Six stolen Post-Byzantine icons recovered by the Church of Cyprus

Six Post-Byzantine icons, that were stolen from churches in the occupied part of Cyprus, after the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974, will be repatriated.

The icons were found at P. Von Culmer art gallery, in Augsburg, Germany, in December 2010.

They are the icons of Saint Photini of 1811, Saint Panteleimonas of 1812, Apostle Andreas of the 18th century, Apostle Markos of the 18th century, Agios Panteleimonas of 1854 and the icon of “Vaiforos” of the 18th century.

According to a press release issued by the Representation of the Church of Cyprus to the European Union there have been indications that these six icons were part of Turkish art dealer Aydin Dikmen’s Cypriot loot. Dikmen has looted dozens of churches in the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus.

After the identification of the icons, complains were lodged in cooperation with the Cypriot police authorities to the German police authorities, which confiscated them from Von Culmer.

This was followed by a successful effort for an out of court settlement, as the German authorities advised, and so on October 9 Bishop of Neapolis Porfyrios travelled to Munich and was handed over the six icons from German Police officer Johann Hoffmann.

German lawyer Enno Engbers contributed to efforts to repatriate the icons.