In 2025, Polish archaeological research in Nea Paphos entered a new phase. The celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Polish expeditions on Cyprus were combined with the official opening of the Research Centre of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology (PCMA), University of Warsaw, in Paphos—the first permanent Polish research infrastructure on the island.
The jubilee year included a wide range of scholarly and outreach activities. The celebrations were coordinated by Professor Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka, Head of the PCMA UW Research Centre in Cyprus, together with the team of the Polish expedition working in Nea Paphos, “MA-P Maloutena and Agora – Archaeological Project in Paphos, Cyprus. A Joint Expedition of the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University.”
One of the events was the photographic exhibition “From Maloutena to the Agora: 60 Years of Polish Archaeology in Nea Paphos, Cyprus,” presenting the history and results of Polish archaeological research. The open-air exhibition was inaugurated on 21 May 2025 on the Main Campus of the University of Warsaw and remained open to the public for nearly a month.
The jubilee was also linked to the 4th international conference “Nea Paphos Colloquium,” held under the theme “From Past to Present: Reflections on Six Decades of Excavations in Paphos.” The sessions took place in Warsaw (University of Warsaw Museum) and Kraków (Jagiellonian Library of the Jagiellonian University). Scholars from many countries took part; 43 papers were presented across 13 sessions. The conference proceedings will be published in a special volume of the journal Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean.
The highlight of the jubilee was the official opening of the PCMA UW Research Centre in Paphos, held on 17 June 2025 in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nicosia and with the support of the Mayor of Paphos and the municipal authorities. The Research Centre, established in 2021 and located at 46 Georgiou Christophosou Street, began full operations following adaptation works carried out in 2024–2025.
The event was included in the program of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Among the participants were Professor Andrzej Szeptycki, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education; Professor Vassiliki Kasianidou, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus; Dr Georgios Georgiou, Director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus; Professor Artur Obłuski, Director of PCMA UW; and numerous invited guests. The opening was accompanied by the exhibition “From Maloutena to the Agora” at the En Plo gallery in the port of Paphos.
Alongside the intensive jubilee program, regular fieldwork was also carried out. The Joint Expedition conducted its field season in September and early October 2025, making use of the organizational and accommodation facilities provided by the Research Centre.
In 2026, further presentations of the photographic exhibition are planned in museums in Poland and at the Visitors Centre within the archaeological site of Kato Paphos. Screenings of a documentary film by Marcin Iwan, devoted to the activities of Polish archaeological expeditions in Paphos, are also in preparation, both in Poland and in Cyprus.
Polish archaeological research in Nea Paphos began in 1965 with an expedition led by Professor Kazimierz Michałowski. The work was conducted within the ancient city, in the Maloutena area, where, among other discoveries, the so-called Villa of Theseus was uncovered—the largest public building on Cyprus, famous for its mosaic depicting the battle between Theseus and the Minotaur. For many years the research was directed by Professor W.A. Daszewski. The results of these investigations played a significant role in the inscription of Paphos on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The second Polish expedition active in Paphos is the Paphos Agora Project of the Jagiellonian University, operating since 2010. Since 2019, both expeditions have functioned as a Joint Expedition of the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University under the direction of Professor Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka. Altogether, Polish archaeological research in Nea Paphos has continued uninterrupted for six decades, making it the longest-running foreign archaeological research project on Cyprus.