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The Albanian House
 

Platform that aims to raise awareness and understanding on the most representative and charateristic houses in Albania, their richness and authenticity as architecture typologies.


Read about the background of this project in the following link:

The Albanian House Project

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Villa 'Fortuzi'

Villa ‘Fortuzi’ was built from Omer Fortuzi, it is believed around 1920. He used to be one of the first Albanian engineers and a member of one of the biggest and most important families in the city. Being once the mayor of Tirana( from 1940-1943), while he had this position he always tried to implement as many Italian projects as he could. The architecture of this villa is a confirmation of this intent too. It represents a very unique villa typology, with a very different architecture, compared to what was usually realized at the time, three-storey house designed with organic curves in all of its floors and very visible in its overall characteristic volumetry. It has an 'L' shape ground-floor blueprint, with two different entrances both accessing on abundant gardens. The main entrance door is very monumental with symmetric organic volumes. The organic lines follow also the way the terrace's metallic handrailing was designed and implemented. Its focal point is the entrance that representing the main symmetry ax of the building, is composed of three, 2 storey high, rectangular columns. The ground floor facade, the three entrance columns and the surrounding walls are covered with red brick tiles an element that links the entire composition of this villa. During communism, it is believed the original owners were expropriated and recently it hosted the offices of the Social-democratic party of Albania
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Villa 'Nepravishta'

The Villa is positioned in the intersection of ‘Rruga Kont Urani’ and 'Rruga Kavajes' once known as Boulevard ‘Mussolini’ using a surface area of 1437m2. This project was realized in 1935, from the Italian engineer Giulio Berte (who is a very important name in the history of the architecture of Tirana, the one who realized The Palace of Brigades, once ‘The Royal Villa’ and the design of the Scanderbeg Square in Tirana), but the construction works lasted until 1936. This villa was commissioned by the once mayor of the Municipality of Tirana, Abedin Nepravishta ( Mayor from 1934-1936, and 1937-1939). This project was thought to have influenced King Zogu to ask 'Berte' and realize also the project for his residential villa, ‘Royal Villa’ very notable today because of some similarities in terms of their design. Like many other Italian architects of that time, G.Berte also intended a rational style with a representative character, that would evidence itself to the existing architecture, of the surrounding but providing a certain combination of modernity with the respect to the specific urban conditions, towards the main streets. Being a urban house, situated in a crossroad of two very important mobility axes, it’s volumetry as a result, was very defined and geometric, at the same time monumental, providing a view towards the ‘Mussolini’ Boulevard, ‘Ethem Bej Mosque’ and further on to the main ‘Scanderbeg Square’. It has a very clear plan organization, with an underground plan, ground floor plan, first floor, and terrace. Talking about the functional organization, its ground floor was meant to host mixed-use spaces. The main areas along the Boulevard Mussolini treated like duplexes with specific staircases connecting to the first floor and the technical spaces underground. The other part of the ground floor plan was reserved for an apartment that communicated also with the inner garden. Meanwhile, all first-floor space, has a residential use, therefore, represents a more intimate space. Its structural system is a compound one, with perimeter massive walls of 30-45cm and an inner reinforced concrete beam-column system. From 1945 until 1992 it served as a Kindergarten and after 1992 the original owners got it back.
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Toptani's Sarajet

Toptani’s Saray has been built around 1833-1840, one of the least buildings realized during the feudal period, in Albania. It possesses a space of around 32 rooms, all decorated in an oriental ottoman style. It represents a very important architectural complex constructed with massive bearing walls made out of qerpic and anti seismic, wooden wall beams, that give to it the feeling of a fortification or fortress. This being a type of building and construction technique spread in Albania during the second half of the 19th century, during the feudal order. It’s a two-story building, listed as a Monument of Culture, built with traditional techniques from old masters from Diber. It has special values not only for the inner functional organization but also for its architectural facade treatment and decorations. It's exterior is treated with simplicity, plain and clear volumetry with a white facade and dark wooden decorative windows. It has an abundant garden space in front, with a well and the entire complex is surrounded by high walls with a principle gate. During A.Zogu's regime, it was used as 'The National Library' and further on during Communism, it served as the offices of the Institute of Monuments and Culture (it is believed around 1963). Its ownership returned back to its original owners and for a while was used as a Bar/Restaurant. Despite this, today stands not functional and non-accessible to the public
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Villa of the former 'Radio Tirana’

This Villa is a Monument of second category. Represents the first mediatic Institution in Albania. The villa was built in 1938 from a very rich and important family of Tirana ‘Kollciu’ with the main purpose to be a house for two brothers, the fact that is also shown in the symmetric plan organization of the villa. Later on, it was seized under the order of King Zog, and it served as the base for ‘Radio Tirana’ until 1965. After that, its inner space was used by 'The Institute of Anthropology and Art Studies', which later on moved also from there, since its private owners appeared again, and today It stands in very bad conditions. The villa is composed of four floors and one of them stands underground. It has two main entrances and one of them is directed towards the backyard. It has a very harmonic, clean-neoclassical façade, with columns without orders, prefabricated granite (granulated stones composition) staircase, the main hallway with marble tiles, windows with wooden frames, metallic balustrades. Currently, some people are living there. It is believed that the actual owner of the Villa led them ‘squat’ while taking care of the inner space, before taking back the villa and applying his plans of re-construction for it, which at this point are known mostly as speculations but nothing that can be considered sure.
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House 'Libohova'

This house is situated inside the Castle of Tirana's walls, not visible from the promenade and completely unaccessible.
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House of the painter Sali Shijaku

The house is located on 'Siri Kodra' street and is one of the oldest examples, of a Tirana's house, with a 'firehouse' (also known as shtepia e zjarrit). Built during the first half of the XIX century, it represents the most developed phase of this type of house. It has a regular, rectangular floor-plan, organized in two floors. At first, it is believed, to have been built with the typical Albanian porch, also known as 'hajat' and 'cardak' (on the upper floor), as a two storey house, but around the beginning of the XX century, its reconstruction was done and both spaces were closed. On the ground floor the main and most important space is the 'firehouse'(shtepia e zjarrit) that runs on two floors. It has a main fireplace and its ceiling is free, so with the naked eye, you can see the whole structure of the roof's holding together with the two skylights. This core space is today used as a gallery for displaying the painter's works. The 'Shijaku' house was declared a cultural monument, of first category, in 1973. Among other things, it represents one of the oldest typologies of popular, vernacular houses of Tirana. Due to the techniques and materials used in construction, respectively, with massive bearing walls made of 'qerpic', with bonding clay and anti-seismic wooden beams, along with the masonry. The house has a considerable front yard and is all surrounded by high bearing walls and a wooden entrance gate, covered with a typical roof of this typology. The outdoor space of the courtyard works as a Cafe, today.
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Villa 'Pustina'

This Villa belongs to the 'Pustina' family. It's construction begun in 1925 and finalized in 1927. This house lays along 'Qemal Stafa' street, from which it is distanced by an 18 m yard. This is not its whole original yard. five meters away from the villa, there's a five-floor silicate-brick residential building (built during socialism), which occupies part of its outdoor space. The villa is a mix of traditional architectural features like space organization rationality, the use of decorative wooden elements in the ceilings, or the emphasis of an element, like 'erker', in volumetry similar to many korcar houses. Also the use of neo-classic, balcony-European influenced, facade ornaments. It is organized in two floors where the ground floor has a lower height and during the years has suffered many changes, to meet the different, many inhabitants requests, like for example the creation of a secondary lateral door, or the placement of a ramp for people with physical impairments, along the main entrance. The pavement of this floor is treated with small decorative tiles, with motifs, while the ceiling of each space is covered in painted, decorative wood. On both floors, the main hall plays an important role in bringing together all the main spaces. On the first floor, it can be accessed by the monumental external staircase, which is so important for the whole volumetry of this villa. The first floor is developed with a considerate height, more lighting, a feature similar to many traditional houses where more importance is placed on the upper floor as the main living area. Its floor is all paved with wood, while the ceiling is the same as on the ground floor. The rooms are spacious and each has access to a bathroom and built-in closet. The presence of a laundry room and of a balcony, in the southern part of the villa is a sign that the owners were of high socioeconomic rank. The whole facade of the villa is covered by decorative elements, with floral motifs. The family lived there, during 1944-1945, after this period it was confiscated by the state, to be taken back after, by its original owner's sons, after the fall of Communism. The lack of consensus among its owners and the lack of interest from the responsible, appropriate structures, in giving it protected status, has brought its alarming, degraded state of nowadays.
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House on 'Sotir Peçi' street

The Villa was commissioned by Dine Hoxha, a merchant, and important figure at the time, from Dibra, around 1931. It is located along 'Sotir Peci' street perpendicular to 'Durresi' street and from the urban point of view, its somehow hidden/camouflaged, because of the residential building height, between the villa and the main street, that was built in 1959, therefore it can be considered as a 'hidden treasure' of the area. During Communism, the Hoxha family was taken out of the villa to another house close-by, in the same neighborhood. Later on, the original owners moved back to the villa but because of their poor economic condition, they weren't able to look after the villa or restore it, in its original state. During the years Dine Hoxha's nephew has lived in a nearby house, leaving the villa to the families in need as it still is today. The villa is organized on three floors, one underground and two visible. Its main entrance is located in the north-east area and it's obvious by the use of the monumental, double ramp staircase, which forms in between a green patio, where a taller tree than the altimetry of the villa, is located. The south-eastern part of the house represents the first break in its volume, as it undergoes a visible retraction in the shape of a 'porch' with a double column system, located on the first floor. Another characteristic for its volumetrie is the presence of a six-angled prism volume element, which rises in the northwestern part of the villa and on the first floor with the same column system, holding a roof with arched tiles. All the facades of the villa have been treated with many neo-classical ornaments and details that include window frames, doors, floors partitioning or wall corners. Its condition today shows a continuous lack of treatment, facing massive stripping on the plaster of the façades and the exterior of the brick walls left visible. For the main staircase part of it has been re-created, with concrete blocks which are far from being the material used in the original construction technique of the house.
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House on 'Rreshit Çollaku' street

The villa is located behind the 'Albanian Post', somewhere drawn from 'Reshit Collaku' street creating the space of a small courtyard in front of it. This villa was built in 1930, has a considerable extension and development both in horizontality and verticality, therefore, development in storeys, there are three storeys. It has a symmetric composition, that is readable in its main volume and facade. The central unit of the villa has been treated with a lodge with balustrades and a perimeter column system. Some deforming interventions, into the facade of the villa, are evident, through attempts to close even more the brick masonry lodges, or through blocking the windows. No intervention was made for its restoration, as large plaster fragments are cut off and the ground-floor space is very fragmented.
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Ethnographic Museum of Kruja

Once the residence place of the 'Toptani' family. Situated within the Castle's walls, in a neighborhood with characteristic features of the XVIII-XIX century civic centers. It stands out for its size and its treatment as a housing-typology with a closed 'çardak', situated on the central part of the castle. It has no resemblance to the houses built in Kruja, during the XVIII-XIX centuries, which are generally enclosed with one floor or half perpendicular floors. This house is part of a residential complex, which according to the ruins that can be seen today, included a second building above it and some other constructions, but it is impossible to distinguish specific, relevant functions. The two main divisions were the upper part of the house, 'the guest-house' also known back then as 'selamlleku' and the lower part(house), the house with the enclosed 'cardak', the family-house or also known as 'haremlleku'. Nowadays the house of guests is in ruins and only a part of the walls remain evidence. Decay problems were encountered in the family-house also, with a number of changes and degradation of the structural elements. The structure is two-story, with an almost equal surface area for both floors. The layout has the shape of the letter L. The floors are connected by an outdoor, stone staircase, which stands out, from the volume of this structure. They are two ramps where one of the ramps rests on a full masonry and the other, on two spaces covered with vaults quarter circular and half-circular. The ground floor is where the four spaces connect with the 'hajat'(ground-floor porch). The first space has served as a living room and that can be guessed by the chimney and six, pairs of windows placed in a certain height. This room is ceiling-free, without plaster and paved with cobble-stones. The second room, that communicates with the first one, is completely unpaved. It is believed, to have served as a deposit. The third area was the food-deposit as the traces show.
The fourth room, similar to the first one, was used as a living room with a chimney. The outdoor staircase leads to the 'çardak', to which all the second-floor rooms, are connected with the exception of the 10th room. The sixth room has a rich decorative ornamentation and this fact shows that it is one of the most important rooms in the house, a guest-house. At its bottom is the volume divided into two parts in height. On the lower part, in the center, you can see what's called 'the musander' next to a niche and behind them the doors leading to the bathroom and the seventh room and to the 'cardak'. 'Mafili' which is the space created on the upper part of this division in height, is completely closed, only a single window opens to the 'çardak' area, and some small glazed openings, overlook towards the room. Wooden stairs make the right connection of the entrance on the right with the space of the 'mafil', this one is made out of a wooden floor and wooden ceiling. The main ceiling of the entire room has eight corners and is made of wood too. The upper part is built with floral ornaments. The seventh room is one of the most interesting. Its 'mafil'(which is used as space for women to see who was visiting but not be seen) is open and relatively large. There is balustrade with wooden grids that give the appearance of a balcony. At its bottom is a 'musander' and a door leading to the bathroom door, which connects to the guest room. The Chimney serving also for the bathroom. Lighting is provided with windows placed two by two on top of each other. Near room 7 there is a small room that gets the light through the four windows placed two by two on top of each other. Characteristic for this space is the chimney with a drum in the form of a pyramid. It is believed to have been the 'fire-house'(shtepia e zjarrit). The tenth room is completely transformed. The fifth room occupies the left part of the 'çardak' area. It is relatively small in size and is illuminated by two-row windows on top of each other. This space has its own bathroom, that gets out of the contour of the house. The house is built with stone walls, its ground floor and a large part of the first floor. The stone masonry is built with stones connected with limestone. The stability of the wall is provided by the wooden beams like made of oak. A large amount of mortar has been used so that from the outside it appears to have been treated with plaster. The roof has been built with locally-sourced materials. The pavements of the living spaces are of wooden boards. Through the process of restoration, there was a process of reassessment of the additions built over the years, dividing additions that had significant value and became part of the dwelling or cases that undermined the architectural value of the complex. The latter, the ones affecting negatively have been removed from the main volume. On the basis of old documents and footage, the main 'çardak' facade, was reconstructed. Restoration works affected almost all volumes.
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House 'Kuqi'

