Idol of Pomos

A cross-shaped Chalcolithic idol (3000 BC) from the village of Pomos, a typical example of prehistoric Cypriot art. To the left and right above the idol, arranged in a broken semicircle, the country name is inscribed in Greek and Turkish: „KYΠPOΣ KIBRIS". The year appears in the lower right area.

The Idol of Pomos is one of the most important artefacts of Cyprus's Chalcolithic culture, dated to around 3000 BC – long before the island's Greek and Roman antiquity. The cross-shaped stone figure is associated with fertility cults and ranks among the oldest surviving artworks in Cypriot history. Choosing this prehistoric motif for the coin highlights the island's millennia-old settlement history, predating and independent of Greek culture.