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<p>This traditional kuća is undergoing renovations. The lower level walls are constructed of stone with integrated wooden reinforcing strips to stabilize the walls and provide lintels over doors and windows. The upper level floor, walls, and roof are timber framed. The walls were constructed using wattle and daub infill with a plaster coating. The roofing appears to be made of cementitious corrugated panels. The steep hipped roof is traditionally covered with wooden shingles (šindra) and has venting strips in the upper portion of the roof.</p>
<p>The kuća has a large number of windows on these facades visible from the road. The wooden reinforcing strips are continuous and provide support over the windows in the stone walls. The wooden reinforcing strips are normally created by setting face members on the interior and exterior surfaces that are connected by cross members mortised into the face members; this allows masonry work to interlock with the strips. The diagonal timber bracing in the upper walls stabilize the corners and allow large openings in these walls.</p>
<p>This large kula with ground entrances on two levels is under renovation. The lowest level walls are constructed of stone with three major coursed strips of stone and arch-shaped stonework over window openings. The top level floor, walls and roof framing are timber. These walls were constructed using infill of wattle and daub covered with plaster. The oriel window appears to have a raised floor as in čardak spaces. The steep roof is covered with corrugated panels. The small opens in the roof are typical of those found in traditional dwellings and used to ventilate the building. </p>
<p>The kuća has the typical roof profile of the dinaric dwelling. The lowest level, built into the sloping terrain was constructed of stone walls and its interior was divided into separate rooms to store food, tools, and house animals. The upper level was constructed with timber framed walls with wattle and daub infill covered with plaster. The living floor of the house has several windows, evidence of multiple rooms within. The roof was timber framed with wooden shingles.</p>
<p>This tower dwelling (kula) has two levels constructed with stone walls, and one additional level of timber frame construction, with wattle and daub infill covered with a plaster coating. The size of the dwelling and projecting balconies and oriel window on the tallest side indicate that this may more properly designated as a konak for a large family. The tall hipped roof form is typical of Dinaric dwelling of this region; the original roofing material was most likely wooden shingles.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Kučanska džamija was constructed near the end of the 18th century. The structure has a masonry base and a timber gallery, roof, and minaret of wood. The wood is recorded as being borovina (pine). The mosque has gone through a number of renovations and the open gallery enclosed with glazing.</p>
<p>Rožaje is an old town in northeastern Montenegro, with medieval origins, and this is a typical house in this mountainous region. In this variation of the Dinaric mountain house, the living spaces are elevated, formed of timber frame construction with a wattle and daub infill above a masonry base. The steep roof is typical of Dinaric houses and the exposed diagonal bracing on the upper level, left exposed or covered with a plaster material, a wall treatment commonly found in this region.</p>
<p>This dwelling is typical of stone and wood frame construction that uses lighter infill to make exterior walls. The ground level is normally constructed above a masonry foundation used as a root cellar. Upper walls are constructed using lumber studs and areas between are filled with woven branches (wattle) and clay daub or soft brickwork. An exterior plaster coat was applied to seal the surfaces. The wood-enclosed stairs lead to the main living levels and gallery. One can see that the wood studs are notched to lock the finish surface to the wood frame. The wooden hipped roof is typical in the region.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This view shows the mosque entry in 1988. The upper level is the gallery for women to pray and is reached by a stair within the space. The decorative carvings of the columns and arched panels reveal the rich motifs that are found using patterns in nature. The circular disks with curving rays are similar to the patterns that one sees in the dances of the 'whirling dervishes'.</p><p><br></p>

Montenegro (Crna Gora) (BHBA)

Montenegro, formerly a republic in Yugoslavia known as Crna Gora, became an independent country in 2006 after separating from a union with Serbia through a referendum vote. The culture of Montenegro is rich and complex with connections to Slavonic, Italian, and Albanian folk cultures and their vernacular architectural expressions.


The country has two pronounced landscapes (the rocky coast of the Adriatic Karst and the mountains of the Dinaric Alps) that are important factors in the development of the different types of vernacular architecture still found.