This house is located in one of the alleys connected with 'Donika Kastrioti' street. It was the property of two brothers and was built by the original owner, the grandfather of the family 'Idriz Bejtekuqi', as one of the wealthiest traders of the time. Built to accommodate a large family of two brothers, the house is quite spacious and quite expanded on its yard also. Organized on two floors, with two separate entrances, each one with arched wooden doors.The half to the right of the house, today stands un-inhabited contrary to the half on the left. The facade of the house, becomes more dynamic because breaking its continuity is a volume that stands out, in its central part, a 'qoshk', as a special partially differentiated space inside the enclosed 'cardak' area. The house is one of the richest in detail and colors, on both the interior and exterior. In terms of plan layout and functionality, there is something very unique compared to most of the houses of this typology and period, and that is the division of the enclosed 'cardak' space with the other rooms through a buffer space that resembles the idea of a corridor. Also one of the guest-rooms on the upper floor of the house is also full of ornaments on wood and details, all its upper part of the wall-strip is painted with all sorts of city representations and floral motifs. It has a beautiful, ornamented wooden ceiling and different elements like individual 'musandras', a type of built-in closets on one part of the wall and on the other, the entire wall, arranged with them. Some of the ornaments are falling day by day and the house-entirety is endangered by the passing of time, decay and lack of maintenance. It used to be a Cultural Monument, but today appears not listed as such.
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House no.1 on 'Kala' neighbourhood

This house together with House no.2 on this neighborhood is situated in a quite sloped terrain, on its lower part, close to the Ethnographic Museum of Kruja. The two houses are very close to each other. This house has a very simply treated facade, with an interesting rhythm of window combination. Windows are placed to light up the interior spaces, two by two, with a small opening in between a couple of windows. They are framed with decorative wooden elements and covered with a decorative wooden grid. It has a very large size, therefore it is believed, a big family used to live there. Today the house stays abandoned.
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House no.2 on 'Kala' neighbourhood

This house has a big courtyard, protected with heavy masonry walls and with an entrance on the side. The main entrance door is made out of decorated wood. Being very closed to house no.1 you can see the differences in the facade treatment, even though they are very similar and treated with simplicity. On the first house, there's a combination of two by two of the windows, here you can find this rhythm, repeated every four.
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Ethnographic Museum of Kavaja

This museum is one of the most characteristic buildings of the city and belongs to the house typology with 'çardak'. It was built in 'Skuraj' neighborhood, in Kavaje. This house was built by the family 'Arkaxhinj', from the beginning of the XVIII and late XIX century and is a first category Monument. On the inside, there are exposed, characteristic clothing and objects of various periods, the Illyrian period, the Early Middle Ages 1400- 1600, Renaissance 1831-1912, Independence 1912-1939 and Socialism 1945-1990. The house has a symmetric volumetry and plan organization and is developed in mostly one floor apart from the two wings. Each one of the volume-units has two stories, a main well-decorated room and a half-underground space used for storage.
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House 'Haxhi Alushi'

Located in the 'Skuraj' neighborhood, it was declared a second category Monument in 1987. Built by one of the wealthy families of the time, the 'Alushaj' family. This house is part of the XIX century period and its main characteristic is the facades decorated with floral wall-paintings.It has a very simple and clean facade-treatment where all of them are treated with white plaster, while the masonry joins are left with decorative bricks. One of the facades has been completely mistreated, with a huge surface of plaster missing and some of the frescoes covered from several layers or simply removed.
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House 'Haxhi Myftari'

This house was built at the beginning of the 19th century and is located in the neighborhood 4 on 'Fehla Karaboja' street. It was declared second category Monument in 2006 but today half of it is demolished and the other half still standing but in quite bad conditions. you can notice a very interesting house- typology, in the urban context due to the fact that one of its facades, faces the main street and takes part somehow in the street visual identity. Therefore this facade is slightly more closed than the main one. You can clearly notice the richness with which the facade was treated, decorative frames around the windows and doors, in the two floors divisions and decorative plaster elements on the wall-corners.
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House 'Kadri Xhafa'

Civic house built in the early 20th century located in the city center. It was declared the second category Monument in 2006. The house is situated in a crossroad, therefore one of its completely closed facades faces one of the secondary streets and the other one the main one faces the main street with a certain distance from the surrounding walls. There has been an attempt to transfigure the facade identity with the use of strong and not qualitative paint-color.
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House 'Man Kashamit'

The house belongs to the beginning of the XX century. It is a two-story house located in the city-centre, along the 'Fehla Karaboja' street. This house is declared second category Monument and today stands in very bad conditions with all of its windows, doors, and floors missing and tres and bushes invading its main courtyard and inner space.
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House on 'Indrit Cara' promenade

This house is situated very close to the city center and one of the main promenade of the city. it is organized in three floors, symmetric volumetry and each one of the floor facades are similar to the other, except from the last floor that ends up in a decorative balustrade that gives the idea of having a usable roof in the aesthetic representation of the crown of a building. Incised on it is 1920 which is the year when the house is believed to have been built.
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Babameto House

This house was built in 1940 and is situated on 'Onhezmi' street. It was realized in a steeped terrain and its main facade covered in warm terracota plaster and decorative stone tiles along the windows, doors and wall-corners accentuate the facade treatment. It is organized in two floors and an underground basement floor, that raises the entrance to the house with several stairs, more precisly 7 stairs. It is believed it was built from a rich family originating from Gjirokastra. It has a special treatment in the inner spaces with wooden ceilings and wooden floors on the second floor more precisely. The wooden ceilings through the years have been treated with a green paint, the same as the window's frames and musandra's frames (built in closets in the size of a window in this case). The ground floor of the house is made out of decorative ceramic tiles with floral motifs.
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House no. 2 on 'Onhezmi' street

The house, today in not very good conditions, during Communism used to be 'The War Museum'.
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House on 'Skënderbeu' street

This house is thought to belong to the 'Muzina' family and its ground floor was used for services while the residential part, used only the first floor. The main facade faces the main street and its open to it, the entrance to the house is provided like most of the dwellings in Sarande, through a long staircase on the side of the building. The third floor is withdrawn to make it possible for a usable terrace. The house develops in-depth and a very defining element on the main facade is the balcony made with decorative metallic balustrade.
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House no 1 on 'Onhezmi' street

This house served as such in the beginning, and later in Communism, its first floor was used as the office of 'labor unions', while the ground floor served as the space of a Coffee Bar. Today it is in a very degraded, decay state. The house is also situated in a steeped terrain, with a long staircase along one of its facades. It has a very unique architecture with two long balconies shaped with rounded corners, along with two of the main facades and terracotta-colored plaster on the upper floor.
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Ethnographic Museum of Durres

This house is located on 'Kolonel Thomson' street, near the Amphitheater of Durres. It represents the house typology with 'çardak', built during the second half of the 19th century. Around the 30s of the 20th century it served as the head-center of the English Consulate and today serves as 'The Ethnographic Museum of Durres'. This is the house where the actor 'Aleksander Moisiu' grew up, an important figure of the scenic art in Europe, born to an Albanian father and an Italian mother. Two of today's Ethnographic Museum spaces are dedicated to him. Meanwhile, the other three spaces have been dedicated to the local artisan development and values, of the city and its localities. The house is organized in two floors, it has an external stone staircase that enables the connection of the ground floor with the second floor's 'çardak'( a kind of open portico used in the Albanian vernacular architecture). This staircase is sustained by stone vaults, that rest upon a stone archway. 'Çardaku' is confined, along the main facade, by wooden pillars and also paved with wood. It's restoration happened in 1983.
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Royal Villa in Durres

This 80-year-old building is otherwise known as the 'King Zog's Villa' and is positioned in a very dominant location, 98 meters above sea level, from where the whole city of Durres can be seen from the three main sides of its eagle-shaped structure. It is thought to have been built in 1927 as a personal gift to King Zog I, from the business community of Durres in a sign of respect and appreciation. The architect of this house is thought to be Prof. Kristo Sotiri, a laureate in Padua and Venice (Italy), who also had an eleven-year experience as the architect of the court of Queen Elizabeth Carmen Silva of Romania. He designed and built one of the most unique villas of the city, that referring to the detailed level of indoor and outdoor decorations and materiality can be seen as a kind of royal palace. The building took its final form in 1937 under the care of Italian architects and specialists, a few months before the Monarch Zog the I'st marriage to the Hungarian Countess, Geraldine. The interiors are gracefully decorated, with a stunning parquet floor and a characteristic, walnut-decorated ceiling. The upper floor is specially designed for the royal couple with balconies that overlook the entire bay of Durres, a testament to a modern building of this period. This villa is quite famous for its different kinds of marble and its grand saloon. Over the years the villa has served for more than 40 years as a waiting residence for various names of the Communist Party, starting from Hrushov to the Cambodian prince, and its most notable host after the 1990s has been the former US President, Jimmy Carter. The building was also used in communist-era for parties and weddings. The building with special architecture was badly damaged in march of 1997, during the collapse created by the pyramid firms, when within two days it was vandalized, stolen, completely destroying the lighting system, which had remained intact since the time it was built. For several years it was used by the international NATO forces, arriving on military missions.
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Mic Sokoli tower-house

Located in the village of Bujan, this house was proclaimed a monument on January 8, 1977. The house is of the 'fortified' typology typical of the area of Gjakova with many other features of this typology. This house is organized on three floors where the ground floor is not for living but in the service of livestock also known as 'ahri', while the first floor is In the village of Bujan, in the south-eastern part district of Tropoja, on a high ground rises the 'Tower of Mic Sokolit'. The collapsed walls of the tower, hit many times by the cannons of the foreign invaders, are evidence of the people's resistance and struggle to protect their lands. It is not known exactly when this tower was built, but it is thought about at the end of the 18th century. In addition to the historical value of the figure it relates to, it is of particular importance for the house-typology it represents in the highlands of Gjakova. As a result of a fire in 1945, it has been massively destroyed, losing its floors and roof structure. The tower is made out of three storeys and has a rectangular plan with right angles. The composition scheme of space distribution is as follows: on the ground floor there is' ahri ', on the first-floor women's room, preceded by a hallway, and on the second floor 'divanhania' and the 'guest room'. The connection of all these spaces is realized with wooden stairs inside and outside. 'Ahri' served as a shelter for livestock and horses and had a protective function as one of the safest spaces in all dwellings of this typology. At the perimeter of the tower, there are from one to two 'frengjij' in small dimensions, on each site providing minimal ventilation and illumination, which makes the tower safer. The door is on the north side and is covered with arches. The door is secured from the inside with a wooden beam called 'drang' which is inserted into the open hole in the right part of the masonry wall.
The ground floor of the tower consisted of a single room, the women's room (soba e grave) or 'fire chamber'(oda e zjarrit), the entrance to which was secured by a door on its western side with a single exterior ramp-staircase. Conclusions derived from some traces left on the masonry before restoration. The door, like that in the 'ahri', was covered with a stone-made arch, this one wood-panel door, also secured with the 'drang' element. From the vertical footprint of a column, on the east side of the wall, was deduced and assumed that there was the beginning of a wooden skeleton partition of the women's room with a corridor leading to the sanitary unit. Regarding the women's room environment, it was illuminated and ventilated through some small windows, arched outwards and next to them on each side of this room were 2-3 'frengjij'. On the south side of the Tower are found traces of a chimney, thought to be of a 'tambur' type, with a rectangular, right-angle section.
The second floor of the tower: This floor is also the most damaged but due to the importance of careful reading of the footprints, it has been possible to reconstruct the floor layout. This floor contained in its interior the 'guest room' which was preceded by another space 'divanhania', on a smaller surface than the 'guest room' and separated from it, and an interconnected corridor through the 'dyshekllek ' (structure with vertical columns of wood blinded with thick wooden planks). The wooden stairs on the 'divanhane' connects this floor to the 1st floor. The interconnecting corridor of these two spaces leads to the sanitary unit in the eastern part. The perimeter walls on this floor, as in the other two, are limestone masonry walls. The upper-floor restoration was even more difficult as only two walls had resisted.
This building was of double importance for restoration, both historically, as the birthplace of the hero Mic Sokoli, and from the typological point of view of the tower-houses of this area, but at the same time it was very difficult to restore and to decide to restore it since a considerate amount of the object's elements were missing and demolished. The way it was dealt with, was that first consolidation actions were made on the existing walls and also the rebuilding of parts of the tower for which there were traces of their existence. Their reconstruction increased the stability of the existing structure, as with the re-creation of the 'dyshekllek'. The use of typological analogies with other elements of this type of house from the region did not allow for error. Outdoor wooden stairs, horse 'ahri', and the entire interior with lime plaster were also recreated. The 'dyshekllek' was realized as it was always made with oak wood with 8cm timber and more open windows. The roof is made of 'stropil' type and covered with 'furde' (wooden planks) and its bottoms are rounded. The volumetry of the tower represents a prismatic body made of stone and wooden elements, covered with a four-direction inclination wooden roof. The tower was restored within the framework of the 100th anniversary of 'Lidhja Prizrenit', and after its restoration, it became a museum-house about the life and activity of Mic Sokoli.
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House Sali Mani

