The Lusignan House Museum

The mansion, which has survived from the XVth century to the present day, located within the Walled City of Nicosia, is a typical Nicosia mansion as an example of the mixture and harmony of Lusignan - Ottoman architectural styles.
The mansion, which has the characteristics of a typical inner courtyard residence with its bay window and ornamented wooden ceilings, which are additions of the Ottoman period, is built of cut stone, with two floors and a tiled roof, except for the additional pavilion made with the Baghdadi technique. The stone arch remains in the inner courtyard indicate that the building had an extension or connection to the east and south.
The ruins to the south of the house are called the "hundred rooms". These rooms were wall neighbors with St. Catherina's nursing home and church. For this reason, the mansion is assumed to has royal value. History books state that in 1456, King John II stayed here in the house of the Lusignan Princess Agnes. Agnes was a princess of the royal family.
In the 19th century, the mansion, called Kalerio al Efendi, was used by two Turkish families, and later used by a Russian couple named Classen as a residence and weaving workshop until 1958.
As a result of the restoration and museum arrangement works of the Department of Relics and Museums, the Lusignan House was opened to visitors under the name of “Nicosia from the Middle Ages to the Present Day”.

TİKA's Contributions

The building has suffered wear and damage due to ageing and use over time. In the renovation carried out by TIKA in 2023, the roof frame and roof cover of the bay window section were renovated. The entire roof was rearranged and the broken tiles were replaced in accordance with the original. Rainwater gutters and pipes were renewed. All wooden parts of the bay window and front facade were renovated and painted. Exterior paints were renewed. The places where the plaster was swelled due to humidity and dampness were renewed and painted.