Zekate House

Zekate House stands in Gjirokastra, Albania, as a fortified Ottoman-era tower house with two towers and a double-arched façade. Its stone walls overlook the city and the Drino Valley. Built for wealthy southern Albanian households, the urban kullë combines defensive construction with rooms arranged for family life.

Beqir Zeko, a local general administrator under Ali Pasha, commissioned the house between 1811 and 1812. Four floors organise storage, living, sleeping, and reception. The katoqi held food, firewood, and cooking utensils, while upper levels contain a women’s room, bedrooms, a hammam, fireplaces, and toilets. At the top, three rooms balance summer ventilation through large windows against winter warmth from a broad fireplace.

Between the towers, an audience room carries floral patterns, tinted windows, a wall-length sofa, and a floor-covering rug. A balcony opens towards Gjirokastra Castle and the Drino Valley. Original wooden stairs, carved ceilings, latticework, wardrobes, stained glass, and wall frescoes remain alongside dry-stone walls linked to three courtyards.