Located in the village of Bujan, this house was proclaimed a monument on January 8, 1977. The house is of the 'fortified' typology typical of the area of Gjakova with many other features of this typology. This house is organized on three floors where the ground floor is not for living but in the service of livestock also known as 'ahri', while the first floor is accessed through an external stone staircase and a main wooden gate covered with arched stone. The first floor is the women's room also known as 'oda e grave' while the second floor is the room for friends (guests) and men also known as 'oda e miqve'. The volumetry is very clean with stone masonry and lime mortar, based on a quadratic plan. In the volume, there are some small windows with upper arched stones part and many small openings also known as 'frengji', which break the continuity of the masonry. This tower is thought to have been built during the late 18th century and is where the 'Conference of Bujan' took place, also on 30th of December 1943 in this house the 'National-Liberation Council for Kosovo' was created. Bajram Curri, left from this house on January 11th, 1925 towards the Alps where he remained until his heroic fall on March 29th, 1925 in the Mountains of Dragobi.
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The tower-house of Nikoll Zef Koçeku (The Isolation tower)

This tower represents a first category Monument and it's located on 'Kolaj' neighborhood, Grunas, being one of the main attractions for tourists. It is known also as 'Kulla e ngujimit' (Isolation tower) and it belongs to 'Koçeku' family. It is known so, because of its function in the past. The space used to isolate a person who had committed a crime, waiting for the reconciliation through the intervention of the group of wise and old men of the village. In terms of volume and architecture, it represents a typical and simple example, of a tower-house of this province of Albania, fortified with massive stone walls, each facade very closed in the outside, with the exception of a few small openings also known as ''frengjij''. The structure indicates the protective character of this house. The entrance gate is embedded with arched stone cover and all of its groundfloors is build upon a rock, still visible, element that shows this strong respect and connection of this architecture with the context, with nature.
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The tower-house of Lulash Keci (Ethnographic Museum of Dukagjin)

This house is today the Ethnographic Museum of Dukagjin and a first category Monument also. It is built on a steep cliff, 9m high and it stands connected in a very organic way with the terrain, looking like a further extension of it. This tower-house has a horizontal extension with a surface around 87m2. Its ground floor was used to accommodate the livestock, so it is slightly lower as a floor with the main entrance, on its main facade. A specific characteristic of this house is the entrance to the second living floor, through a covered staircase made of stone, creating, therefore, a sort of covered protected entrance, that at its higher level is open to the view of the surrounding mountains. The upper floor has two main rooms, one where the main family used to live and the other one, organized on a higher level is the 'guest room', containing a hearth also, wooden pavement and wooden ceiling. Being a tower-house, it doesn't have many openings and windows so two of its facades are completely closed and on one of its corners, a 'frengjij'(small openings on a masonry wall, realized for enemy protection reasons) can be noticed, since it stands out in volumetry.
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House 'Nik Ndue Rupa'

This house belonged to three brothers and after was inherited by two of them and their uncle. As a result of having several heirs and because of a failure to reach an agreement between them, the house today is in a very dilapidated state, where the roof is missing and the ceilings have drastically fallen. Until 2-3 years ago it still possessed the roof. The house was once a cultural monument and habitable until 1992, after which its inhabitants migrated to Shkoder. The building is a typical tower-type house, constructed with massive stone walls, where the stones on the corners are treated with decorative stone. It is also treated with typical small openings, windows.
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House 'Gjergj Suka'

Located in the 'Grunas' neighborhood, it is believed to have been built around 200 years before. Today it is owned by 'Gjergj Suka' but it was built and the original owner was 'Nik Çuni'. It was inherited by three brothers later and about 35 years ago, it was massively burned and massively changed from the earthquake. The house has no protection plaster, so the stone masonry is visible and its floor has been demolished, also the roof made with wooden planks, replaced with asbestos.
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House 'Shuk Lamthi'

Situated in the 'Grunas' neighborhood, right in front of House 'Gjergj Suka', this house represents one of the houses built as part of a typical, northern, Albanian house ensemble. There lived two families, who later migrated and currently, for more than 20 years the house stands completely deserted. The two facades of this house contain anthropometric features, a sign that shows their human character.
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Dervish Ali Towers (Residential complex)

In a dominant plot of land in the center of the upper neighborhood in Dukat, stands a large ensemble of buildings known by residents as the 'Dervish Ali' Tower. This house is a rare case-study in the architecture of rural houses typology, where we find organically united, separate housing units with different functions, creating a large complex. The complex is the result of several stages of construction. On the plan, it creates a more or less enclosed contour in the shape of a triangle, where on the three peaks rise the three main interconnected constructions, according to two sides with other constructions, while the third side forms the surrounding wall. The house was covered with a two-inclination roof. One of the towers (no. 2) presents a special solution because its volume rises over a village road and the passage is made through a tunnel running along the volume, covered with cylindrical archway. The tower rises as a prismatic volume. The plan has the shape of a square. The volume is broken by a small number of windows as well as many small openings, also known as 'frëngji'. The entrance to the tower is on the back. Upon entry, we have a wooden structure that creates a preface. Here we have the sanitary unit. On the opposite side we have a wooden staircase that leads to the upper floors and in front of the entrance is the fireplace. This tower was used during Communism, as a Museum. Next to tower 2 we have house 1 which is also triangular but with a higher elevation. The ground floor is covered with a cylindrical archway. The first floor has access to the other side of the house. Space is dark and receives light from two small windows in the form of (frëngji). There's a wooden staircase that leads to the upper floor where there is a fireplace, a console-shaped water basin as well as numerous openings (frengjij). House 3 is composed of two rooms, the ground floor and the living areas with the same extension but with separate entrance. House 4 has a great resemblance to house 3. It is composed of two volumes, the ground floor and the upper floor. A partly stone, partly wooden staircase, provides the interconnection. House 5 is formed by open volumes, 'hajati' and 'cardak'. The first has a three-arched collonade on the front, while the second has a lighter arcade with five arches. The ensemble of these towers is striking and homogeneous. The unity and uniqueness of the work have been masterfully achieved eve though not well-preserved at all. The enclosed volumes combined with open construction have been treated with basic architectural elements, thereby emphasizing the mass of stone masonry that gives the ensemble a stoic and unique appearance.
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'Qamil Haskoj' House

Until the 2000s the house was inhabited by family 'Haskoj'. It is thought to have been built with craftsmen from Korca. The stairs and windows of the ground floor have been rebuilt in Communism. Despite its very deteriorated conditions today, you can still notice elements from its interior like decorated 'musendra' with gold color that show also a certain family status in the village, not being quite common this level of detail. The house was inhabited by two brothers, therefor it had two different entrances according to the part of the house they were using. Cooking was provided through a divided unit, serving as an outdoor kitchen, close to one of the families entrances. The house was also surrounded by high stone-walls with a main entrance gate. Dukat as a village is known for its development and importance that they gave to farming and the care for the livestock. It is believed, they used to have around 120 000 cattle, therefore every house in Dukat had its ground-floor serving as a 'katua'(space for the livestock).
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House of 'Shane Kote' with tower

The 'fortified' houses of Laberia are divided into two categories, houses with tower and the Tower. The case of the house in question represents a very special example of 'the house with tower' not only for the village of Vuno but for all the villages in Laberi. It is known as the 'Shane Kota' house and is located in the lower part of the village. It consists of a tower and a typical house with storeys. The tower represents a massive prismatic volume, which rises from a square layout that is slightly different from the top floor containing several windows more than the lower ones, which are more enclosed. While the rest is massive masonry linked with lime mortar, which opens up slightly through some small openings, also known as 'frengji'. This typology was highly preferred by representatives of the wealthy society as well as military personalities, who preferred it as being a safer construction. The tower was organized in three floors, where the ground floor with separate entrance was not designated for living, while the intermediate floor was accessed by external stone stairs. The intermediate floor with the top floor of the tower were connected by internal stairs. The tower has a four-inclinations roof, while the house has a roof with two inclinations. The roof is covered with rounded clay tiles. The complex has clarity and dynamism in the composition. The portions of the entrance gates and some of the corners of the masonry are treated with very interesting decorative stone elements.
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House 'Kristo Koka'

From the remains left today, we can see that this house was organized on two floors. Constructed with masonry, made out of stone bound with lime mortar. On the ground floor, there are arched porches, which are also framed with stones. The windows are medium-sized, quadratic with orthogonal angles, decorated with a stone-frame. The interior stairs are of stone as well. You can notice that the house was built on sloping terrain and this has created the situation and need for a semi-floor. It is believed to belong, to the period of 1700-1800 as there is no actual precise data on this house
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House 'Dhimiter Anagnosti'

This house is made of stones and it belongs to the movie-director Dhimiter Anagnosti. Around 1933 it was a girls' boarding school. It is believed to have been built in 1870. It is a characteristic residence of the sea-coast area, from the new types of the second half of the 19th century. It is a house organized in two equal floors between them with windows of the same size since both ground floor and the first floor were used for living not as 'livestock space' known as 'katoj' as it happened usually in Vuno. The house is symmetrical, distinctive element of this type on its first floor is the erection of a balcony in the central- block of the facade. The main facade facing south and the main entrance to the house are made by a spacious entrance, on the side of the masonry surrounding walls of the house. The entrance gate is made out of decorative wooden panels and with an arched-stone architrave. The entire masonry of the house is made of limestone taken from the quarries of the area and linked by lime mortar, the windows have a stone decorative framing all around them as well as the facade has a characteristic treatment that has been degraded over the years. The main façade is treated with fine plaster, one-round lime work and only the corners of the masonry are highlighted as accentuated decorative elements.
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'Ndrenikaj' oil producing facility

This structure owned by one of the Ndrenikaj family, one of the most famous families in Vuno, was used to execute the mechanical process of oil production, though the use of the animal's physical power. It is positioned in the upper part of the hill, It also was restored as most of the houses in Vuno. Its main entrance and the small courtyard in front of it, is covered by vineyards, creating a very welcoming shadowed atmosphere.
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Residential Complex 'Nesturi' (Nesturate)

This complex is a cultural monument and is also known as the 'Odise Kasneci' house. It represents a very important typology of the sea-coast houses and reflects the changes made in these typologies after the second half of the 19th century. These changes are reflected in phases and the complex in question is constructed in three phases. This gradual construction has formed the structure of this ensemble as a closed contour, partly as a result of this specific construction and parts of the surrounding walls, creating in its interior a spacious courtyard. In the first phase, the building develops in fragmented volumes due to the difficult terrain and one side of it develops as a 'half-floor house' (one of the most widespread typologies of houses in the villages of Laberia). The construction of the second phase is a 'storey house'(house me kat) where the ground floor has two cylindrical vaults, designed to provide the 'undamaged base' for the development of a hearth(fireplace) inside the 'fire chamber'(oda e zjarrit). The first archway near the first house was used as a 'zahire' (a room for the preservation of food supplies in winter). Along with this construction, a 'stere'(water deposit unit) was built, next to it. The third phase of the construction has been implemented escalated according to the terrain. In this third phase, a joint exterior plastering has been done, so that the facade on the road has achieved a single-facade treatment and it is difficult to distinguish the construction phases in the entire complex. The second stage house, realized in the corner, has a specific intervention ( wall removal and arching) at the corner, joining the two walls, which represents a characteristic intervention in the building, to facilitate the passage of loaded livestock. The houses have a characteristic treatment of thick limestone masonry taken from the area's quarries, bound with lime mortar. The 'living floor' of the house treated with large and vertically oriented windows meanwhile the ones on the ground floor (Katonj) more reduced. Part of the facade has been treated with thick plaster on the stone masonry, a technique not suited to the tradition of area construction, while part of the stone masonry is usually exposed to the eye.
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House of Qazim Koculi

This house is situated along the 'Dhimiter Konomi' street. It's a very interesting one storey house, with an underground level, that raises the main entrance height, to the house. The visible facade of the underground floor is made out of stone walls left without plaster and the main floor's facade is treated with plaster in warm terracotta color paint, combined with decorative, vertical white stripes and window frames. Today is in a state of decay with doors and windows missing, fragments of plaster fallen and torn down inner walls. There is no information on the time the building was realized, but judging from its architecture, there's a hint of a neoclassical Italian architecture influence. It is believed that it used to be the residence of the well known patriot from Vlora, Qazim Koculi, one of the important military leaders in the Battle field of Vlora, meanwhile today has a different owner.
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Ahmet Zogu's Royal Villa (Shiroke)

This residential house is positioned on sloped terrain, overlooking toward the 'Shkodra' lake, and is believed to have been donated to King Ahmet Zogu by the citie's traders of that time. The architect who realized it is believed to be the famous architect Kol Idromeno, who as accomplished many other architectural works in Shkodra. In 1997 this villa was subjected to vandalism, during this delicate and turbulent period in Albania. During Socialism, it was confiscated and transformed into the 'Shiroka Vacation Camp', while today it is in a deplorable state, in constant degradation by natural and human agents as well.
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House 'Uruci'

This house was built in 1910 and its author is Kol Idromeno. It is located along one of the oldest commercial-residential streets of Shkodra 'Gjuhadoli' street. This house represents one of the most evolutive ones in terms of architecture and Urbanistics, as it participates in the urban formulation of the street where it stands along. It has a simple and symmetrical plan and volume arrangement, with the main hall as the central connecting element where the main stairs-case also stands. On both sides of the main hall, two residential spaces of 5x5m dimensions are organized, while on the upper floor, on the northern part of the plan, there is a micro-unit, made out of sanitary-joints and a staircase that connects to the sub-roof storage. Also in this house, the central volumetric block is treated with special architectural care and sensitivity, like the characteristic arcades, on both the downstairs and upstairs, supported by constructive columns. Also the treatment with decorative horizontal frames, dividing floors, or decorative window frames or under shelter-frames, etc. The use of shutters, back then, was a new element for and on the ground-floor the placement of protective metallic railings. As for the materials used, this house was made with stone walls, brick walls especially the second floor, interior walls and the use of concrete reinforcement especially on the arches and columns in the central block of the dwelling. Shkodra houses, compared to contemporary Korça houses were not as diverse but were larger in size and with a much more monumental and distinctive facade treatment, despite the fact that the ones in Korça were not left behind in terms of ornamental treatment, with more unique elements like the use of 'erker'(central decorative and functional volume, extruded from the main facade of the house) and other ones.
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House of Pashko Vasa

