of Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis.