Banesa e Hamit Kalasë
Ethnographic Museum
Çardak and stairway
Krujë, Albania
This prestigeous house was built within the fortress walls in 1764 for Ismail Pashe Toptani, an important landowner. A masonry stair supported on vaults leads to the semi-enclosed çardak on the principal living floor. The wooden frame with infill panelling and openings with wooden grilles and shutters give this gathering space access to fresh air and view. The lower level provided quarters for livestock, food processing and other service functions, and was built against the higher grade with thick masonry walls and smaller openings. (photo 2015)