The house lies on a large plot of land. It preserves a good condition of the surrounding walls, which include two yards separated by a low wall. The yard on the right is relatively large and served for the cultivation of vegetables and fruits while the yard in front of the house contains the usual fixtures of the Shkodran house such as the well, a wash-tube, and logs. The only gate that serves as the entrance to the house is with two panel-doors, made of wood and made of bandages and crafted nails. The gate is completed by a double-drainage roof with a wide shelter supported on the two side walls. Its layout-plan has three parts interconnected between them through the 'çardak' as a space-element. All three parts are two-storey high, with the same surface area. On the ground floor there is an auxiliary space and on the first floor the living space. The ground floor has a porch, also known as 'hajat' that connects with the second space. The space on the back serves as an 'ahur' that is paved with cobblestones and illuminated by two small windows. The first-floor volume is divided into four spaces: the cooking area, the dormitory room, a provisional area where the bathroom and the interconnecting spaces, is located. All of these facilities are simply decorated, with a wooden ceiling and a three-panel window, for lighting. The adjacent area is treated with a very rich interior. The main place is occupied by a very decorative ceiling with a triangular field. The room is illuminated by three windows. The interior of the room is complemented by the chiseled closet, on the 'musander' facade. The ground floor of the house is all made of stone-construction wall. Meanwhile, in the upper floors, there is also wooden construction used and brick walls. The doors are all made out of wood with one panel, simply treated or some more detailed. The roof is made in a traditional technique and continues to further the perimeter of the house in the shape of shelter.
It should be noted that the condition of the basic house elements, appeared quite damaged. Unnecessary additions, that did not carry any architectural value, were removed. The central part was changed, during restoration works, it turned into an open 'çardak'. The 'çardak' space close to the 'guest room' was specifically treated adding a traditional chimney. Some other changes include: the window and door's wooden structure was reconstructed on the left side of the exit to the 'çardak' area. Also, Chimney, wall shelves and 'kamerie' space on one of the doors were rebuilt. There was a restoration of the ceiling and the upper part of the 'trapazan' (typical space created on the upper part of the musander. The ceiling part of the 'firehouse'( the main living room) was rebuilt. For the missing part of the right side of the 'trapazan', the historical footprint was used as a reference to re-create it. After the restoration, space re-gained architectural value again. The ground floor was also included in the restoration where the porch (hajat), was completely cleaned and the windows and doors of the 'ahur'(space for animals), were reconstructed. The floor of the house offers the possibility of a complete reconstruction. Other work was also done on the territory around the house as well as the complete rebuilding of the cobblestones of the 'hajat' area (groundfloor porch), the well, the fillings on the wall and the entrance gate. Currently, Pashko Vasa's nephew's wife lives in it and takes care of the house. The last reconstruction was done two years ago, while the first reconstruction was carried out in the 77 'with the opening of the' çardak '. He used to have a large family and one of the wealthiest in Shkodra, with 3 brothers and 6 sisters. The furniture placed inside the house is actually the original.
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'Dabërdakë' House (mixed use building)

This is a very important house typology in the evolution of the house in Shkoder since it represents a mixture of services as trading and residential function. It was completed in 1905 and is recognized as one of the works, where the creative mind of Kol Idromeno was truly distinguished, such as in the layout-plan, the extension of the building which is quite linear and the rich treatment of the facade with ornaments and details. This building has been restored. It was built by Xhovanin Daberdaku and the original heirs, have migrated. Today is still used as a mixed-use house and is located in one of the most active and important streets in Shkoder.
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Tower-House of 'Gjon Markagjoni'

This tower of this house is a first category Monument. In the beginning, there was the residence-house of Mirdita'spersonalities, Gjon Markagjon. The tower of 'Preng Pasha' as known today, located near 'Jesuit Street'.The house in the begining belonged to one of the personalities of the time, 'Preng Bibe Doda'and afterward, Kol Idromeno in 1908, realized the additional part of the house together with the tower, as a unique typology in the architecture of Shkodra. It reinvented the idea of ​​the Orashi (Mirdite) towers from where their origin was and provided a considerable field-view of the city. This tower is about 15m high, organized on three floors with an interconnecting staircase for all three. Two of them have a reception function while one is a guarding- spot. The rest of the house has a considerable horizontal extension, and in one of its parts, the floor-level rises with some stairs to separate it slightly from other areas, therefore serving as a place for meetings with politicians and important figures. The house is divided between Gjon Markagjon's nephew's wife and the tower by one of his granddaughters. This apartment has a massive layout-plan, about 25 rooms in total. During Communism, it was confiscated and utilized for several functions through the years, such as kindergarten, school, dormitory, trade course, etc. In 1991 it was returned to its original owners. Around 2012 there was a partial restoration.
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House Bushati

Built around 1932-1933 designed as a home and later used for about 20 years as a school.
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House Tahiri

This building is a first category Monument, built in 1920. Around 1945 it was confiscated and used as a school, while in 1994 it was returned to its original owners. It has 12 rooms and on the upper central part of the house there's an encription of the name of the original owners, Maliq and Elez Tahiri.
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House of Doctor 'Kaduku'

A characteristic city house situated also in a very central area of the city. It has an abundant front-courtyard and is surrounded by decorative walls, which are also used for decorative reasons and not functional ones the upper part of the main central volume of the house. It is believed, to have been used as the doctor clinic also. Symmetry and decorative frames are crucial elements that give harmony to the main facade.
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House of Doctor 'Prela'

This house is also one of Kol Idromeno's works. It used to be the house where the 'Prela' family lived but at the same time, along the street on the ground floor, of its side facade was the doctor's clinic. So it had two entrances as a house and is currently split between some several heirs. This house is one of the most developed from an urban and architectural point of view, in the variation typology 'banese me kate'(house with floor) and is believed, to have been realized in the last years of Independence. The project of this house is in the archives of AQSH. It lies at an intersection of roads therefore, its two main facades emerge along the main roads. This fact influences their particular ornamentation and detail care. These two rich facades also participate in the urban formulation of these two main roads as well. It lies in front of another important house typology, the one with 'krevet'. The spaces are treated cleanly and simply, the ground floor areas are generally 4x4m in height and 3m in height while the upper floor is 3.5m high. A special element is the use of the pre-entrance, to distance the main gate, as the facade extends along the road and the part above the main entrance is treated with a 'triple' arcade, which adds to the monumentality of the house.
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House 'Migjeni'

The house is located at a road's intersection, a fact that influences its volumetric composition. Its house- corner breaks, due to the widening of the viewing angle. This house is known as the home of writer Migjeni and is one of Kol Idromeno's works also. It has been later restored and besides its different volumetric composition, its facades have been treated with particular care in the decorations and framings around the doors and windows or the treatment of the main balcony dominating the corner, with decorative metallic motifs. It was listed as a monument but was later removed from the status after being transferred to private ownership.
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House 'Paci' (ArtHouse)

The house is believed to have been built in 1860, inherited by two brothers. One of them inherited the old house and the other lived in the house close, built a few years later. The new building was taken over by the artist Adrian Paci and, through a project of Italian architect Filippo Taidelli, became what is now known as 'Arthouse'. The artist's home and at the same time is a meeting point and cultural space for artists and art-lovers. The new structure turns the back to the tall buildings spread across the area, opening the visitor's view to the facade of the 19th-century house and the green courtyard. From the 1979 earthquake, the building had some problems and there was a lot of pressure on the house, to demolish it earlier, but the 'Arthouse' project worked as a secondary solution to the problem.
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House of 'Ismet Halili'

The house was built by craftsmen from Dibra. It is believed to be around 300 years old and was purchased by the grandson and uncle of its current owner. During Communism, there were about six families, who lived mainly on the ground floor. It is currently split between two brothers, a division that exists physically. In 1973 was declared a cultural monument, valued by E.Riza and G.Strazimiri. The first restoration was done in 1985, doing some work with the floor-paving, the hallway, the door handle, the beams were covered in the part of the ceiling. The house has a summer corner and a winter corner( enclosure) known as 'qoshk', as well as a massive stone staircase that leads to the ground floor. Inside there are hidden communication elements between the two chambers known as 'arkapi'. A characteristic feature of this house is the fact that there used to be a giant courtyard that stretched all the way to the Stadium, but was later occupied by state authorities and bunkers were built-in proximity, today part of it was sold to other owners. The last restoration was made in June 2019, mainly on the floor, windows and also the corner known as 'qoshku', on the first floor.
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House of Filip Çeka

The house is a first category Monument and has been one of the first ten listed houses to be included. It was built by Pjeter Çeka, a wealthy businessman from Shkodra, also the grandfather of Filip Çeka. Nowadays, this house is divided between two brothers, a partition that is reflected physically in two halves of the house. Residents have done some of their interventions on the house so that it could fulfill their actual living needs, one of which is the paving of the back yard with cobblestones from the mountains, the replacement of window timber frames. The roof was completely changed after dripping constantly. In Communism, tenants were living in some of the rooms and only one room left for the family. What is used today as a door by one of the families was once a window and changed to respond to the split of the house between the two brothers. The Institute of Monuments intervened in the arrangement of the ground-floor ceiling, as the floor of the upper rooms was tilting and deforming. A special element in the interior treatment are the decorative imprints over the main room's plaster layer.
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House of 'Oso Kuka' (History Museum)

This house is declared a first category Monument in January 1977. The house of Oso Kuka is a house with 'çardak' on one side, representing one of the typical traditional city houses of Shkodra, very abundant in its spatial organization. This house bears architectural and historical value and is related to the life and work of Oso Kuka. It is a two-storey building made of wood and stone. In terms of the construction structure, architectural and artistic elements situation, it is preserved very well. Today in the spaces of this house, is located the Historic Museum of the city. The voluminous houses in Shkodra are always organized on two floors and with a sun-oriented facade, as is the case. The ground floor consists of the open porch also known as 'hajati' and of the enclosed, also known as 'ahuret'. The last ones traditionally served as a repository for household supplies, at an early stage one of the spaces served to shelter horses. The upper floor had living quarters for the family members. The rooms, both functionally and aesthetically, have been treated with special care. The room, whose windows overlook the courtyard, has been chosen for the reception of the guests (guest room), in the function of the hall.
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House 'Selfo'

This house is a second category Monument and is also known in Shkoder, as the House of 'Dan Hasani'. It represents a two-story house, quite developed in horizontality. It's courtyard in front serves today as a parking lot and the building is in an alarming state of decay and deterioration. Despite its state of neglect, the richness in detail and ornaments is quite visible and an important feature of its continuous linear facade. The central block of the main facade breaks a little bit this continuity, emphasizing symmetry. A very accurate detailed balcony, sustained by four colomns, adds further to the monumentality of this house in Shkoder. it is believed to have been realized by K.Idromeno himself, since you can find it in his books with drawings and sketches of his works.
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House of 'Kol Idromeno'

This is the house where one of the most important personalities of Shkoder Kol Idromeno (architect and engineer), lived. It is a two-storey house very simply treated and situated in one of the main streets of Shkoder. It has been restored and is used as a mixed-use house. It has a historical value as a house.
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The museum-house of 'Kostandin Kristoforidhit'

A two-storey house positioned within the castle walls, in a medieval cobblestone alley. It belongs to the time period of the second half of the XVIII century, in 'Mihal Hasa' street. It reflects all the elements that the house with 'çardak' has, considering the mild climate of Elbasan. Initially, the first floor of the house, had three living-spaces and an open 'çardak' while on the ground-floor, basement/deposit rooms. Over time the house has degraded and as a result nowadays comes with many changes. Its function and its general layout-plan, are simple and communicative. The wood element prevails over the white-washed walls. The fire-room, with the hearth and other living equipment, is quite large. Characteristic copper lamps are hunged, on wooden ceilings. The fire room is illuminated by a skylight('baxha'-roof window). On the ground floor lies a small basement door, with decorated wooden boards and with a window, with iron grids, enabling the cellar lighting.
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Ethnographic Museum of Elbasan (House of Hajdar Sejdini)

'The Ethnographic Museum of Elbasan' is located in the city center and it's also listed as a first category Monument. This characteristic house belongs to the XVIII century and it represents a typology of houses with 'çardak'. From the plan-composition and according to the functional and architectural concept, it is very similar to the houses of ​​cities like Berat and Shkodra. The volume consists of two floors, where the ground floor is used as an agricultural product deposit and the first floor for living. During the time, this house had undergone transformations, especially in the left part, where volume made out of bricks, was built, with its size it affected the architectural values ​​of the house itself. For this fact a restoration project appeared very much needed, to restore the values ​​of the house, carried out by the atelier of the Institute of Cultural Monuments of Tirana, with a project by Latif Lazimi, in 1983-1985. The house was in very poor condition, especially in terms of construction and decorations. Elements like 'çatmatë' (traditional technique applied on walls, with small wooden planks and layers of plaster over it), floors, ceilings, doors, windows, and the roof were degraded to a considerate degree. The restoration would ensure the stability of the building and the reconstruction of some of the existing architectural elements. Restoration interventions include the surrounding areas of the house such as the yard, the well, the surrounding walls, and the main gate as well. After the restoration, the house was adapted into an Ethnographic Museum, that houses 900 original objects of folk culture and ethnography.
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House on 'Ptoleme Xhuvani' street

