Old House, Pirot
The Old House is a Hristic family house in Tijabara, Pirot.[1] Built in 1848 for merchant Hrista Jovanović, it has been the property of the Serbian state since 1953, and in 1979 it became a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance for Serbia.[2] After WWII, the Old House became a museum, opening to the public in 1956.[3] It is Pirot's best preserved example of traditional architecture from the mid-19th century.
History
Construction took two years and was completed on April 5, 1848, according to a plaque on the building's ground floor. It is one of Pirot's most luxurious mid-nineteenth century Christian houses. Due to the building's size and multiple stories, Jovanović needed permission from the Turkish authorities to construct it, resulting in its location on the outskirts of the town.
No information remains about the craftsmen who built the house. It remains unclear whether Jovanović had it designed by an architect, or dreamed it himself up while traveling through the Ottoman Empire for trade purposes.
Hrista Jovanović occupied the house, and it was inherited by his descendants, whose surname changed from Jovanović to Hristić. After World War II, the building was turned into a museum by the municipality of Pirot.[4]
Construction and layout
The building is crowned by a unique, gazebo-style roof. Wooden window frames and decorated lathes on the building's corners add features to its bright white facade. Through the porch is the hall, which features a fireplace and storage for flour and wood. This room is flanked by two bedrooms.[5] A wooden staircase leads to the spacious upstairs living room, which is divided into:
- A central section with shelves and a fireplace
- The "divanhana" (men's room)
- The women's room
Various uniquely-named rooms lead off the hall: the bedroom, the Kandil (Thurible) Room, the Great Room, the Treasury, and the Sar'k Room.
While the ground floor was used on a daily basis by the house's residents, the upstairs was reserved for prominent guests. A staircase leads up from the second floor to a viewing platform on the roof. The roof's wide eaves are lined with shingle and form a wreath of archivolts over the windows at the front and sides of the house. This unique roof design is unusual even in the Balkans.
There are several engraved cabinets in the house. The best work is on the ground floor and is attributed to a craftsman of the famous Debar school. The ceiling of the divanhana is also engraved, while the Great Room features a plaster stucco ceiling. Typical of Serbian architecture of this period, the house also features a secret passage and a unique "Kandil" (thurible) Room. The secret passage was accessed from behind the downstairs cabinet and led to the house's rear entrance under the staircase. In the Kandil room, an iconostasis adorned the eastern wall, and a thurible would be burnt during religious holidays.[4]
Trivia
Movies
A large part of "Zona Zamfirova" was filmed in the Old House, which was the setting for Hadzi Zamfir's residence. "Ivkova slava," another cult Serbian movie, was also filmed almost entirely in the house's grounds and interior.
Hrista Jovanović / Little Rista
Hrista Jovanović, better known as Čučuk Rista or Mali Rasta (Little Rista), was a prominent merchant in Pirot and the Ottoman Empire. He originally lived in the Zavoj village, which had been submerged under a lake in the second half of the 19th century. He later settled near Pirot, in 1830. Rista was not originally a merchant, taking up that occupation at the time he moved to Pirot.
Jovanović quickly achieved success as a merchant, and after the suggestions of Çorbacı and Turkish authorities from Pirot, in 1840, he became a Kalauz (cow and butter tax collector) for the pasha of Vidin. He briefly worked for pasha Usein in the Pirot district, and became independent not long after.
Jovanović amassed a great deal of wealth from trade with the Ottoman Empire. He traveled to Niš, Leskovac, Vidin, Sofia, and Carigrad to sell his goods. He had a reputation for greed, and he was expelled from Pirot by pasha Sadrezam for repeatedly selling the same goods to the Turkish army.
Little Rista's room
In Pirot, Serbs were forced to obey the Turkish authorities. Dissatisfied, Jovanović decided to force Turkish authorities to submit to him. As he was very short, Jovanović purposefully built a room with a very low ceiling. The Turkish authorities, who were relatively tall, were forced to bend down to enter the room. When the authorities questioned him about it, Jovanović avoided arrest by stating: "I am a short man, so my room is smaller. It was made only for me." Thus, he made the Turkish authorities bow to him, which was unthinkable at the time.[4]
See also
- Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance
- Tourism in Serbia
References
- ^ "Cultural heritage of Pirot district". Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ^ Monuments of Culture in Serbia: "Стара кућа" (SANU) (in Serbian and English)
- ^ "Istorija". Muzej Ponišavlja Pirot.
