The house of the dragoman Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios

Among Nicosia’s museums, this house is my favourite for being small and specific. It doesn’t tell the story of Cyprus in general; it shows how a powerful man lived in Ottoman Nicosia. Below is who he was, what to see and when to go, from what the Tourism Board and the municipality publish.

Who the dragoman was

Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios was the dragoman, the office that acted as interpreter and go-between for the Christian population and the Ottoman governor. The Nicosia Tourism Board says he lived in this house with his family between 1793 and 1808. His mark is still on the neighbourhood, as the same board recalls that he and his descendants, who lived nearby, gave land and icons to the 18th-century church of St Antonios.

The house

This big two-storey stone mansion stands in the heart of the old town, and the board calls it one of the most characteristic examples of 18th-century Cypriot town architecture. On the façade, look for the enclosed wooden bay window you can see in the photo. Inside, the room not to miss is the reception hall in the east wing of the first floor, the «ondas», with divans, rugs and a painted wooden ceiling. It has been the Ethnological Museum since 1982 and won a Europa Nostra award in 1988.

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Hours and entry

Entry is free. The hours are a little tricky, because the two official sources don’t fully agree. The municipality lists it as open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 to 15:30, Wednesdays until 17:00 and Saturdays from 9:30 to 15:30; the Tourism Board extends Saturday to 16:30 and doesn’t mention the late Wednesday. Both agree it’s shut on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays. I’d go on a weekday morning between Tuesday and Friday, when it’s certainly open, and ring +357 22 305 316 if in doubt.

The dragoman’s church, round the corner

A few steps away is the church of St Antonios, 18th-century and built in the style of the Ottoman period, once the church of one of the city’s Christian parishes. The Tourism Board highlights its carved wooden iconostasis and decorated stone bell tower, and recalls that the dragoman and his descendants, who lived next door, gave it land and icons. I like to see it straight after the house, because together they show who held sway in the neighbourhood and how they made it known. Close by, in the same part of the old town, are the Ömeriye Mosque in Nicosia and the Turkish bath beside it, which complete the picture of Ottoman Nicosia.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Kornesios house and pick one that fits your day.

Fitting it in

It’s on Patriarchou Grigoriou Street, a few minutes from the Archbishop’s Palace in Nicosia, so I’d pair it with the Byzantine Museum and the cathedral in one morning. Half an hour is plenty. If everyday life in other eras interests you, the Leventis Museum in Nicosia is the natural companion, and the rest are ranked in museums in Nicosia.

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