Situated inside the walls of the Elbasan Castle, today it is in a deplorable state, a large part of which has been demolished.
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House no.2 on 'Ptoleme Xhuvani' street

This house has a very simple volumetry, organized on two floors. It has a combined wall structure, with stone walls on its ground floor combined with red bricks and red bricks walls on the first floor. The facade is quite raw without plaster, therefore the red brick pattern can be easily noticed on the first floor, on the other hand on the ground floor there's a pale layer of lime on the facade. Green wooden Persian blinds are used over all the windows.
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House (Elena Papajani's)

This house is situated on 'Vangjel Xhani' street. It is a Monument of first category, declared as such in 1963.
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House on 'Jovan Popa' street

The house is situated on a cross roads, and one of its facades stands along one of the roads as a continuity of the courtyard surrounding walls. It shapes the silouhette of this small alley inside the Castle and at the same time its position close to the road affects its treatment.
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House on 'Vasil Mojsiu' street

This house is located within one of the oldest neighborhoods of the Castle, at the intersection of an alley. It is believed, that is the house where Konstantin Kristoforidhi lived and spent many years of his life, and later moved to the house that today has been converted into a museum in his honor. His daughter married and lived in this house later.
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House no.2 on 'Vasil Mojsiu' street

The house is situated in the old neighborhood, inside the castle, close to the house where Kostandin Kristoforidhi's daughter lived. This house has two entrances and since its facade steps out and shapes the silhouettes of this alley, you can notice it is more closed with not that many windows and openings. The main facade looks towards the inner garden from the other part of this alley. The volumetry is pretty rigid on the ground-floor with a stone masonry construction with anti-seismic wooden beams, to give more stability (traditional building-technique), on the other hand the upper floor is slightly more dynamic through the two volumes, getting out of the main facade, to increase the surface used on the upper floor.
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House on 'Avni Rustemi' street

House with a very different architecture from the prevailing architecture within the walls of the Castle of Elbasan. It is believed to be an architecture influenced by Italian influence.
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The Romanian House

Situated right on the main promenade in Korçe, it shows one of the most characteristic houses in that area. The space of its ground floor was first used to host different services, therefore being a mixed-use house, and today it has the most visited Museum of Korça, the 'Museum of the Albanian (from Korca) photographer 'Gjon Mili, very famous for the use of stroboscopic instruments, to capture actions on photograph.
The Romanian house is believed to have been named so since you can read influences from a Romanian-Byzantine architecture. It is thought to have been built over four years starting in 1924. Its owner is known as 'Tashko Ilo'. After his death, this house passed into the ownership of his wife and years later, since the 'Ilo' family had no children, this house was transferred to the management and administration of the 'Women's organization' and then to the Municipality of Korca. Its former function has been 'The house of Youth', and nowadays it has turned into the Museum of American-Albanian photographer Mili. The interior design project was designed by architect Peter Willson.
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House 'Ceva'(House on 'Lidhja e Prizrenit' street)

Previously this residence belonged to a French professor. It was then known as the House of 'Çeva'. It was rented until the 90's and after passed into the ownership, of one of the sisters 'Çeva's son. He then took over the administration and over the years there have been disputes over the sale price. The ground floor has been adapted and adjusted over the years to fulfill the tenant's needs. There was a well on the courtyard and It is believed to have been realized around 1931, as the board at the entrance also says.
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House no.2 on 'Lidhja e Prizrenit' street

In this house lived for several years, by renting i, the movie director 'Pirro Milkani'. Afterward 'Llazi Serbo' (movie and theater actor) and his brother, lived in it. It is now owned by Serbo's brother-in-law. The board at the door shows the year 1929, which is believed to be the year where it was built.
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Villa of Doctor 'Polena'

This house is a second category Monument even though one of the families living today there, part of the Polena family, were skeptical, to give the status of a cultural monument to the house. Nowadays this very special residence was inherited by the six children of Dr. Polena. The house was not what we see today. Initially, Polena's parents and brother lived there and after his return from Germany, he implemented some changes. He came back with very innovative and modern ideas, for the time and expressed all this not only in his work but also in the design of this house. Doctor Polena's father disagreed to demolish the existing house, so Doctor Polena decided to rebuild it with a more contemporary spirit. Reconstruction is thought to have taken place, from the 30's to 40's, with phases, depending on the finances they had, back then. Therefore this project did not have an architect's signature.
The secondary entrance is on the left and the spaces they direct to, served as a space for animals after the doctor had a passion for studying them for his, interest related to his profession. After the entrance, there was a corridor, which does not exist anymore, and included the medical-visits rooms, the graphs room, the rooms with beds, the laboratory and the room where the 'Rentgen' was located (the first equipment brought to Albania). The house has had, in total 50 spaces or compartments. About 8 facilities in the last floor, served the patients during the recovery process. The floor below, that served for living, was organized in bedrooms with bathrooms joints inside each room, the dining room upstairs divided by the cooking area, and also a music room. Below the staircase, there was a toilet, reserved for staff people. The upper rooms are illuminated from above, through skylights. On the four corners of the house, there are small porches(terraces), also Doctor Polena had in his plans to cover with marble columns and place some sculptures of Olympian gods on the last floor.
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House of the painter 'Vangjush Mio'

Located in one of the old neighborhoods of Korca, in 'Varosh', this house has served as a gallery for the exhibition of the painter's works. It is believed to be one of the most unique typologies of Korça houses. In 1977, its restoration was carried out. The house is organized on two floors, and you enter directly from the street, into the porch of the house also known as the 'hajat', and from there into the inner courtyard of the house, paved with big stone tiles, and surrounded by high walls. To the right of the courtyard, there's a well. The ground floor consists of the porch and two spaces, where only one is for residential purpose, while the other has been created over the years with a brick wall partition, of the existing porch. The living area is treated simply, with 'musandra' on its bottom and timber ceilings, there is also a staircase leading to the lower semi-floor of the 'zahire' food deposit space, descending it is possible through a staircase from another living area. Staircases are placed to climb to the first floor, also on the porches. While the first floor consists of three main areas and the 'cardak' as an interconnecting space for all of them. One room was used as the painter's studio, the other a guest room, and a third space. The 'guest room' has the typical attention in its treatment for the traditional city-houses, with decorative wooden doors with floral and bird elements ornaments, a ceiling plastered and in the center treated with a decorated timber structure, with its four corners, decorated in triangular, wooden platforms. On one face of the room, the 'musander' develops and right in front of it a decorative chimney. The studio room has a similar treatment but is on the other side. The third room in the north has a simpler treatment with no decorative ceiling with exterior and window lighting over the porch and towards the inner courtyard. The interconnected corridor has two illuminating windows and a timber ceiling. One curious element is that, the 'çatmaja' (timber-boards, western façade ) were made up of recycled boards, reused beams, frames, and ceiling planks, used previously in the building.
The building has undergone many changes over the years, especially after the 1930s earthquake, or changes by the residents themselves, to adapt to the living purposes. The house belongs to the open type, with the porch downstairs on the ground floor and the 'çardak' on its first floor, both connected by a simple staircase structure, and the 'çardak', being a bit narrow, serves more as an interconnected element. This house also is protected by the Institute of Monuments, because of its history as well as architectural values, regarding the typology, to which it belongs. The house comes out with one of its facades on the street, with the 'corner' (qoshk), taking part in its volumetric formulation. This east façade is very aesthetic for many reasons, because of the large number of windows visible, a combination of stone fractures with wooden beams, and the appearance of constructional elements such as shelters, turning into decorative ones. The windows do not stay separate, but are connected, by creating a belt, a continuous bandage on the facade as well as the structural wooden elements, are most visible and as turning into decorative elements, being treated and decorated. The 'çardak' opens to the courtyard creating a common and communicative space unit. The economization of the site through the congestion of the living space and the exit of the living room 'cardak', to the north is a characteristic of this house and at the same time also typical of Korça houses in general. Another element that further reinforces this aspect is its participation, in the urban formulation of the road, through the extension of the 'qoshk' (central corner) element on the facade.
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House of 'Dhimitraq Treskes'

The house of 'Dhimitraq Treska' was built in 1850, a fact that is indicated by the carving at the main gate also. This house emerges directly, with its two sides (perpendicular between them), at the intersection between the two roads, as well as the entrances to the house are along these roads. It is characterized as a closed and massive house since it is a stone masonry house, organized on two floors. According to records, this house has been the 'guest-house' also known as 'mysafirhanja' of Vangjush Mio's old house and it's separated from it, by a high wall, with a gate that retains all its original features. They were built in close periods but they are very different from the typological point of view. The project of restoration was realised on it consisting of, the repair of damaged plastering, the consolidation of the western walls, the refurbishing of the existing spaces in between stones, according to existing traces, the completion with windows of the existing spaces, the demolition and remodeling of the auxiliary units and the re-construction of the western-wall partition, that connects it with the Vangjush Mio Residence. The restoration project was carried out by P.Thomo and the implementation by the Atelier of Korca, in 1982.
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Complex on 'Mihal Grameno' street (Archealogical Museum of Korca and 'Lipe Kote' House)

This residential complex is located in one of the oldest areas, of the city of Korça and consists of two houses of different architectural typologies, and realized according to different construction criteria. This complex has served as a residence, for more than a century, to a family of traders in Korçe. The two houses have been realized within a time-span difference, of around 30 years.
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House of Lipe Kote

The two-storey 'Lipe Kote' house, represents a unique example of a construction in Korca, in the middle of the 19th century. Regarding its construction scheme, it has a mixed structure with stone walls, combined with 'çatma' structure on the closed 'çardak', on the facade of the first floor also, where each room is also illuminated by three windows respectively, the solution this suitable for the continental climate of Korça. This house is located in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Korça and dates back to 1842. The residence is with two storeys and has a central entrance with an arched roof protected by an arcade with three arches. This entrance leads into a central interconnected hallway, paved with big stone tiles (plloca), and communicating with the main doors of the spaces it connects. The ground floor is organized in four spaces, from where two that are for living are placed on its front side while the other two serving as cellars, on the back. The room on the left side is in very good condition with paved floor and timber-ceiling. The ground floor is connected to the first floor by a wooden staircase, this floor has a symmetrical layout and like the ground floor but with more particular care in the space and treatment of the 'çardak' area. This symmetrical and volumetric composition is reminiscent of the typical Albanian housing typology with central 'çardak', but this specific case is characterized by the introduction of new concepts and features in architecture. The house has suffered static damages and has undergone changes over the years. The restoration project carried out by P.Thomo and implemented by the Atelier of Korça, in 1967 under the direction of the author has made it possible to: Consolidate the construction and restore the original state of some compositional elements, such as the opening of the 'çardak' and the porch with arches on the ground floor, that used to be closed over the years and many original architectural and decorative elements have been preserved.
Three-storey type 'tower-house' (kulla) : According to oral data, there is an inscription on this building, which dates back to July 1870, 30 years later than the first two-storey house, being a 'tower-typology'(kulla), its volumetry is shaped like a parallelopiped. The peculiarity of this civic tower is the fact that it is not located within a specific plot of land surrounded by the courtyard, but two of its sites are open to the public. Many of its interior spaces such as the ground floor auxiliaries, staircases connecting the three floors as well as the living areas have been treated with a very clean architectural language. A special element of the ground floor tower is the entrance to the inner courtyard, in the center of which has a square section column that holds the weight of the three architraves set at angles 84 and 108 degrees,s and thus retains all the weight of the stone masonry of the above floors. This is a very bold construction for the time, and it definitely increases its value. This part that provides access to the courtyard of the complex has been treated with arcades, an element thought to give a more Albanian atmosphere and character, viewing the arch as an important element of our tradition. The perimeter masonry is all made of stone and in between the floors, anti-seismic metal tires are used, which later followed the other building construction, but this was the first house, to have had such treatment in terms of anti-seismic measures. The corners of the wall are treated with decorative carved stones and almost the same size. It has decorative elements such as baroque motifs on the second-floor balcony. The interiors of the first and second floors have been treated in certain parts with wall paintings, somewhere and with floral motifs, in gray-blue tonalities and in another room somewhere there are traces of a wall painting on the ceiling. The masonry bonding material is high-quality limestone. The pavement of the common courtyard is made of stone-tiles with dimensions 45x45 cm typical of Albanian traditional architecture. Outside the tower, an auxiliary storey was built when the family expanded.
On the first floor of the tower, there is an enclosed central lounge that interconnects the 'fire-room' with wall and musander on the wall as well as the bedroom on the upper floor beside the enclosed lounge with a raised platform for family ceremony. There are also, two largest rooms of 40m2 serving as guest-rooms, while the other served as a bedroom. The construction of this house was realized as a necessity by the expansion of family structure and their social status even thought to have been built for the purpose of 'guest-house' for family friends. This tower today is used as 'The Archaeological Museum of Korça'.
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House on 'Pandeli Cale' street

Located in the 'Barç' neighborhood, it was built in 1866. It comes with one facade along the street and the front facade towards the yard. The ground floor rises above a basement, which is the result of the basement floor elevation. The entrance to the basement is provided from the outside, from the bottom of the stairs and the inside. This basement is used as a 'pantry' for the food storage and clothing, by the family. In the central part of the house, there are stairs, leading to a porch with wooden pillars surrounded by glass, an intervention believed to have happened, at a later period. On the ground floor, the organization scheme has a very wide central corridor that connects to the two rooms and has a wooden staircase that connects to the upper floor. The space behind the staircase is augmented, by widening the corridor to the back and so on creating a new space, used as a service annex on that floor and as a bedroom on the upper floor. On the ground floor, only the living room preserves the original equipment like the chimney and the 'musandras' next to the door. Meanwhile the upper floor expands a little further with the central 'corner' space 'qoshku'. The corner, due to the considerable space and good natural lighting, makes for a very comfortable and relaxing environment. The upstairs bedrooms are simply treated without chimneys and 'musandra' (closets), but have large windows on almost every wall, which gives them a good illumination of the spaces. In terms of handling the exterior and especially the front of the corner(qoshku), there are some interesting details such as: the staircase is made out of hewn stone, and the stairs are monolithic, the side entrance between the two rows of windows, this entrance door is worked with carved stones. The cars that wear the space underneath the corner are made of glass and scrap iron. Traditionally built 'the corner', emerges as a volume that is held by porch's wooden pillars, the presence of rich shelters, with architectural decorative elements and wooden frames while the two sides of the façade have been treated symmetrically as in the number of windows, as in the simple treatment of masonry to highlight the compositional importance of the corner in this house.
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House on 'Jovan Çiço Kosturi' street

