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The Icon Hunter: A Refugee's Quest to Repatriate Her Stolen Cultural Heritage
Tasoula Hadjitofi was only a child when her homeland, Cyprus, was invaded. As bombs fell and soldiers marched through the streets, her mother stood guard, reminding her children to not be afraid?not of the bombs or anything else that may follow. They would always have their family and their faith. Soon thereafter, Tasoula found herself homeless and nation-less. A refugee.
Decades later, she's a successful entrepreneur and the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in The Netherlands . But family and faith have remained her touchstones?and she's never lost her longing for "home" or for the gorgeous Cypriot churches and their icons. One day, a dubious art dealer offers her a chance to buy stolen sacred artifacts looted from Cyprus during the war. Icons hold a special place in the hearts of Orthodox Christians. They are not just masterpieces?they are artistic manifestations of faith and a gateway to the divine.
Outraged, Tasoula sets out on a quest to repatriate these artifacts. An immensely legally challenging and expensive undertaking, as provenance of icons are and other holy artifacts are easily manipulated by corrupt dealers and greedy auction houses. Taking on these "merchants of God" will test Tasoula's fortitude and threaten her safety, yet she feels this mission is her calling. In this book, she reveals her perilous road to “The Munich Case”?the largest art trafficking sting in European history since WWII?which is filled with mind games, subterfuge, global politics, and as shady figure named Van Rijn, whose motives are never entirely clear...
By turns heart-pounding and inspiring, The Icon Hunter is a powerful and gripping story that will resonate long after the final page.
Decades later, she's a successful entrepreneur and the Honorary Consul of Cyprus in The Netherlands . But family and faith have remained her touchstones?and she's never lost her longing for "home" or for the gorgeous Cypriot churches and their icons. One day, a dubious art dealer offers her a chance to buy stolen sacred artifacts looted from Cyprus during the war. Icons hold a special place in the hearts of Orthodox Christians. They are not just masterpieces?they are artistic manifestations of faith and a gateway to the divine.
Outraged, Tasoula sets out on a quest to repatriate these artifacts. An immensely legally challenging and expensive undertaking, as provenance of icons are and other holy artifacts are easily manipulated by corrupt dealers and greedy auction houses. Taking on these "merchants of God" will test Tasoula's fortitude and threaten her safety, yet she feels this mission is her calling. In this book, she reveals her perilous road to “The Munich Case”?the largest art trafficking sting in European history since WWII?which is filled with mind games, subterfuge, global politics, and as shady figure named Van Rijn, whose motives are never entirely clear...
By turns heart-pounding and inspiring, The Icon Hunter is a powerful and gripping story that will resonate long after the final page.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 3, 2020
There's no need to play amateur psychologist with Tasoula Hadjitofi's life. She tells you early and often in this memoir that finding, and repatriating to Cyprus, early Christian Orthodox icons and other art treasures stolen during the Turkish invasion of 1974, was essential to her effort to heal the psychic wounds she experienced as a child, driven with her family from their home in Famagusta.
It's not that she was obsessed with this quest to the exclusion of everything else in life. Indeed, she's an impressive person, starting as a young refugee woman and building a very successful IT services business in the Netherlands, marrying a British Petroleum engineer, and enjoying a rich family life that she describes generously and candidly. But she always made these other parts of her life fit around its core: tracking down and recovering Cypriot sacred art objects looted and sold to collectors and institutions around the world.
As Honorary Consul of Cyprus in the Netherlands, she represented both the government and the Orthodox Church in increasingly complicated and dangerous criminal investigations and lawsuits, meeting with a dizzying cast of characters including shady art dealer Michel van Rijn, Cypriot, Dutch, and German police, attorneys and government and church officials, notably developing a close friendship with Archbishop Chrysostomos I.
At times, this reads like a thriller, and with a little editing, could have been marketed with the title The Munich Sting. But I prefer it as it is, a compelling memoir of the remarkable life of Tasoula Hadjitofi, the icon hunter.
It's not that she was obsessed with this quest to the exclusion of everything else in life. Indeed, she's an impressive person, starting as a young refugee woman and building a very successful IT services business in the Netherlands, marrying a British Petroleum engineer, and enjoying a rich family life that she describes generously and candidly. But she always made these other parts of her life fit around its core: tracking down and recovering Cypriot sacred art objects looted and sold to collectors and institutions around the world.
