"To Konatzi of Marika and Yiannis" is situated in the centre of the village and it was built in 1865 by the members of the family.
Yiannis was a hard worker specialising in the construction of bridges in Africa and more specifically in the city of Khartoum, Sudan where his family had moved to when he was only just 7 years old. At the age of 33 and after he married Marika he returned back to Cyprus where he ran a small convenience store in the village. Marika, Yiannis' wife was a dedicated housewife, well known in the village for her kindness and homemade cooking. She was left in charge to raise their 5 children and took care of the household while her husband Yiannis was busy expanding their business by exporting carobs to South Africa.
Yiannis was one of the pioneers in Cyprus to export the carob fruit to South Africa which back then was regarded as ‘black gold’. Carob fruit locally known as ‘teratsia’ has deep roots in the island’s history as it was a main source of income for the rural population and was understandably a valuable commodity for the villagers.
The House was restored in 2016 with the help of the family and was given the name "The Konatzi of Marika and Yiannis" which in the Greek Cypriot dialect means "The Grand House of Marika and Yiannis" in order to honour its predecessors. It is considered to be one of the biggest residences in Kato Drys and it can accommodate up to 20 people. It consists of 5 rooms, all self-catered as well as a beautiful inner open patio, a living room and a kitchen as common spaces.