This house is located at the intersection between the two streets along which its side facade and back facade are oriented, a fact that made it possible to maintain a balance in the care towards both its facades. However, the west-facing, front-yard facade, has a more specific architectural treatment with elements. The central volumetry is accentuated through the main entrance and two parade-staircases, leading to the porch. This one was created through stone pillars, is also a structure that holds the corner also known as 'erker' above. Its layout is enriched by the addition of 'sobalka' living areas (a type of closet, or musandras). The layout functionality becomes more defined, the ground floor serves as a pantry (food deposit), the living and reception rooms are located on the ground floor, and the bedrooms, on the first floor. In the case of family ceremonies, the entire first-floor space is used as one. The 'Erker', as a console element that comes out of the house perimeter, continues to be made of 'çatma' while in terms of decorative treatment, it is richer in elements. The ground floor has been left unplastered with the stone masonry visible, while the upper floor has been plastered and the differentiation of the techniques, between two floors is visible through a stone belt. While in the upper floor treated with white plaster, the corners are treated with decorative pilasters made of carved red stone, resting on the stone partition frame.
Today the 'Melko' family resides there. It is thought to have been built in the 1850s. During the communist era, tenants were inhabiting it. It has always had the function of a house. The latest earthquake that struck on September 21 has demolished the plaster ceilings of the four rooms, on the first floor. It is a Monument of first category. After the '60s another earthquake brought subsequent changes to the waiting room. This room is divided into two parts. Above there is an opening, with which you climb on the roof.
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House of 'Raqi Simaku'

The house is situated on 'Gavril Peppo' street, behind the Korça's Cathedral. The house has undergone many changes and has been alienated from its original identity. Today the ground floor serves as a bar, and the underground floor as a private police station.
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House no.1 on 'Sotir Peci' street

The house where the film 'Ladies from the city' was shot. Its owner is Dhimosten Poci and he and his wife immigrated to America many times (1940). No interventions have been made in years, Exterior paints have been around since 1944. During the dictatorship there were tenants. It is thought that the restoration process will begin soon.
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House 'Furrxhi'

It is known in Korca as the house of the family Furxhi, located on 'Sotir Peci' street. Its original family migrated to America and nowadays there are tenants living on the upper floor, while the ground floor that today is a bakery as it has been since the beginnings. It is believed that the family got its name, from this fact. The facade on the ground floor follows the continuity of the other buildings along the road, meanwhile, the volumetry on the upper floor contains a very defining element for this typology of houses in Korca, which is the corner or 'qoshk', that in this case is an 'erker' as a central volume. The upper floor, still preserves today the terracotta hues and colors and the unique ornamentation, as detailed as sculptures on some parts of it.
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House of 'Koco Xhamballas'

This house was built in 1899. Today it is a guesthouse. A good number of the dwellings on this road, have been burnt down, as this one has damaged a lot also. Its side facade develops along the main street, meanwhile, the main facade oriented on the west, with a big courtyard in front of it and surrounded by lower walls. On the courtyard, there were also two outdoor structures like a bathroom and a deposit for wood, with trees and vegetables planted. The house preserves the original plan organization with some provisional adjacent spaces, but the new plastering covered some of the main architectural elements of it. This is a two storey house, and on the ground floor, there's a narrow 'hajat', preceding the main living room of the house.
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House 'Frasheri'

This house is situated on on 'Dodona' street, and is also known as the 'Frasheri' Residence. The plaque at the entrance says 'May 1870' so is believed to be the year it was realized.
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House 'Zengo'

This house represents a 'guest-house', also known as 'mysafir-hane' a kind of service house used for guests or people serving the family but not for the family itself, therefore it anticipates the entrance to the main house, going first through a court-yard. On the ground floor, there is the main entrance gate, that opens to the 'porch' space also known as 'hajat', a wide space with the back open to the courtyard, which then continues to the main family residence. On this floor there is a bathroom and the staircase while the other two floors have the same floor-plan, but with different degrees of detail, with a living area and the adjacent corridor. The first-floor room is thought to be used for winter-time, treated with a chimney, while the second-floor room, with two facades facing each other, faces the courtyard and the street respectively, with large windows providing abundant lighting. On the other hand, the front wall with a full masonry that has a decorative chimney, never been used. In the space below the windows, 'minders'(small continuous sitting elements) were provided. Such treatment leads to the conclusion that it was used during the summer-time. The corridor at the front of the house, on the third floor, stands out in the shape of a corner also known as 'qoshku', with a large number of windows and high lighting possibilities. These elements are split between them with a wooden balustrade and have separate ceilings and floors of different levels. In the treatment of the facade of this house, there is an escalation from floor to floor, with the ground floor in a visible stone masonry, having the entrance gate as the only opening, on the second floor also visible stone masonry with interesting fractures due to the large raw, joints between the stones, with some more openings, compared to the ground floor. Meanwhile on the third floor, the corner 'qoshku', is perceived as a continuation of the facade because of the continuity in windows. It used to be a Cultural Monument. One of the heirs still lives there, the former basketball player Zhani Zengo.
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House 'Lubonja'

It is thought to have been built around 1927-1928. The house communicates with the adjacent building, which served as the officer's home. It was built by a family that has returned from immigration in America. It is inherited from the three daughters of the family and the upper floor has been rented over the years. The interior has not changed much. There is a small yard, on the back of the house, with a small well also. The floor are quite high around 3.60 m. Rooms have chimneys and below are the cellars, as food storage. In the 1980s restoration was realized on the upper floor, by the owner himself.
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'Gavril Peppo' House

The construction of this house is thought to date back to 1924. Nowadays it is inherited from the bride of Gavril's son, the main source of the information about the history of this house, too. This house has always been inhabited by the original owners. The land was purchased by Gaqo Peppo and the house was subsequently built with architects and engineers. Initially, Gavril lived here with his parents, Katerina and Gaqo, along with his brother. Over the years the house has not lost its identity, the only functional change that has been made in the creation of a sanitary unit, since the bathrooms back then, were at the end of the yard, to the right. To make this change possible a wall has been moved and a window removed.
During the dictatorship, tenants were designated, by the state authorities, to share some of the spaces of the house with its original owners. One of the rooms in the house has long been discussed to be transformed into a museum for the valuable contribution Gavril has given to the country. This was not done initially, because permission was granted for the changes to the sanitary unit and also the permission to not have tenants anymore, in the house. Regarding this, Gavril Pepo's wife, Krisanthi, sent a letter to the head of state, Enver Hoxha, asking for permission for her son's return to Korce and that the house could only be used by family members. The house apart from all contains very interesting furniture, made in walnut and 100 years old. They are still in good condition, the floor is paved with wooden parquet. Exterior painting was re-done 6 years ago and its original color of the exterior was cream.
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House 'Lego'

The initial condition of the house has been poor. Over the years the number of family members increased, they were four brothers and each had their own family. This led to the construction of a house in 1957, a project made by Albanian architects. The exterior has no ornamental elements but a very interesting brick-work volumetry. Members who once lived upstairs, moved because space was insufficient for them. Even though the house is positioned on a cross-road, it contains a green courtyard.
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House 'Dako'

It belongs to the Dako family who immigrated to the USA. it is believed it is divided in between two owners, the wall dividing its entrances re-enforces this idea.
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House on the crossroad of 'Kristo Kirka' street and 'Alqi Kondi' street

Characteristic architecture with detailed and ornamented facades, two of which develope along the main roads.
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House on 'Petro Nini Luarasi' street

This residence was one of the bases of the National Liberation War.
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'Skënduli' House

It is one of the most prominent compositions of Gjirokastra's houses, which sustains its original condition quite well, except for a few minor changes. The house was built in 1823. It was originally composed of two yards. In the first yard there's an outdoor room(oda) built, while in front of the house, there was an auxiliary area with a furnace. The house is a two-wings variation typology and represents one of its most developed ones. Its composition represents a usual scheme, a central interconnecting core, which ends on the second floor with the 'çardak' circulated on its three sides with different spaces. The two main equal-sized, side-wings, push beyond the main central core. On the ground floor, there are two spaces also known as 'katonj'(space reserved especially for animals), a water deposit also known as 'stera' and two food cellars. The first floor is made out of the living area, a kitchen area and also the water deposit (stera), that continues also on this floor. On the second floor, there are two big living areas and a small one close to the kitchen. On the second floor, there are three large living areas and a smaller one near the cooking area. The sanitary facilities are developed out of the main plan boundary.
Characteristic is the staircase typology, which doesn't represent a very widespread solution. The staircase ramp lies next to the 'çardak', over a system of archways. The second floor 'çardak' is quite spacious but the mobility paths, give to it a more interconnecting function. The interior of the house stands out for its rich wood ornaments. The guest room is made out of two types of ceilings. The 'musander-dhipato' complex has a striking, beautiful implementation. The main facade of the guest-room is decorated with floral ornaments. The position of the house and its relatively large width made it possible for it not to have a pronounced elevation, but to approach a more horizontal composition. This house is an important landmark. The importance of giving a certain sense of protection is quite visible in it, through the interesting solutions of the small windows also known as 'frengjij', typical of fortified structures.
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'Angonate' House

Built on a very dominant location in the middle of the city, this relatively large complex stands out not only for its size but also for special treatment with new elements and in general with a different concept than the classic house typology, of Gjirokastra. Built-in 1881, it represents a work of great value, especially because of the progress in time, of particular architectural elements. On the other hand, the house has a special value for the fact that it was built for two brothers, thus merging two houses, into a single composition.
In front of the house is a two storey building, very spacious and with an 'erker' on the upper floor, which is very well connected to the house itself. This building performs the function of an 'odajashta' (a kind of special gest-house inside the main house's yard reserved for servents) and partially exits to the central courtyard. Along which, two other smaller yards develope. So the complex has three yards, a very rare case. As far as the functional scheme is concerned, the house maintains the traditional one, very well.
Thus both units forming the composition represent the typology variation of the house with one wing. The house, of course, doesn't lack the water deposit, also known as 'stere', with two openings one for each family, a food-storage unit and a cooking area. The treatment of the other spaces retains much of the character of older house examples, but is visible, that the 'musander-dhipato' complex begins to lose its original treatment. The house lacks the 'çardak' element and the 'katua'(livestock area) also. Massive and numerous windows indicate the loss of the protective character and the further development of its civic nature. The unique element, in this case, is the balcony on the second floor, while even rarer is a type of 'musander' which rises in the central part above the roof. The main composition is partially symmetric and a non-parallel development, because of the terrain. This residential complex is a meaningful example to show the development of the house of Gjirokastra and its ability to adapt to the evolving living conditions.
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'Fico' House

The house represents a particular typology, as it dates back to 1902. During the Second World War, the house served as a meeting-base for partisans, meanwhile, during Communism, the house was used as a Printing house and given for rent to people. It returned to the 'Fico' family only in 1970. One of the members of this family that lived here was 'Rauf Fico', the first minister of Internal Affairs, for the first Albanian government created after 1912. In the compositional layout, the house repeats the simple two-wing variation, by adding a block to the right. On the ground floor, there is an also: 'nëndivani' (ground-floor interconnective space), 'katoi'(livestock space), 'stera' (water cistern) and a cooking area, while the first floor has two living areas, a central interconnective space, and a cooking area. The second floor repeats the same scheme. Above the central interconnected part of the second floor is a unit that is shaped like a musandre, a special case in the city of Gjirokastra. The composition of the house, generally repeats the traditional form, but the shape and appearance of it clearly shows a break from the old and traditional way. The interior has a simple overall treatment, the 'musander-dhipato' complex is no longer built but remains as a rudiment that appears in the second-floor room curtains, way of handling.
The many decorations of the main facade, mainly in wood, the arched-shaped sustaining elements ('pajanta') of the 'erker' (the cantilevered volume erected from the main facade), give to it the features of architecture with influences on the late Baroque. The existence of a consistent space also known as 'dhipato' above the interconnective, behind the room to the right, of the second floor, which further continues in the interconnective space between this room and the kitchen. This house was built close to a very old house, the house no.9, on the left side, from the same brotherhood.
The need to secure the interconnection between the two houses has conditioned the construction of a cylindrical archway at the level of the second floor, which provides the connection of the two houses without affecting the alley below. Today this house attracts everybody's attention, through its unusual (for the context), yellow color and at the same time the richness in facade wooden decoration. A very special room, in regards of its treatment and also position, is the last one in the attic. This room has a great view, specifically perceived, through its generous number of windows in the facade and has a very special treatment, with patterned mural paintings on the ceiling and walls and over the 'musandras' also.
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'Kokobobo' House

