Angonate House

You are standing in front of the Angonate House, one of the most iconic historic homes in Gjirokastër and the largest old residential complex still visible in the city. It was built in 1881 by the Hanko brothers, members of a powerful family from the late Ottoman period, and is made up of two separate buildings organised around two inner courtyards, a layout that is unique in Gjirokastër. The complex brings together all the classic features of Albanian Ottoman houses, thick walls of local stone, slate roofs and imposing volumes, while also introducing elements that were quite modern for the time, such as balconies and a central mansard roof. Thanks to its elevated position, the house enjoys an exceptional panoramic view over the city, which has made it one of the most recognisable images of the so-called “city of stone”. Classified as a cultural monument and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, the Angonate House long suffered from complicated ownership issues, before finally becoming the subject of recent restoration efforts aimed at preserving this rare and remarkable example of Ottoman residential architecture in Gjirokastër.