The Fairy Museum

IN NICOSIA THERE’S A museum that brings a touch of whimsical delight to a street just outside the city’s grim demilitarized zone.

Opened in February 2017, the Fairy Tale Museum is the perfect place to explore the magical world of fairy tales. Located in a renovated Grade II listed building, the museum aims to preserve and promote fairy stories, legends, myths, and traditions from Cyprus, Greece, and other places around the world. As soon as you walk into the oversized library, you can immediately begin to explore fairy tales via the museum’s interactive exhibits, rare books, and artwork. Those looking to test their own imaginative powers can create and perform the stories in the dress-up room. Hidden doors throughout the museum lead to secret rooms that highlight objects from some of the most treasured tales—Aladdin, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Cinderella— while age-specific texts delight children and adults alike. People are encouraged to open drawers, turn gears, and tinker with other gadgets to bring the information to life. The “magic library” has books stretching over nine feet high, all dedicated to fairy tale writers and folk researchers. The location of this fantasy-filled museum is situated right near the United Nations Buffer Zone. The museum also plans to organise various storytelling events, themed exhibitions, performances based on fairy tales and educational programmes geared towards children and the whole family.

32 Granikou St, Old Nicosia. Entrance: €5 and €3 for school groups. Tel: (+357) 22-376522