With support from various sponsors, including the U.S. Embassy and the USAID-funded Supporting Activities that Value the Environment project, scholars from different continents and various disciplines came together in Nicosia for the Cyprus America Archaeological Research Institute's conference on "Cyprus and the Balance of Empires: From Justinian I to the Coeur de Lion". The conference was designed to pay tribute to those researchers who have endeavored to study the island's Byzantine history. The conference's keynote address by University of Cyprus professor Demetrios Michaelides was followed by multiple sessions focused on various aspects of the art and archaeology of the period between the sixth and eleventh centuries.

In his remarks, U.S. Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Jonathan Cohen noted that American scholars and institutions have been involved in studying Cyprus' cultural heritage for over a generation. Through CAARI's work, it has been possible to contribute to a deeper understanding of Cyprus' rich past and its role in the history of the eastern Mediterranean region. Events such as this conference are able to showcase the profound knowledge of Cyprus that resides within CAARI as well as to deepen the ties between Cypriot, American and other international scholars. The conference papers will be published. For the conference's program, click here. For more information on the Cyprus America Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI), please visit: www.caari.org