- ^ a b c "Pirot Museum". Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ^ Muzej Ponišavlja u Pirotu
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Old house like tourist destination
- Museum Old house in Pirot
- Museum Old house official Facebook site
- v
- t
- e
![Serbia](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Flag_of_Serbia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Serbia.svg.png)
- Vinča
- Mediana
- Justiniana Prima
- Mramorje
- Velika humka
- Rudna Glava
- Gamzigrad
- Trajan's Bridge
- Lepenski Vir
- Diana/Karataš
- Kraku Lu Jordan
- Starčevo
- Bassianae
- Sirmium
- Židovar
- Gomolava
- Čibska šuma
- Kalvarija
- Ulpiana
- Viminacium
![Cultural Property](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Spomenik_Kulture.svg/80px-Spomenik_Kulture.svg.png)
- St. Achillius
- Dositej's Lyceum
- Residence of Princess Ljubica
- Belgrade Fortress
- Captain Miša Mansion
- Belgrade Cathedral
- Museum of 4 July
- Secret Partisan Print Shop
- Residence of Prince Miloš
- Topčider Church
- Topčider Parish House
- Topčider Obelisk
- Pokajnica
- Golubac Fortress
- Takovo complex
- Manasija
- Tabula Traiana
- Kragujevac District Courthouse
- House of Svetozar Marković
- Sobrašice of Lužnice
- Žiča
- Studenica
- Maglič
- Lazarica with Kruševac Fortress
- St. Nicholas Monastery
- Holy Mother of God, Kuršumlija
- Lazarevac Memorial Church
- Mačkov Kamen complex
- Despot Stefan Memorial
- Hajduk Veljko's Powder Magazine
- Early Byzantine Tomb
- Skull Tower
- Niš concentration camp
- Đurđevi Stupovi
- Petrova Church
- Sopoćani
- Stari Ras
- Hristić family House
- Banja Monastery
- Mileševa
- Partisan Hospital, Prijepolje
- St. Peter and Paul's in Gornja Dobrinja
- Gradac Monastery
- Kalenić
- Smederevo Fortress
- Museum of 1941 Uprising
- Partisan printing house "Borba"
- Headquarters of the Main People's Liberation Committee of Serbia
- Plant nursery, Užice
- Partisan Hospital, Krčagovo
- Kadinjača
- Stari Han
- Oplenac
- Ljubostinja
- Ravanica
- House of Dimitrije Tucović
- Atenica Wine cellar
- Prnjavor Memorial Chapel
- Wooden Church, Dub
- St. Peter and Paul's in Sirogojno
- Monument to the Unknown Hero
- Prohor Pčinjski
- Bođani Monastery
- Bač Franciscan Church
- Dunđerski Palace
- Neštin House
- Bački Petrovac House
- Beočin Monastery
- Rakovac Monastery
- Šlajz
- Bishop's palace, Vršac
- Mesić Monastery
- Vojinović Bridge
- Medieval palace of Vučitrn
- Monastery of St Barbara
- Danilović House
- Hadum mosque
- Orthodox Church in Čurug
- St. Nicholas', Stari Slankamen
- Velika Remeta
- Vrdnik-Ravanica
- Grgeteg Monastery
- Jazak Monastery
- Mala Remeta
- Candlemas Church, Krušedol Selo
- Krušedol Monastery
- Novo Hopovo
- Staro Hopovo
- Gorioč
- Our Lady of Hvosno
- St. John's, Crkolez
- St. Nicholas', Đurakovac
- St. Nicholas', Kikinda
- Suvača
- Orthodox Church in Mokrin
- Churches in White Drin valley
- Dobra Voda
- Dolac Church
- Drsnik Church
- Mlečane Church
- Čabić Church
- Kijevo Church
- Pograđe Lower Church
- Pograđe Upper Church
- Romanian Church in Uzdin
- Holy Thetokos', Vaganeš
- Ubožac (Rđavac)
- Presentation of Mary, Lipljan
- Arača
- Almaška Church
- Church of The Assumption, Novi Sad
- Novo Brdo
- St. Nicholas', Velika Hoča
- St. John's, Velika Hoča
- Vojlovica
- Transfiguration Church, Pančevo
- Transfiguration Church, Budisavci
- Bajrakli Mosque
- St. Jeremiah's, Goraždevac
- Warehouses of Karlovčić
- Ogar House
- St. Luke's, Kupinovo
- St. Nicholas', Sibač
- Kaljaja
- St. Peter of Koriša
- Holy Salvation, Prizren
- St. Nicholas', Prizren
- Churches of Sredačka Župa
- Holy Virgin, Sredska
- St. George's, Sredska
- St. Nicholas', Mušnikovo
- St. Paraskevi, Mušnikovo
- Bogoševce Church
- Gornje Selo Church
- Drajčići Church
- Sinan Pasha Mosque
- Hammam of Prizren
- Imperial Mosque
- St. John's, Sombor
- Devič
- Divša
- Kuveždin
- Petkovica Monastery
- Warehouses of Golubinci
- Šišatovac
- Old St. Stephen's, Sremska Mitrovica
- Patriarchate of Karlovci
- Saint Nicholas', Sremski Karlovci
- Subotica Synagogue
- Subotica City Hall
- Virgin Hodegetria, Mušutište
- St. George's, Rečane
- Catholic Church of Čoka
- Orthodox Church of Vilovo
- Zvečan Fortress
- Sokolica
- Monuments of Nerodimlje
- Nerodimlje Medieval Town
- Petrič Fortress
- St. Uroš
- Holy Archangels, Gornje Nerodimlje
- Churches of Sirinićka Župa
- St George's, Gornja Bitinja
- St. Theodor Tyron's, Donja Bitinja
- St. Nicholas', Gotovuša
- St. Nicholas', Štrpce
- Privina Glava
- Orthodox Church of Molovin
- Holy Archangels
- Gračanica
- Visoki Dečani
- Our Lady of Ljeviš
- Patriarchate of Peć
- Banjska Monastery
- Terzijski Bridge
- Miloš Obrenović's House
- Bela Crkva
- Bubanj
- Šumarice
- Stolice
- Marićevića jaruga
- Radovanjski Lug
- Cer Memorial Ossuary
- Vuk Karadžić's birth house
- Kraljevo Memorial Park
- Čegar
- Ljubić
- Boško Buha Memorial Complex
- Chapel of Peace
- Site of the Battle of Slankamen
- Vezirac Hill Memorial
- Idvor Memorial Complex
- Site of the Battle of Senta
- Syrmian Front Memorial Complex
- Takovski grm
- Knez Mihailova Street
- Tešnjar
- Novi Pazar Fortress with the Old Bazaar and Altun-Alem Mosque
- Gornja Dobrinja Complex
- Negotin Wine Cellars
- Rajac Wine Cellar
- Rogljevo Wine Cellar
- Štubik Wine Cellar
- "Staro selo" Etno Complex
- Topčider
- Stari Ras area
- Gazimestan
- Sremski Karlovci
- Bač Fortress
- Dositej's Lyceum area
- Fruška Gora
- Military Technical Institute Complex