Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia secures digital rights to ancient Aphrodite bust

The Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia has reached an agreement with the Antikensammlung (Collection of Classical Antiquities) of the Berlin State Museums to create a high-precision 3D digital copy of the ancient bust of Aphrodite. The 60-centimeter-tall artifact, which originated from the ancient city of Leukolla, was acquired by the Berlin Museum approximately 150 years ago after being removed from Cyprus by Luigi Palma di Cesnola. The agreement was finalized during a visit to Berlin by Mayor Georgios Nikolettos, following months of negotiations with the museum's director, Martin Maischberger. The digital scan will be provided to the municipality free of charge for scientific and educational use. Additionally, Humboldt University, under the guidance of Professor Stephan G. Schmid, will produce a physical scientific replica of the head. This project aims to study the 4th-century BCE sculpture and its historical connection to the Leukolla region. The replica will include both the current state of the artifact and a restored version based on scientific assessments.