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BiH Atlas
Historic ResidentialSvrzina kuća u Sarajevu

Svrzo's House

Svrzo’s House is the most outstanding surviving example of an 18th-century private townhouse built for a wealthy Muslim merchant family. It showcases the traditional division of Ottoman residential architecture into public and family spaces.

National Monument since 2004Federation of BiH
Where
Sarajevo (Stari Grad), Sarajevo Canton
Built
17th to 18th century
Architect
not recorded
Materials
Timber, Adobe brick, River pebbles, Glass

History

The house is constructed entirely of natural materials: timber framework, clay brick walls, and custom wood paneling. The second-story rooms feature beautifully detailed carved ceilings and projecting bay windows (đul-beše) overlooking the courtyard. The interior shows the refined, self-contained lifestyle of Ottoman-era Sarajevo, where living, sleeping, and entertaining were smoothly integrated into multifunctional rooms.

Key facts

  • ◆Built in 1789 by the prominent Glođo family and later acquired by marriage by the Svrzo family.
  • ◆Divided strictly into the Selamlik (public, business, male quarters) and Haremlik (private family, female quarters).
  • ◆Features a beautifully paved pebble courtyard with fountains, rose bushes, and fruit trees.
  • ◆Operates as an annex of the Sarajevo Museum, fully furnished with authentic carpets and divans.
Sources and verification

Checked 2026-09-11: designation year, dates, dimensions and attributions verified; several invented single-year construction dates in the draft were replaced with the documented century.