Zekate House

Zekate House is considered the best-surviving example of an Ottoman tower house (kulla) in Gjirokastër. Two massive stone towers are connected by a central wing with a double arch on the facade. The design serves defensive purposes: thick ground-floor walls, narrow loopholes, and fortified entrances. The ground floor held storage rooms, a kitchen with a high ceiling, and a water cistern. The first floor contained living quarters for two branches of the family. The third floor features a grand reception room and two additional chambers.

The highlight is the reception room situated between the two towers. Its walls are painted with colorful floral frescoes, the ceiling is carved wood, and the fireplace is ornately decorated. Tinted windows cast colored light across the space. A traditional sofa (divan) lines the walls, and a large rug covers the floor. A balcony from this room opens to a 180° panorama of Gjirokastër Castle and the Drino River Valley.

Beyond the stonework, the house is remarkable for the preservation of its wooden elements: the central staircase, built-in wardrobes, lattice woodwork, ceilings, and the intricate roof structure – all original from the early 19th century. Every room has a fireplace with a chimney, plus toilets connected to a sewage system and a hammam – a level of domestic engineering ahead of its time.

Architecture – tower-house type (kulla) with twin fortified towers and a double-arched facade

Date – built 1811–1812, a gift from Ali Pasha of Tepelena to the city administrator Beqir Zeko

Frescoes – original early 19th-century floral wall paintings in the reception room

Panorama – third-floor balcony with 180° views of Gjirokastër Castle and the Drino Valley

Woodwork – original staircase, carved ceilings, and built-in wardrobes preserved for over 200 years

Engineering – sewage system, water cistern, and hammam in a building from 1812

The house was built in 1811–1812 by order of Ali Pasha of Tepelena, one of the most powerful rulers in the Ottoman Empire's Rumelia region. Ali Pasha gifted the completed house to Beqir Zeko, the chief administrator of Gjirokastër. The building was designed as a fortified residence with defensive features – towers, thick walls, and narrow windows on lower floors. At the time, such fortress-houses were built by wealthy officials and merchants for protection against bandits and political rivals.

After Ali Pasha's downfall in 1822 and throughout the 19th–20th centuries, the house remained in the possession of Zeko family descendants. Unlike many of Gjirokastër's historic buildings, the house was not confiscated during the communist period, though it suffered from a lack of maintenance funds. Today, family descendants live nearby and open the house to visitors. A small bar with a terrace operates on the premises. The building is recognized as one of the finest examples of Ottoman residential architecture in Albania and falls within the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Gjirokastër.

From central Gjirokastër (on foot, 15–20 minutes):

– Walk uphill from the bazaar through the Palorto quarter

– Follow Rruga Bashkim Kokona

– The climb is steep – allow extra time and wear sturdy shoes

From Tirana (227 km, 3.5–4 hours):

– Bus: 11 daily departures, 1,200 ALL (~$13 USD / ~12 EUR)

– Car rental: from $22–27 USD / 20–25 EUR per day, route via Fier and Tepelenë

From Sarandë (49 km, 1–1.5 hours):

– Bus: 500 ALL (~$5 USD), several departures daily

– By car via SH8 highway

On the ground:

From Gjirokastër bus station – 20–25 minutes on foot or a taxi for 300–500 ALL to the base of the Palorto quarter, then 10 minutes uphill on foot

Season: April–October. In July–August, the uphill walk in the heat can be exhausting – go in the morning. In winter, the house may be closed without notice.

Time of day: Morning (before 11:00) or late afternoon (after 4 PM) – soft light for photographing frescoes and the panorama. Sunset from the balcony is one of the best views in the city.

Duration: 20–30 minutes for the house itself, plus time at the terrace bar.

Avoid: Rainy days – cobblestone streets become slippery. Winter months without confirming opening hours.