Architecture Commons^™

The Traditional Tower Houses Of Kosovo And Albania -Origin, Development And Influences, Caroline Jaeger-Klein

UBT International Conference

Gheg-Albanians as well as Tosk-Albanians consider a distinct tower-house type of their traditional cultural heritage. Hence the closer look upon the structures in their geographical distribution from the Dukajin plains in nowadays Kosovo to the Dropull valley close to the Greek border provides a wide range of variations. Generally those structures serve as impressive residential houses (banesa) for rich landlords, warlords, tax collectors and merchants performing a rural-urban lifestyle. Therefore, a sophisticated blend of the all-time defendable Albanian tower house (kulla), still existing quite intact in the western Kosovo plains, and the comfortable Turkish life-style influenced residence was developed during …