This manor house is one of the most important surviving 18th century buildings in Lefkosia and was restored by the Department of Antiquities to house the Cyprus Ethnological Museum, receiving the ‘Europa Nostra’ award in 1988.
The two-storey building was built in 1793 with local bloc-cut sandstone and was once the residence of the most prominent Dragoman of Cyprus, Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios, who was executed by the Ottomans in 1809.
The architectural plan of the building in the shape of the Greek letter Pi surrounds a central garden with a fountain and a private bathhouse (hamam), which is comprised of three rooms. The servants’ quarters and the kitchen were situated on the ground floor, roofed wooden stairs with a stone base lead to the entrance hall on the first floor from the courtyard, and the official reception room and the living areas, communicated with the reception hall. The official reception room – at the end of the east wing – differs from the the other rooms due to its exceptional wood carved, gilded and painted decoration, which liken it to other official reception rooms in many mansions of the Ottoman Empire.
The office of Dragoman was introduced in Cyprus at the start of the Ottoman rule and was abolished in 1821 with the Greek War of Independence. Dragomans acted as liaisons between the Pasha (high ranking military officials) and the occupied population and were the most important political figures after the Pasha.
Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios Mansion – Audio Guide
Region: | Lefkosia (Nicosia) |
Address: | Patriarchou Gregoriou, 20 |
Contact No: | Tel: +357 22 305 316 |
Operating Hours: |
Tuesday – Friday: 08:30 – 15:30 Saturday: 09:30 – 16:30 Closed on Monday and Sunday. |
Operating Period: |
All year round. Closed on Public Holidays. |
Entrance: | FREE |
Website: | www.mcw.gov.cy/da |
Opening and closing times as well as entrance fees, are subject to alterations without notice. Visitors are advised to check before visiting. |