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It’s the end of a chapter in Cyprus’ archaeological history, and for many, the loss hits close to home.
The Association of Cypriot Archaeologists (ACA) has voiced deep disappointment over the sudden shutdown of the Archaeological Research Unit (ERA) at 12 Gladstonos Street, a place many have called the beating heart of Cypriot archaeology for more than three decades.
The decision to vacate the iconic 19th-century building in central Nicosia wasn’t a matter of choice. The property’s return to its sponsor, the A.G. Leventis Foundation, came unexpectedly and abruptly, leaving archaeologists reeling. For the ACA, it’s not just about relocating an institution — it’s about saying goodbye to a space filled with knowledge, memories, and cultural significance.
“This building wasn’t just bricks and mortar. It was a cradle for archaeological thought, a home to generations of students and scholars,” the ACA said in a statement.
For 33 years, ERA operated from the historic structure, gaining global recognition through its conferences, lectures, and groundbreaking research. Its library, the largest of its kind in Cyprus, housed some 23,000 books and 9,000 journals, serving as a lifeline for local and international scholars alike.
“It inspired countless Cypriot archaeologists,” said the ACA. “Undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students spent hours pouring over texts, drawing knowledge that would eventually shape the cultural landscape of Cyprus and beyond.”
Beyond academia, the building served as a hub for collaboration, innovation, and shared passion, and like any place with a heartbeat, it also bore witness to setbacks and hard-earned breakthroughs.
Its sudden closure, archaeologists say, is yet another example of intellectual and cultural institutions being sidelined by financial pressures. The ACA described the move as a “sacrifice of intellectual growth on the altar of economic interests.”
While the research unit’s library will be moved to the University of Cyprus’ central library and its staff temporarily housed in a nearby office building on Nikokreontos and Themistokleous Dervi streets, many say the essence of ERA can’t be boxed up and moved.
“The address 12 Gladstonos Street will always be synonymous with ERA. That building holds decades of stories, scholarship, and struggle,” the ACA added.
Still, there’s determination to press forward. The Association vowed to support ERA in its next chapter, wherever that may be, continuing the mission of preserving Cyprus’ cultural heritage and advancing its study.
“Even in a different space, the soul of ERA lives on,” the statement concluded.
