The Zekate House (Albanian Shtëpia e Zekatëve) is a historic Ottoman building in Gjirokastra in southern Albania. The Zekate House, which stands prominently above the city, was built in 1811/12. The home of a wealthy family is a typical example of Ottoman architecture, which is mixed with local elements.
Tower-like buildings of this type are called kulla. However, their defensive character serves more as a decoration.[1] The lower part of the house is built of stone, on which a wooden structure was built. The lower part is divided into two towers - these two wings are connected by arches in the main facade. The house consists of four floors. Below are the former storage rooms and a cistern, above a first reception room, further storage rooms and the kitchen. On the second floor there are two living rooms that lead off the reception room on this floor and have a bathroom and toilet. On the upper floor there is the large reception room and two smaller rooms, which, unlike the heated rooms on the lower floor, were mainly used in summer. The central room where the staircase ends has a balcony. The large reception room was mainly used for important celebrations and was probably designed by Petro Korçari.