The
museum is in a lovely old house built in 1764 which
belonged to one of the wealthy families living within the
castle. Fortunately it escaped demolition when the
Skanderbeg Museum was built. It is set in a walled courtyard
with two gateways.
It is a typical Ottoman style house with storage rooms on
the ground floor with the living quarters above. Again we
had a local guide taking us round. Most of the items are
original.
In the porch is a hand worked quern, equipment for making
leather and a machine used to crush wheat.
One of the rooms contained a forge. Another is set up with a
still used for making raki. Another has a small water driven
mill to grind flour.
There was a display on making the traditional felt hats as
well as a machine for washing the felt.
This room had a small shelter for the sheep in one corner
with accommodation for the shepherd above.
Another room contained a large oil crush which would have
been worked by a donkey, and a press to extract the oil.
Upstairs were the living quarters, with rooms off a large
central hallway. Doorways are low so people had to bow to
enter or leave the room, thus showing respect. There are
display cases on the landing area with wedding clothes of
both bride and groom.
Men and women were segregated. The women’s room also doubled
up as the wedding room. It has a painted frieze running
round the top of he walls and stained glass windows.
The men’s room had a fireplace and examples of weapons and
musical instruments were hanging on the walls.
Above the doorway is a gallery where the women could sit and
watch to see when the men wanted anything to eat or drink.
As marriages were arranged this was often the first view a
girl would have of her future husband.
Next to it is a small hammam with the family room beyond,
which has a small handloom.
The balcony looking down on this was used by the children.
As well as being used for cooking, the kitchen was where the
grandparents slept close to the fire on low mattresses.
The last room was originally a bedroom, but now contains
displays of clothes as well as a 140 year old painted dowry
chest.
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