Cathar lands, lands of Light

Photo exhibition: The Pearls of Occitania – The Castles of the Cathars

The “Museum of the Templar Ages”, in collaboration with OSMTJ Foundation and “Balticum Ordo Templi”, invites visitors to attend the photography exhibition “Pearls of Occitania – The Castles of Cathar” by French photographer Philippe Contal.

The exhibition will take place at the Museum of the Templar Ages in the village of Pano Arodes and will be a unique event. The photographs will be exhibited in Cyprus for the first time; previously, the exhibition has been shown in France, Belgium, Spain, and Latvia, and the Museum of the Templar Ages will host an international exhibition for the first time.

The exhibition will open on June 6 and run for five months.

The aim of the exhibition is to strengthen cultural ties between Cyprus and France and to foster cooperation in the fields of art and history. It seeks to spark interest in the culture, traditions, heritage, and natural diversity of France, and to introduce viewers to the majestic structures that constitute Europe’s historical and cultural heritage.

A series of photographs created by photographer Philippe Contal between 2013 and 2016 will offer the opportunity to witness the beauty and splendor of the landscapes of the Occitanie region in southern France, revealing to visitors the romance of the mysterious Cathar castles, which were seen and remembered by the troubadours who sang of love, and which also witnessed the tragedy of the Albigensian Crusade.

Through Philippe Contal’s lens, the castles are viewed from an unusual perspective.

The viewer is immersed in the sacred mystery of the earthly and the heavenly, light and darkness, life and eternity. Thanks to the photographer’s skill, the exhibition helps broaden one’s perception and encourages the exploration and study of historical heritage.

Hosting the exhibition at the Museum of the Templar Ages in Pano Arodes will allow the attentive viewer to draw their own parallels and highlights the common roots of Europe and its values.

We welcome all lovers of chivalric history to the Museum of the Templar Ages for a fascinating journey into the world of the mysteries of the Cathar castles.