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# Two 14th-century Byzantine icons stolen in 1974 returned to Cyprus from Britain
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/na-kipr-vernulis-dve-bestsennye-vizantiiskie-ikony-xiv-veka-pokhishchennye-bolee-50-let-nazad/
- Published: 2026-11-06T05:22:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-06T05:40:12.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: The Golden Age, Faith, The East, Art, Heritage

Two priceless fourteenth-century Byzantine icons, stolen more than 50 years ago, have returned to Cyprus

The icons of the Evangelists Matthew and Mark, created under the Palaiologan dynasty, were stolen from the Metropolis of Kyrenia in 1974, after the Turkish invasion of the island.

Half a century later, the sacred images have been traced to Britain. Their present owner acknowledged the rights of the Church of Cyprus and agreed to return the relics free of charge, demanding no compensation whatever. The icons have already been formally handed over to the Diocese of Morphou.

Both icons originally belonged to the celebrated church of Panagia Phorbiotissa, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. From the same monastic cycle, the images of the Apostles Peter and Paul were returned to Cyprus in 2007, and four more icons of this series are still considered missing.