An ethnographic museum in Lefkoşa (North Nicosia) has opened with Ottoman-era architecture and traditional living.
The two-storey Derviş Paşa Konağı museum is a mansion from the 19th century, that has been restored to its former glory and opened to the public following a painstaking, two-year conservation project.
The mansion, in a historic area of Lefkoşa, is described by officials as one of the city’s “hidden treasures”, with a collection of 500 rare antiques and relics from the time of its original owner.
Following its opening, visitors to the mansion can now see features such as rooms traditionally decorated in authentic Turkish Cypriot style, Ottoman swords, textiles, ceramics, kitchen utensils, Ottoman-era clothing, period furniture and purses made from satin to store tobacco. Star exhibits include a handmade replica of a spectacular chandelier and a brass box inlaid with gold and silver dating back to the Anatolian Selçuk dynasty of the 12th and 13th centuries.
The Derviş Paşa Konağı is open to visitors from Monday to Wednesday and on Fridays from 7.30am until 2pm, and from 7.30am until 5pm on Thursdays. It is closed on weekends. Entry costs 7TL for adults and 5TL for children.
