The Zekate House (Albanian Shtëpia e Zekatëve) is a historic Ottoman building in Gjirokastra in southern Albania. The Zekate House, which towers prominently over the city, was built in 1811/12. The home of a wealthy family is a typical example of Ottoman architecture, mixed here with local elements.
Tower-like buildings of this type are called kulla. However, their defensive character serves more as an adornment. The house is built of stone in the lower part, on which a wooden structure was erected. 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 storerooms and a cistern, above which is a first reception room, further storerooms and the kitchen. On the second floor there are two living rooms, which lead off from the reception room on this floor and have a bathroom and toilet. On the upper floor are the large reception room and two smaller rooms which, in contrast to 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 festivals and was probably designed by Petro Korçari.
The builder was Beqir Zeko, who worked in Ali Pasha Tepelena's government. His sons and their families also lived in the house. The magnificent building was intended to express the power and wealth of the family. It is located in the Palorto district on the upper outskirts of the city and overlooks the whole town.
The Zekate House has been called "the finest surviving example of an Ottoman tower house in Gjirokastra" (Emin Riza).
When the historical city center of Gjirokastra was placed under protection in 1961, this also included the Zekate building. In 1973 it was recognized as a cultural monument. For a time it housed an ethnographic museum. In 2005 Gjirokastra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building was renovated in 2004 and can be visited. The house is uninhabited, but the Zeko family lives in an outbuilding at the entrance of the property. Since 2018, the house has been accessible during normal museum opening times - and also on request.
Ottoman house from 1811/12, built in the typical kulla (fortified residential tower) style. Kullas are typical of the Western Balkans and are found primarily in Kosovo. The house can be visited as a museum.
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