The Icon Hunter: A Refugee’s Quest to Reclaim Her Nation’s Stolen Heritage

Tasoula Hadjitofi was just a child when her homeland, Cyprus, was invaded. As bombs fell and soldiers marched, her mother stood guard, urging the children not to be afraid. They would always have their family and faith.

Soon, Tasoula became a refugee, homeless and nation-less. Decades later, she is a successful entrepreneur and the honorary Cypriot consul to The Netherlands. Yet family, faith, and her longing for “home” remain her guiding stars.

One day, an art dealer offers her Cypriot icons stolen during the war. To many Greek Cypriots, these are more than art, they are manifestations of faith and a gateway to the divine. Outraged, Tasoula embarks on a quest to repatriate them.

Her path to “The Munich Case,” Europe’s largest art trafficking sting, is fraught with deception, global politics, and a shadowy figure named Van Rinj, whose motives are never entirely clear.