Situated on one of the endless alleys, coming out of 'Pertef Kokona' Street, this house lies right above the 'Kokalari' House. It is currently abandoned, although it is believed, that some people live there (even though not its original owners, and not from Gjirokastra). This house represents a developed solution of the two-wing variation. The house presents several changes, both in the indoor spaces and in the outdoor facade- treatment. The layout-plan has the usual development of this typology, with the asymmetric wings standing out differently. The right-wing block, of the sanitary facilities, comes out as a tower. The ground floor presents a rare feature, the coverage of the livestock space 'katonj' with cylindrical vaults. The room for guests, also known as 'oda e miqve' on the second floor of the right-wing, has a special ceiling, with a unique rosette made of characteristic motifs. The 'musander-dhipato' complex in this house, represents also a rare case. The room was likely decorated with wall paintings. The 'çardak' space (organized on the second floor of the house, open on one side of it to the outdoor and on the three other faces confined with the walls of the house's main rooms), has been closed and the two wing's facades, have been re-treated. Judging by the elements of the 'guest-room', its doors and its overall treatment of the house, it is believed it belongs to the end of the 18th century.
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'Zekate' House

A typical representative of the Gjirokastra House typology. It is known with the name 'Zekate' because of the 'Zeko' family, this house was given as a present to. The house was a present from Ali Pasha to Beqir Zeko as one of his trusted man. Its construction dates from 1811-1812. It stands on the highest point of the 'Palorto' neighborhood. The house was surrounded by walls and today the south-western part is ruined. As a unique case, it has three court-yards besides the garden in front of it, surrounded by walls too. The courtyards are interconnected with gates. In the right courtyard, we can find the 'odajashte' ( representing a special place for the second category friends) as well as some ruins of a 'grass storage' room. The house is located on a sloped terrain, therefore built with a semi-floor. It is organized in four floors and on its right side we find a building of two floors where today the Zeko family lives.The ground floor and the one above the 'stere'(water tank space) also known as 'muslluk' from the local community, have an equal plan-development, unlike the two upper floors which extend towards the back. The inequality of the land and the deepening of the cistern, have enabled the development of two wings of the house, with one floor difference. Being the right wing, three-story in contrast to the central and left wing, four. The left wing comes forward and is wider. Therefor, It belongs to the two-wing variation. In the composition, it is re-presented with a central interconnecting core, on the side of which the main blocks are placed, while in the last two floors there are two spaces added, one for each floor. The ground floor and the living room above the 'stere' (water cisterne), have auxiliary functions, being built in with a 'stere', 'katua' (space for animals) and a pantry. The first floor has two living areas, besides the kitchen. On this floor, the right wing receives another development from the one below it, since no sanitary facilities are constructed.
The 'gest-room' is on the left wing. Next to the 'cardak', separated by the last ramp of stairs, there's the 'kamerje'( a kind of balcony), which is sustained by a system of columns-vault system, as well as stairs, circulating on three sides, the main volume of the house. Exept the balcony and the hallway, you can find also a higher 'sofa' for the head of the family to rest there. The third floor is made out of three rooms, two of them summer rooms because of the generous size of the windows. One of the rooms is treated with an impressive attention to details, ornamenting and mural paintings, apart from its treatment with perimetral sofas also know as 'mindere' or musandras for the clothes and carpets deposit etc.The ground floor is treated with stone tiles and on the other floors with wooden planks. The house stands out , for its composition towards the height, with a monumental appearance and protective character. It has maintained in very good conditions its architectural elements and its original construction.
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'Papadhopuli-Bela' House

House located on 'S.Musaj' Street. This house retains few original footprints, and yet they clearly show that it has had a much richer decorative treatment. According to the plan composition, it belongs to the simple two-wing variation. In the center, there was an open arched space, also known as 'kamerie'. In an unusual place, on the right side are traces of another 'kamerie', not understanding how it was connected to the house. The 'oda e miqve'(guest-house) today stores only a fraction of the original volume, in its original state. There we find a wood-paneled ceiling, rosettes with colorful decorations. Also to be noticed are two wall-mounted closets (musandras), which as well as the ceiling, represent unique cases for Gjirokastra. The house nowadays comes to us transformed, with significant changes in the overall composition and re-treatment of the interior, except the elements mentioned above.
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'Jaho-Babaramo' House +

This house is located in the neighborhood 'Palorto', M. Bakiri Street. This house is one of the most interesting variations with two-wings. It is believed, to have been built at the end of the 18th century although the exact date is not known. In the present condition, this house comes with changes, that have been made to separate the space for two families. The partition was implemented around 1981. The partition is also reflected in the interior spaces of the house and the courtyard. This separation done in 1881, has affected most of the central core of the composition, so the stairs have been replaced with others. The interior has undergone changes. A distinctive feature of this building is the marked differentiation in the extension of the two arms, a very rare case. The right-wing of the house today is the one that is more well-preserved. This solution, in terms of composition, is conditioned by the fact that the right-wing has three rooms, one for each floor, while the left one has twice the number, constructing at the bottom a pantry and two cooking areas for each of the living floors. The blocks of sanitary-facilities are placed side by side in the direction of the 'musander-dhipato' complexes, being the entrance to the toilet directly from the room. The house has two entrances, one on the ground floor and the other on the first floor from where the stairs lead. The ground floor connects to the first floor through the internal staircase, while the two living-floors are connected by internal stairs, but sustained by a system of vaults, starting from the 'katua' (livestock space). Such a similar system holds three cylindrical vaults, on which the 'kameria' rests. The upper room, of the short -wing is believed to have been the 'oda e miqve' (guest-room) because of the fact it has a 'qoshk' (corner), easily distinctive, from the separate ceiling-treatment. The 'dhipato' space was transformed, because the windows opening to the 'cardak' area, show in fact that it used to be closed, as in the other guest-room of the other wing of the house. Of particular interest, is the 'musander-dhipato' complex of the left-wing, which has the upper part closed, with the well-known technique of deep panels in the shape of rectangles. The ceiling of this space as well as that of the 'qoshku' of the 'oda e miqve' is treated without rosettes. Of interest, is the structure of the roof which retains its original scheme. The roof still keeps its original structure.The building is believed to belong to the end of the 18th century.
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House on 'Muhamet Bakiri' street

The house today stands in deplorable conditions, but you can still read signs of a traditional house with one wing. One of the halves of the house lost the considerable surface of the plaster and on the other half, you can notice efforts to re-construct it, but implemented not in the proper way or with proper materials.
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House on 'M.Reso' street (Dunavat neighbourhood)

This is one of the few houses dating back to the 18 century. Built-in 1785, this house still retains its compositional scheme but has undergone major changes in its interior formulation. It is part of the group-typology, with a single wing. The sloping terrain enabled the construction, of a three-storey one-wing block, unlike the rest, with two storeys. The entrance to the house is not located on the front facade, as usually happens, probably due to the positioning of the house along the road. The entrance leads to the ground-floor interconnecting space, also known as 'nendivani'. There are two stairs to go upstairs and downstairs respectively at the 'katua'(livestock space). Next to the 'nendivan' there is a living room. In the center of it are a specific space in the house that serves for water-collection (stera), a pantry to the right, and a cooking area to the left. The second floor has the same number of spaces, the spaces to the bottom, have undergone transformations, mainly by reducing the volume of the central space. Typologically the area of the first floor's, interconnecting space known as 'divani', should have been open to the front.
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Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokaster (E.Hoxha house)

It is otherwise known as the dictator's E.Hoxha childhood home and is located on 'Hysen Hoxha' Street in the 'Palorto' neighborhood. The building dates back to 1800 and was burnt down in 1916, after which it was rebuilt from 1966 to 1991, and served as the 'Museum of the National Anti-Fascist Liberation War', for the south district. Then in 1991, with the fall of communism, it changed function into the 'Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokastra', showing the life and traditions of wealthy Gjirokastra families, of that period and the way they organized their lives. The house is structured on three floors, and comprises a total of 34 doors and 50 windows, from both sides of the house, providing a full view of the city of Gjirokastra. The ground floor due to the humidity and low temperature has served as a food storage also known as 'qilari i zahirese' while the first floor has served for living and was known as the 'winter floor', with smaller and lower windows and traditional elements of the time such as 'mindere'(continuous sofas), 'musandra'(typical wall-closet at the time), etc. On this floor there is a separate room called 'dimerorja', that has a chimney and original family appliances, a clock and a stand. The second floor was the highest and most special in treatment and was used during Summer. A special element was the corner or 'qoshku', an open space with many windows, where men spend their time. Besides the 'qoshku', another characteristic setting is the 'dhipato' which is the space where the children were staying without disturbing the adults visiting, where traditional clothing of the area is also exposed. On this floor, the kitchen and dining room with an oven and the entire cooking-floor, are paved with stone slabs. The women's room is also specially decorated and furnished for the sake of marriage ceremonies. There is a chair imported from France, made out of 200-year-old bamboo. Also, another special element is the 'kameria' or today it would be called the terrace, where they used to admire the view of the city. A very special room is the guest-room where the men used to stay around a stove, this room has a decorative wooden ceiling with a 500-year-old rosette, with the star of Mohammed. Women were not allowed to enter this room, but they used a separate space with two windows watching men entering the room, to know how many people were to be served, without being seen by them. Important ceremonies such as weddings used to take place, inside the residence.
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Kokalari House (The guesthouse)

This house was built between 1926-1935 by Italian architect Vitaliano Poselli, as indicated by a plaque, placed in this house, in his memory, by his nephew. The owners of this house are the Kokalari family. In 1957 it became the 'Shtepia e Pritjes'(in Communism known as a Guesthouse, where activities of the Communist party took place), for 50 years and served as a school, for 10 years. The family was forced to leave, by expropriation and they were placed in an old Gjirokastra house. With the advent of Democracy, they were re-located in their house. It has not undergone any restoration over the years, even during the period that it served the Communist Party, and this is why today it is in a miserable condition. Some of the old members of the family still have trauma from the expropriation time. It has a very interesting use of space, the ground floor is lower while the first one is pretty high, and treated with decorative wooden and painted ceilings. On both two facades of the house, there are two paved balconies visible, as well as a roof terrace, paved with tiles in decorative motifs. The green color is used extensively in the interior space treatment, on the part of the main stairs that connect the floors, or on the surrounding belts of all the main space's walls.
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House on 'Mecite' street

This house is organized on three floors and it is part of the house-typology with two symmetric wings. Its central block is closed without a 'çardak' or 'hajat' area. On its first floor facade, of the central block, there is a stone arcade, closed with windows. The two first floors are made out of stone masonry walls meanwhile the last floor wall construction is made with 'çatma'.
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'Aleks Andon Grabocka' House

This house is situated on 'Jonuz Cuci' street. The house represents a very interesting typology, since one of its facades is developed along the alley, and takes part in its formulation. It is organized in two floors, the ground floor is made out of stone masonry with a restricted number of windows and on the upper floor, the overall volume is bigger and space it provides in the inside too. The first-floor volumetry stands out as a 'qoshk', with its construction also made out of 'catma' and with many big openings(windows), shaping the overall facades. the main entrance gate has a special treatment also, with lateral hewn stone walls(with nature-inspired and a decorative wooden door organized into two panels.
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'Babameto' Hous

This house has been restored and today is used as a guesthouse-hotel. It was restored by the CHwB (Cultural Heritage without Borders). Today it looks like one spread unit house but in fact, this is made out of two houses for two brothers, one from 1885 and the other in 1887. They have different entrances and the interiors of the two houses are very different. This house is an example of the Gjirokastra house evolution, during the second half of the 19th century. Something different from this house from the other of the time is the absence of the water cistern 'stere' because it is believed from the traces of a well in its courtyard, that it used the well instead.
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'Salaria' House

It is believed to have been constructed during the Ali PasheTepelena period and has been donated, for years, to the 'Salaria' family, from Tepelena, when one side of the house was existing while the other was demolished. After being rebuilt, also the other wing was given to another family by the 'Salaria' family. Due to the lack of restorative interventions in the house, by the relevant Institutions, existing residents have been forced somehow, to intervene in specific maintenance arrangements, in many cases not according to the traditional methods and techniques, by which they should have been performed. The house, therefore transformed into a second category monument and the interior spaces have been refurbished and changed to a great extent, making it today a guesthouse. During Communism, the father of the present owner, made some interventions on the floor of the main spaces, paving most of them with a sort of decorative colored terrazzo. (typical of that period)
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'Kabilate' House

Also known as 'Melo Kabili Saray'. This house represents a very unique house typology, in the shape of two fortified tall units, each with the same rectangular plan section. A big part of one of the two units, today is missing, demolished because of the lack of maintainance over the years. It is believed, was built during the efforts to expand the city of Gjirokastra, with the Dunavat neighborhood. it was built during the Ali Pasha period in Gjirokaster, the same time, 'Zekate' House and House 'Skenduli' were built.
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House of 'Musine Kokalari'

House of a very important personality for the city of Gjirokastar and Albania too for her contribute as a writer and also the founder of the Social-Democratic Party of Albania.Today this house is in ruins because was burned three years ago.
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House 'Karagjozate'

The house is situated close to the 'Musine Kokalari' house, easily identifiable becouse of their common ruined condition. A big amount of what the house used to be has been demolished through the years. The house is situated in a considerate sloped terrain, has a visible entrance, emphasized by two columns and its walls are a mixture of stone masonry structure the two firrst fllors and the use of red bricks on the last floor.
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House on 'Kapo Baco' street

This house belongs to Gurgaj and Ahmeti family. The Gurgaj family was the original owner of a three-storey residential complex, where this house served more like a house for service personnel and their main residence was what is today known the 'Kalemi' Hotel. The Ahmeti family took this house around 1951. Its façade is quite enclosed, in stone masonry, along the main street, except for a few small windows of also known 'frengji'. Meanwhile, the upper floor comes with a 'qoshk' (corner with windows), its interior coincides with one of the living room spaces treated as always with a type of built-in closet, along the wall used to place sleeping clothes, also known as 'musandras' and decorative ceilings.
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House of the doctor Vasil Laboviti