As Honorary Consul of Cyprus in the Netherlands, she represented both the government and the Orthodox Church in increasingly complicated and dangerous criminal investigations and lawsuits, meeting with a dizzying cast of characters including shady art dealer Michel van Rijn, Cypriot, Dutch, and German police, attorneys and government and church officials, notably developing a close friendship with Archbishop Chrysostomos I.
At times, this reads like a thriller, and with a little editing, could have been marketed with the title The Munich Sting. But I prefer it as it is, a compelling memoir of the remarkable life of Tasoula Hadjitofi, the icon hunter.
August 16, 2017
My list of the most inspirational women has a new name - Tasoula Hadjitofi.
August 29, 2025
If you are interested in Cyprus history, this memoir will shed light on post-1974 refugees' life abroad, their spiritual connection with the homeland and paddion for culture and heritage.
"War destroys every ounce of trust between nations". It requires a very strong willpower to trust again.
"War destroys every ounce of trust between nations". It requires a very strong willpower to trust again.
February 5, 2018
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus happened in 1974 and changed Tasoula Hadjitofi's life forever, along with so many others. People had to flee, death occurred, so many churches and monuments were destroyed or stolen. So as an adult, Hadjitofi would make it one of her callings to try to bring some of the church artwork back to the home of Cyprus and what a calling it would be.
All I can say is this woman is amazing. Her strength and candidness never failed to astonish me. A strong woman worth reading about and all she went through. A tough read in parts but quite good. Glad I randomly picked this one up from the library!
All I can say is this woman is amazing. Her strength and candidness never failed to astonish me. A strong woman worth reading about and all she went through. A tough read in parts but quite good. Glad I randomly picked this one up from the library!
February 1, 2019
Mrs. Hadjitofi is a brave, intelligent and sensitive woman, and that becomes quite obvious through this book narrating her cinema-like icon hunting adventure, given its twists and turns that would seem to come out of crime film from the USA. Indeed, the book is read just like a crime novel, where no ingredients are missing at all: a gut-wrenching criminal case, shady businesses, quirky and despicable characters as well as kind, supportive companions, in a tale of action, betrayal, redemption, loss, joy and deception, involving police, ecclesiastical and governmental authorities, all thrown together to depict the dark world of the tragic and illegal exploitation of a country's cultural heritage.
The author's narration is clear, sober-minded and dynamic, imprinting fast-paced developments with natural simplicity and counter-balancing those moments with slower bureaucratic events without alienating the reader with inaccessible legal jargon. As mentioned, it's suprising how Hollywood-esque the narrative appears to the reader, considering it's all factual, which certainly helps in developing the interest to see how the "plot" unfolds and how will it all turn out. Additionally, Mrs. Hadjitofi graciously crafts the historical and emotional context of her life and connection with the case the guides the whole premise, making the task of understanding and empathizing with her absolutely effortless.
By the end of the book, one not only becomes acquainted with how international authorities react to and plan such a complex operation, with the massive help of a strong-willed, fearless, independent woman, and other institutions, but more importantly, one recognizes the plight of Mrs. Hadjitofi, the ordeals that come with the justifiably obsessive mission to return her country's sacred artworks, the strength of mind needed to sustain a continuously draining enterprise while at the same time not yielding one bit in her role as a mother and wife, with significant responsibilities and difficulties imposed by fate. In the world of today, when women are being finally given the opportunity to shine alongside men as equals, one bows in deference and respect towards what Mrs. Hadjitofi has accomplished for Cyprus and the World and looks up to her as an example and inspiration for all people who strive for justice and do not flinch when faced with a much bigger, ruthless machine.
The author's narration is clear, sober-minded and dynamic, imprinting fast-paced developments with natural simplicity and counter-balancing those moments with slower bureaucratic events without alienating the reader with inaccessible legal jargon. As mentioned, it's suprising how Hollywood-esque the narrative appears to the reader, considering it's all factual, which certainly helps in developing the interest to see how the "plot" unfolds and how will it all turn out. Additionally, Mrs. Hadjitofi graciously crafts the historical and emotional context of her life and connection with the case the guides the whole premise, making the task of understanding and empathizing with her absolutely effortless.