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Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Keywords
vernacular architecture
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Montenegro (Crna Gora) (BHBA)

Montenegro, formerly a republic in Yugoslavia known as Crna Gora, became an independent country in 2006 after separating from a union with Serbia through a referendum vote. The culture of Montenegro is rich and complex with connections to Slavonic, Italian, and Albanian folk cultures and their vernacular architectural expressions.


The country has two pronounced landscapes (the rocky coast of the Adriatic Karst and the mountains of the Dinaric Alps) that are important factors in the development of the different types of vernacular architecture still found.

Images & Videos
Screenshot 2023-11-14 at 2.53.14 PM.png
digital graphic
<p>This traditional kuća is undergoing renovations. The lower level walls are constructed of stone with integrated wooden reinforcing strips to stabilize the walls and provide lintels over doors and windows. The upper level floor, walls, and roof are timber framed. The walls were constructed using wattle and daub infill with a plaster coating. The roofing appears to be made of cementitious corrugated panels. The steep hipped roof is traditionally covered with wooden shingles (šindra) and has venting strips in the upper portion of the roof.</p>
Traditional kuća under renovation. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>The kuća has a large number of windows on these facades visible from the road. The wooden reinforcing strips are continuous and provide support over the windows in the stone walls. The wooden reinforcing strips are normally created by setting face members on the interior and exterior surfaces that are connected by cross members mortised into the face members; this allows masonry work to interlock with the strips. The diagonal timber bracing in the upper walls stabilize the corners and allow large openings in these walls.</p>
Traditional kuća from upper road. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>This large kula with ground entrances on two levels is under renovation. The lowest level walls are constructed of stone with three major coursed strips of stone and arch-shaped stonework over window openings. The top level floor, walls and roof framing are timber. These walls were constructed using infill of wattle and daub covered with plaster. The oriel window appears to have a raised floor as in čardak spaces. The steep roof is covered with corrugated panels. The small opens in the roof are typical of those found in traditional dwellings and used to ventilate the building. </p>
Traditional kula under renovation. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>The kuća has the typical roof profile of the dinaric dwelling. The lowest level, built into the sloping terrain was constructed of stone walls and its interior was divided into separate rooms to store food, tools, and house animals. The upper level was constructed with timber framed walls with wattle and daub infill covered with plaster. The living floor of the house has several windows, evidence of multiple rooms within. The roof was timber framed with wooden shingles.</p>
Traditional kuća viewed from the entry path. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>This tower dwelling (kula) has two levels constructed with stone walls, and one additional level of timber frame construction, with wattle and daub infill covered with a plaster coating. The size of the dwelling and projecting balconies and oriel window on the tallest side indicate that this may more properly designated as a konak for a large family. The tall hipped roof form is typical of Dinaric dwelling of this region; the original roofing material was most likely wooden shingles.&nbsp;</p>
Modified traditional kula. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>The Kučanska džamija was constructed near the end of the 18th century. The structure has a masonry base and a timber gallery, roof, and minaret of wood. The wood is recorded as being borovina (pine). The mosque has gone through a number of renovations and the open gallery enclosed with glazing.</p>
Kučanska džamija (Community Mosque). Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>Rožaje is an old town in northeastern Montenegro, with medieval origins, and this is a typical house in this mountainous region. In this variation of the Dinaric mountain house, the living spaces are elevated, formed of timber frame construction with a wattle and daub infill above a masonry base. The steep roof is typical of Dinaric houses and the exposed diagonal bracing on the upper level, left exposed or covered with a plaster material, a wall treatment commonly found in this region.</p>
Traditional Dwelling (kuća) viewed from a small pasture. Rožaje, Montenegro
digital photograph
<p>This dwelling is typical of stone and wood frame construction that uses lighter infill to make exterior walls. The ground level is normally constructed above a masonry foundation used as a root cellar. Upper walls are constructed using lumber studs and areas between are filled with woven branches (wattle) and clay daub or soft brickwork. An exterior plaster coat was applied to seal the surfaces. The wood-enclosed stairs lead to the main living levels and gallery. One can see that the wood studs are notched to lock the finish surface to the wood frame. The wooden hipped roof is typical in the region.&nbsp;</p>
Stone and bondruk house. Plav, Montenegro
digital photograph
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Parent Collections
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Bing and Harrington Balkan Archive (BHBA)
Keywords
vernacular architecture
Terms of use
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