Zekate House Gjirokaster

Zekate house (Area)

The Zekate House was built in 1811-1812 and is a kind of tower house. It was a gift from Ali Pasha to the owner of this house, Beqir Zeko, who was one of his trusted men. From the right side, was built an establishment which called zanapa (the house that today live the Zeko family) and is with two floors. At the first floor they were helding the horses and at the second floor were staying the servants. From the front side, was a hut for the wheat, to the right side was the door where the horses entered with the wared that hold, this part related with the owners house with a soropulle (kind of small door but outside). Inside the house territory are three more doors, two of them are soropulle and the last is the main door of the family. One of the soropulle related the part that is the zanapa and the other one with the courtyard in front of the house.

The fourth floor (Area)

The fourth floor has three rooms, two of them are summer rooms – so called because they have a bigger space and bigger windows.

The third floor (Area)

The third floor has two rooms. The rooms on the third floor have toilets inside and hamam. In this floor we can see a sofa in the hallway.  As for the flooring and the stares, we see stone tiles painted black colour and aside with red. On the left side is the living room called Pati. At the other side is the other room with the same style. These spaces were called winter rooms with small windows and each of them has two kinds of wooden windows below them and above.  All the rooms have a chimney and from both sides is with two pipes where they were putting the bags of weed, punk, cups of coffee and sometimes brandy bottles. All the rooms have also the windows with coloured glasses which served to reflect perfectly the light.

Second floor (Area)

On the second floor is a minaret (sofa) where the women embroidered while the children played. At this floor is the loft of zahire, where they put tins of trahana, petra, the granary of wheat and corn and other kind of foods for the family needs. In this room there used to be secret places, which were covered with carpets and rugs.

First floor (Area)

The first one is katoqi where they were helding the goods, the wood, the coffee grinder, hook in which they hung the meat and other stuff. From the other side is Muslluku. Muslluku was filled with water rain though the winter. On summer, when the water ended, the family members entered at the storage of muslluk from a window which is at the front side of the house and they cleaned it.

Kamerje (Area)

Kamerje (the place at the balcony) which connects the two towers is established a sink to wash glasses, small things, hands, etc. There were put a copper kettle and another dish with water in it and a small okare (a kind of pot) which served to take water for any necessity.

The walls (Point)

The walls are painted with mural paintings, different baskets with flowers and fruits; at the chimney were painted all the fruits but they have not resisted from time past; the ceilings are engrave and painted (restored recently).

The main room (Area)

The room remained always with a sofra (coffee table) at the middle of the room, with bowl lid, glasses, ivory spoons and forks. Under the table were placed a tablecloth and up to it, napkins. In the hallway was put a kettle where the guests washed their hands. This room also has the musandara for guest, quilts, pillows, etc., also has a bathroom inside too. This house is one of the best examples of Gjirokastra architecture in the Ottoman style

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