ZEKATE HOUSE

This large, four-storey building (Shtëpia e Zekatëve) is the finest of Gjirokastra's tower-houses. Offering superb views over the rooftops of the old town and the Drin valley, it was built in 1812 for Beqir Zeko, a wealthy administrator under the bloodthirsty governor Ali Pacha of Tepelena. In the 1990s, it was returned to the Zeko family, who renovated it and turned it into a museum. The house features two side towers and a large double-arched façade. Interesting tour led by the owners.