History:
Zekate House (Albanian: Zapanaja e Zekatëve), is a house in Gjirokastër, Albania. The house, built in 1812, is said to be “one of the grandest examples of Gjirokastër architecture in the Ottoman style”.
Fortified tower houses, (known as kullë in Albanian), belonged to wealthy people, such as government officials or merchants. All rooms have a basic design: a safe ground floor with a wooden gallery on top, which are the most important rooms for an extended family. The decks are placed on the walls to help defend against the enemies they attack. Zekate’s house is an example of an urban kullë. Built in 1811–1812, it has two towers and a large double arch facade. The panorama of the city can be viewed from the house
Description:
This 3 storey house has very strong defensive features, and that is why she is still so powerful until nowadays. The ground floor contains storage rooms, the kitchen and the cistern. The first floor has two rooms used as living quarters for branches of the family, while the third floor has a grand reception room and two other smaller rooms. The principal room is very typical of the grandest of these dwellings with frescoed walls, a carved ceiling and an ornate fireplace. This house gives visitors a vast understandings of the vernacular architecture.
