The Kourkouas family or Curcuas (Medieval Greek: Κουρκούας, from Armenian: Գուրգեն, Gurgen) was, allegedly, one of the many nakharar families from Armenia that migrated to the Byzantine Empire during the period of Arab rule over Armenia (7th–9th centuries) although the latter is mostly speculative.^[1] They rose to prominence as part of the Anatolian military aristocracy in the 10th century, providing several high-ranking generals and an emperor. They intermarried extensively with the aristocratic families of Phokas and Skleros. In the 11th and 12th centuries, they shifted to the civilian bureaucracy.

Famous members

• John Kourkouas (9th c.), Domestic of the Hikanatoi regiment and conspirator against Basil I
• John Kourkouas (10th c.), grandson of the above, Domestic of the Schools of the East and famous general under Romanos I Lekapenos
• Theophilos Kourkouas, brother of John, strategos of Chaldia and later Domestic of the Schools
• Romanos Kourkouas, son of John Kourkouas and Domestic of the Schools of the West
• John Kourkouas, son of Romanos, Domestic of the Schools of the East, killed in the Siege of Dorostolon
• John I Tzimiskes (c. 925–976), grandson of Theophilos Kourkouas, Byzantine Emperor in 969–976
• John Kourkouas (11th c.), Catepan of Italy in 1008–1010
• Gregory Kourkouas, doux of Philippopolis in 1089–1091
• Michael II Kourkouas, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in 1143–1146.