Freya Stark, British-Italian explorer and travel writer was in Cyprus in 1942. She was invited to Government House where she was appalled by the décor of the building:
You have never seen a house like this. It was built at vast expense after the riots of 1931 and is all a product of the resources, arts and crafts of this island, with the background of the Crusade even in the drawing-room curtains worked in cross-stitch on a peasant-weaving background.
The 'What I Saw...' series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and the Active Citizens Fund.