By the end of the book, one not only becomes acquainted with how international authorities react to and plan such a complex operation, with the massive help of a strong-willed, fearless, independent woman, and other institutions, but more importantly, one recognizes the plight of Mrs. Hadjitofi, the ordeals that come with the justifiably obsessive mission to return her country's sacred artworks, the strength of mind needed to sustain a continuously draining enterprise while at the same time not yielding one bit in her role as a mother and wife, with significant responsibilities and difficulties imposed by fate. In the world of today, when women are being finally given the opportunity to shine alongside men as equals, one bows in deference and respect towards what Mrs. Hadjitofi has accomplished for Cyprus and the World and looks up to her as an example and inspiration for all people who strive for justice and do not flinch when faced with a much bigger, ruthless machine.
April 18, 2020
Some books come to you in right time!
Personally, came across to this book during Armenian Festival in 2017 though, have not read till now.
Since, the trip to Cyprus has been cancelled, decided to still travel to Cyprus culture via this book.
There were some context which stirred the feelings: 1. It was about cypriots left their houses after 1974 events and the following day another families were living there. 2... nothing feels as rewarding as being in the arms of my parents. Totally agree!❤ 3. When Turkish cypriots visited council and the question was who sells historical heritage. The explanation something when the war breaks, people will do anything.(sorry not putting it in exact context but just I remembered it).
And since tomorrow is Ortodox Easter, this also was described in the book, we baked flaounes and dyed eggs.
I definetely recommend this book as we all should appreciate historical heritage and some artifacts must be returned to the place of origin.
Personally, came across to this book during Armenian Festival in 2017 though, have not read till now.
Since, the trip to Cyprus has been cancelled, decided to still travel to Cyprus culture via this book.
There were some context which stirred the feelings: 1. It was about cypriots left their houses after 1974 events and the following day another families were living there. 2... nothing feels as rewarding as being in the arms of my parents. Totally agree!❤ 3. When Turkish cypriots visited council and the question was who sells historical heritage. The explanation something when the war breaks, people will do anything.(sorry not putting it in exact context but just I remembered it).
And since tomorrow is Ortodox Easter, this also was described in the book, we baked flaounes and dyed eggs.
I definetely recommend this book as we all should appreciate historical heritage and some artifacts must be returned to the place of origin.
December 12, 2025
This story is unique with regard to the subject and the author. The author includes her own family life with the quest to repatriate religious heritage stolen by art dealers from North of Cyprus after its invasion by the Turkish army in the late 20th century. She represents an example of a refugee who is still attached to her mother country Cyprus while going thru challenges in forming a family in the Netherlands. Her NGO's foundation is still working to stop on-going looting of cultural heritage around the world. Good work!
February 27, 2018
Unbelievably riveting page turner - laughed, yelled, cried along with the author throughout the book. Tasoula Hadjitoufi is such an ispiration, and a shining example of what a determined woman can accomplish. SO glad I found this at the library!
June 6, 2021
Tasoula got it done! This is a story that shows what one person can do. Inspirational. I like to finish a book and know that I learned something. I definitely did that with this book. I knew nothing about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus or the world of art trafficking. Stranger than fiction.
July 23, 2018
Confusing at times - so many people to keep track of - but worth the read.
December 18, 2018
This excellent book won my blog's Book of the Year award for 2018. My full review and an interview with the author can be found here: https://beingincommunity.com/book-of-...
February 17, 2020
An amazing story by a truly inspirational woman. This world needs more Tasoulas...
June 11, 2021
A spy novel, an autobiography and an historical document all rolled into one. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2021
What an incredible story of resilience and love of ones homeland. So inspiring.
November 12, 2021
Deeply loved this book. The whole story, her feelings of being a refugee, the behind the doors political games.
July 22, 2025
An incredible woman and a story worth reading.
However, it reads more like an early draft. With some solid editing and perhaps more experienced writing, this could have been a best seller.
However, it reads more like an early draft. With some solid editing and perhaps more experienced writing, this could have been a best seller.
March 31, 2017
Tasoula Hadjitofi experienced the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus, her homeland, when she was a child. More than five hundred churches and monasteries were destroyed and looted of icons, mosaics, and other artifacts. Tasoula's family were forced to relocate out of their beloved Cyprus. After she married, Tasoula moved to the Netherlands. So determined was she to recover as many of the icons as was possible, the Orthodox church, via the Dutch government, assigned her "honorary Consul to the Orthodox Church of Cyprus". With this title, she quickly set out to find the lost treasures. I won an advance copy of this book from Goodreads' Giveaway drawings. Apropos of the book's content, it will be released for sale during holy week 2017.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews