Kula B. Hajdarija, detail of čardak element
Dečani/Junik, Kosovo
The uppermost level of the kula (kulla) was traditionally used for the male family members to entertain guests. The projecting element on the perimeter served as a raised platform for sitting and resting. The Albanian name for this veranda is dysheklluku and the projecting seating element dysekllak; in other parts of the Balkans this projected space and sitting area was referred to as a divanhana or čardak. In this kula, the wooden projection appears to have been modified to incorporate a casement window.
(photo 1988)