The house is located at the intersection between 'Vasil Laboviti' Street and 'Fato Berberi' Street. It is believed to have been built around 1928 and the restoration of the part on the back is believed to have taken place around 1936. The original owner was 'Filip Laboviti', a lawyer and deputy-in-charge for Gjirokastra and later passed to Doctor Laboviti. Currently, two families live there and the house is relatively massive in its expansion, organized on three floors, where the ground floor was used as was typical of Gjirokastra houses, a food-deposit, and storage, while the upper floors were used for living. The first two floors are made of stone masonry, while the top floor is made out of 'çatma' (light wall structure made with thin wooden planks and different layers of mortar and plastering). Such distribution of functions is indicated by the treatment of the ground floor with small windows, giving it more of a protective character and the other two floors with larger windows that evidences the residential function of these spaces. Being a residential house there is a feature that is typical of houses on the crossroads, the side corner of the building where the walls join is removed for not presenting an obstacle for people's or animal's mobility.
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House 'Kadare'

This is the house where the famous writer 'Ismail Kadare', was born. The house burned down in 1990, therefore it was re-constructed in 2015, through the UNESCO support. Today serves as a cultural center for different events and all of its interiors were complitly changed and treated with a contemporary atmosphere.
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House 'Bizbiqi'

Currently under the ownership of the 'Oruci' family, which is the second family in a row to have purchased this house, from the original 'Bizbiqi' family, more precisely in 1992. Because of several problems requiring intervention, both from a constructive and architectural point of view, a restoration project for this house was implemented in1974. The 'Bizbiqi' house was built in the Neighborhood '1Maj', along the hill and consequently to fit the terrain, it has an escalating volume. It belongs to the typology of houses with 'çardak' on one side and is developed on two floors, having a functional development, as most of the houses of this typology, precisely: ground floor with auxiliary facilities and first floor with the residential spaces. On the ground floor, there is this typical Albanian-houses porch, also known as 'hajat', while on the first floor a particular development as 'çardaku' takes place. In the front the 'hajat' is confined by a system of five stone-arches and out of the arches perimeter, a stone-staircase develops so that can connect, inhabitants on the ground floor with the 'çardak' area, which rises above the semicircular stone archways. This house does not have a 'sterë' like most of the Berat houses but has a small water tank at the bottom of the staircase with water filling from above.
The floor is made up of the 'çardak' and five other areas connected through it. The 'çardak' has a rectangular development, in the 4: 1 length-to-width ratio, very different from the usual 3: 2 ratio in these houses. The house today has undergone many modifications and interventions, to adapt to its family living conditions, such as an enclosure of 'çardak' with windows and a horizontal sliding door platform, to close the staircase during the winter. This way the 'çardak' becomes a closed living-room space.
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Ethnographic museum of Berat (House Xhokaxhinj)

The Ethnographic Museum of Berat, otherwise known as the 'Xhokaxhinj' residence house. It belongs to the group-typology of houses with 'çardak' (one of the most spread housing typologies, throughout the country, during that period) and more precisely in the group-typology of houses with the 'çardak' on one side. The distinguishing feature of the house is the fact that it has an architectural treatment where open volumes of the porch('hajat') and the 'çardak' predominates, these interconnected with the characteristic staircase ramp, placed on a system of archways. Like many other houses, and under the influence of the time-factor, the volume has undergone a series of changes and transformations. According to studies done, two phases of construction are observed. In its original condition, the ground floor of the house, contained spaces like the 'hajat' (a kind of porch) and a 'katua'(space reserved to animals), while the upper floor consisted of the 'çardak', along the main front of the house interconnected with the fire-room and auxiliary spaces. The first phase interventions were made to add a second 'fire-room' thereby increasing the front-facing volume, with new 'fire-room' and taking that part of the space on the other room's direction, on its depth. The second phase interventions were made to extend the house in the wing's direction, changing the layout-plan, in the shape of the letter' L'. A characteristic of this typology with 'çardak', is that it is often associated with one or more types of 'corners' also known as 'qoshke', which on their exterior are realized by a lightweight wall with some windows on them. The original part of the 'cardak' with its corners ('qoshke'), as well as the 'oda e miqve'(guest-room), with all their constructive and architectural elements, are well preserved. Over the years, the house had degraded, starting with the block of rooms and the roof. The restoration project realized by, prof. E.Riza with the Atelier of the Institute of Monuments of Culture, in 1980, aimed at preserving the building-phases of the house.
Starting the work from the most degraded parts and continuing with the rebuilding of the rooms collapsed, on the second floor and beyond with the release of the staircase and works on the consolidation of missing elements throughout the house. All of these processes were done in the respect and preservation of the original traces. After the restoration process, the house was converted into an Ethnographic Museum appropriate for the historical and architectural values ​​it carries.
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House no.1 on 'Nikolla Buhuri' street

Usually, for this type of house, the most widespread variation is for single-families but there are rare cases when it's used for two families, as the case of this house in question. The house has two separate entrances and the entrance to the residential spaces is realized through an internal staircase, a slightly forced solution, along with the asymmetry of the scheme, due to the urban situation. The necessity to leave space for the staircase next to the house has made the layout scheme not symmetrical for both families. The facade on the ground floor has visible stone walls with few small windows meanwhile the first-floor facade has been treated with white plaster, creating a more defined area around the bigger windows of the upper living spaces.
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House no.2 on 'Nikolla Buhuri' street

The house in question is of the typology 'semi-floor with linear extention', but in addition to other types, this house has three living spaces on its first floor. Being a crucial part of the upper belt of the 'Gorice' Museum-Neighborhood, the space is very limited and being part of the residential belt, it affected the compositional organization, through including the stairs within the living space. The upper floor is exposed in the house's volumetry like a type of 'qoshk', to increase the inner living space.
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Gesthouse 'Xheblati'

This house belongs to the 'semi-floor with linear extension', unable for the house of abundant size to develop in-depth, because of the sloped terrain. It is a very interesting typology, very suitable for families with many members, due to their length extension. It is one of the best examples of adaptation to the terrain, of the construction and use of terrain formation to maximize the creation of suitable living spaces. There are two compositional schemes of this typology: one with one row of living spaces and an interconnecting element between them which is in contact with the terrain, and the two-row variation of the living spaces with the interconnecting element between them. The house in question is of the first variation with a row of residential rooms and is a very good example as this scheme provides a more appropriate natural lighting for the rooms. This house has a typical semi-floor structure with one side reaching 3-4 storeys height and has a particular solution. In addition to one main front entrance, there are two other secondary entrances from behind. The living-floor is cleaner according to its compositional arrangement and is organized in two groups of living spaces, the front part of which was reconstructed during the second half of the 19th century, with the small wooden boards wall-structure also known as 'çatma', used on both sides on which are applied two hands plaster, as well as another element, giving the opportunity to have large windows, for more light in the interior.
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House 'Xhymyrteku'

This house is a typical representative of the semi-floor with linear extension', with two rows of living spaces, and is believed to belong to two families. The end areas are difficult to get natural light, because they are developed close to the rocky terrain, so in this scheme was found a very clever solution, with residential areas that develop in the second row of spaces, close to the hill, as the 'house of fire'(main living-room of the traditional houses) which develops at a considerable height, and starts from the ground floor. This space natural illumination is provided through the skylights also known as 'baxho'. This house too has undergone considerable renovations around the second half of the 19th century, and this is clearly distinguished both by the construction technique used, or the development of the living room space on the front facade, in the form of a corner also known as 'qoshku'.
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House 'Bakellbashi'

This house is one of the largest in the Mangalem neighborhood, horizontally spread. In the beginning, when it was owned by only one family, the entire house was connected, all the spaces communicated with each other. Today one half of the house belongs to the 'Bakellbashi' family meanwhile the other half (the one on the left) was given to the 'Berduni' family, who sold it to the 'Ymer Kordha' family, and today they are the current owners. The electrical and hydraulic systems were provided in the 41'. Its ground floor space, as it happened during that time was used to keep the livestock in the form of 'katonj' and for olive-oil production. The house used to have a water cistern, also known as 'stere' that today has been changed and used for other purposes. The house has a very well-preserved gues-room with a decorative dark wood ceiling, with a decorative chimney and also the unit 'musander+mafil' on one of the room-walls, rich in ornaments and details.
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House 'Çuka'

It is currently inhabited by the 'Çuka' family, who is believed to have purchased it around the 90' from the original owner' Zoje Gjini'. These houses are part of the typology of the Berat houses, also known as me 'house with floor'. This typology, in general, is very rich in variations, somehow related to the changing of the number of spaces. The ground floor on this typology continues to be uninhabitable since it serves as a space for the livestock also known as 'katua', but in some cases there are two or more 'katonj', while the stairs are placed in a slightly more flexible way, to make the residential floor more rationally usable. Many houses of this typology, during the second half of the 19th century, have undergone some major renovations of their facades and in some cases have revitalized the volume of the first floor exposing it out, as a lounge-area also known as 'erker'. This was made to gain more space and to correct errors that may have been made in the ground floor space.
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House of 'Llambe Aguridhi'

The house belongs to the 'Merko' family today but has stayed closed for quite some time and it strikes your attention in the overall silhouette of Mangalem neighborhood.This house is part of the special-solutions category, where the effort to combine construction with the accidental terrain, has resulted in some not so easily identifiable typologies. On a stone board, on the courtyard-gate, is marked the year 1856, which is the year of its reconstruction after being demolished in 1851. This composition scheme is known for its height and treatment with different levels, floor spacing inequality and the existence of interconnecting spaces, on the frontline of the upper floor, the construction with columns and arches that create a kind of terrace also known as 'kamerieja', which gives this space a central composition in the house. The corner also known as 'qoshku' is similar to traditional houses in Korça.
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House of Dude Mishaxhiu

Situated in what was once known as the '1st May' neighborhood, its original owner is believed to have been the same owner of the Bizbiqi Residence, on the same street, in front of it. This house is a cultural monument, despite the current bad condition and lack of treatment over the years, despite the interventions that most contributed to its alienation. This house was later owned by 'Dude Mishaxhiu' and 'Mrs. Antigoni Mishaxhiu' (an elderly woman) who still lives there.
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House 'Bullari'

This house was declared a first category monument in1856. It is owned by two brothers and is currently separated physically by a wall that crosses through the outdoor entrance staircase, and the main lobby. It is currently in poor condition, with falling plaster pieces and decorative wood ceilings, which have created arches and spaces between wooden planks, that residents have been trying to repair with alternative forms to maintain their livelihood everyday needs. There is an interesting volumetric exit to the front of the house, to the space above the entrance stairs, very similar to the typical 'qoshk' of Korça houses.
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House 'Lino'

This house is a first category monument. The ground floor was built and served as a space reserved for animals also known as 'katonj'. It is believed to have been built around 1897-1898 and to have served as a military barracks. In 1948 the Lino family buys and owns it.
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House 'Picinane'

House 'Picinane' is situated in front of the Ethnographic Museum. To accommodate the present living needs of the family, the house main structure has changed a lot especially in the interior space.
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House of Stavri Duhanxhiut

This house is situated in the 'Gorice' neighborhood and is an example of how a typical open house with 'cardak' of the first quarter of the 19th century, transforms into a closed house because of the changes of the economic and social life in Berat. Above one of the water cistern (stere), there's an inscription of the year 1864 which is believed to be the year of the third construction phase on the house. The house itself was realized during the second half of the 18th century. The house went through different changes apart from the çardak encloser, adding of new spaces to the house, or changing the facade language treatment. In 1972 some restoration and conservation works were realized and also around 2017-2018, through a collaboration between the CHWB-Albania and the DRKK of Berat, its full restoration was achieved.
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House of 'Cac Dollani'

This house is situated in the crossing of cobblestoned alleys, in one of the Castle's neighborhood. Its closed ground floor masonry walls, follow the perimeter of the alleys, meanwhile, the upper floor of the house stands out with three prismatic volumes, 'qoshk'. This house despite its unique volumetric development, it has also historic value, since it used to be one of the bases of 'The National Liberation Movement' (LNÇ).
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House 'Bruka'

Traditional house of the Lume region, situated in the village of Ujmisht (Kukes), 'kulle' typology made out of massive stone walls and small windows (which later were trasformed and widened) and organized on three floors. The two upper floors serving for living and the ground floor for animals and lifestock deposit. It is believed to be more than 200 years and around the 80' some adjanted volumes were created, but further on demolished around 2000 returning back to its original volumtry. Its original owners are three brothers.
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House on 'Tefta Tashko Koço' street'

This traditional house was listed as a 1st category Monument in December 1987 and one of the representatives of the traditional house of Tirana. The traditional house of Tirana, occupies a special position in the architecture of the Albanian urban houses. This house's walls range in width from 60 to 70 cm. The adobe bricks are tied with clay mortar mixed with straw. Every 1 m bands of adobe bricks wall, are tied to bands of wood with an anti-seismic function. Construction of these houses with adobe bricks is typical of Central Albania and was allowed as a type of construction in Tirana until around 1923. The facade wall of the 'guest room' on the upper floor, is made out of this traditional, older but light construction(wooden planks with layers of plaster), known as 'çatma'. It is believed to belong to one of the biggest families of the city, 'Toptani' family, more precisely belongs to Maliq Toptani. Today it is believed to be divided between two families, because of its two main entrances and the fact that the ground floor of one half of the house has gone through some reconstructions and changes from its original condition.

House on 'Mujo Ulqinaku' street

A typical urban villa completely, today demolished, situated close to the Catholic Church 'Zemra e shenjte e Krishtit', on ' Kavaja' street. An authentic architecture and beautifully detailed facades, one of them facing 'Mujo Ulqinaku' street, contributed to shaping the urban silhouette of this street. It was surrounded by high walls, had two different entrances, one of them leading to a vast green backyard, a characteristic feature of the urban villas of the time as a crucial part of Tirana's city identity.