Two 14th-century Byzantine icons returned to Cyprus

Two 14th-century Byzantine icons depicting the Evangelists Matthew and Mark have been repatriated to Cyprus 52 years after they were stolen following the 1974 Turkish invasion. The artifacts, originally from the Church of Panayia Forbiotissa in Asinou, had been moved to the Bishopric of Kyrenia for safekeeping before the invasion, where they were subsequently looted. The recovery process involved tracking the icons to the United Kingdom, documenting their provenance, and confirming the ownership rights of the Church of Cyprus.

The successful return of the icons was facilitated by the efforts of Byzantine scholar Dr. Christodoulos Hadjichristodoulou and art historian Maria Pafiti. The holder of the icons surrendered them to the Bishopric of Morphou without requesting any financial compensation. Bishop Neophytos of Morphou held an official ceremony to mark their return, describing the event as a victory for faith and persistence. The icons have now been formally handed over to the Church, allowing them to return to their place of origin for veneration.