Skënduli House — How an Ottoman Elite Household Worked
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Transcript
Skënduli House helps decode the famous Gjirokastër tower house. Thick lower walls and a commanding position can make these homes look like miniature castles, but their design was also domestic and social. Storage and service functions occupied lower levels; more elaborate reception rooms appeared above; windows, fireplaces and decorated ceilings signaled status. Different spaces allowed a large household to manage privacy, guests, work and seasonal living. UNESCO emphasizes that Gjirokastër’s urban form was shaped by major landowners tied to Ottoman power. This house makes that abstract statement tangible. The architecture protected a family, but it also staged rank: visitors moved through a carefully ordered sequence before reaching the most prestigious rooms.