Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios mansion is the most significant example of Turkish architecture in the period of Turkish rule in Nicosia.
It is built near the Archbishopric, in the parish of St. Anthony, where the wealthy Greeks traditionally lived. Interestingly, its architectural type is reminiscent of a medieval mansion, and this should not surprise us, given the tradition that it was built on the site of an older (medieval?) Mansion. The restoration of the house was honored with the Europa Nostra Award.
Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios had one of the most important offices given to infidels by the Ottoman authorities. He was a playwright, interpreter of the Gate, from 1779 until his death in 1809. After slander, he was driven to Constantinople, where he was beheaded.
His house is a two storey building and was built in 1793. The monogram of the owner and the date of construction of the building are shown on a marble slab built into the interior of the entrance. In the center of the courtyard there is a monumental fountain and a private Turkish bath (hammam). On the ground floor were the service areas, the kitchen, the stables and the various storage and accessory areas. The main rooms of the house, the official reception area and the bedrooms communicate with the solar panel. The formal lounge, the ontas, has a rich wood carving, gold-plated decoration and oil painting that probably represents a fantastic city.
A covered wooden staircase with a stone base leads today from the courtyard to the entrance hall of the floor, the solar panel. The main rooms of the house, the official reception area and the bedrooms communicate with the solar panel. The formal lounge, the ontas, is at the edge of the east wing and stands out from all the other rooms with its rich wood-carved, gold-plated decoration and the oil painting that probably represents a fantastic city.
The mansion's furnishings are not original but belong to the late 19th-early 20th century, and are a donation by the last owner of the house. The rooms of the floor have been transformed into exhibition spaces where, with the help of a variety of surveillance material and authentic objects of the time, the visitor can be informed about the history of the Hatzigeorgakis family and the process of restoring the mansion. Various objects of the Byzantine and Medieval period, as well as of the Turkish occupation, are also on display.
Address: Archbishop Kyprianou Square, Nicosia
Telephone: 22 432578
Visiting hours: Daily from 9:00 to 16:30