Epirus, Greece: A Typical Zagori Village House, Some Traditional Terms

There is no such thing as a "typical house" of course, but Zagori village houses built largely of stone tended to follow certain common architectural and design principles, depending on size, period of construction and the wealth of the owners. Different villagers understand some of these words and terms in different ways. A number of the words are of Turkish origin. Comments and corrections gratefully received.

Ondás (or nondás; summer bedroom or reception room)

Mandzáto (family winter bedroom)

Kreváta (living room, at top of stairs; alternative reception area)

Mageirió (kitchen, cooking room)

Ipógeio (downstairs room, used for storage of barrels of cheese, etc; sometimes used for livestock in winter, or if under attack)

Hagiáti (covered open area or portico on ground floor, situated below upper storey)

Basia (fixed divans around circumference of room, or platform beds)

Boucharí (chimney)

Sterna (cistern)

Tzaki (fireplace)

Kato Machalas, Pano Machalas (lower quarter, upper quarter of village)

Mesochori (central square and social gathering place of village, near church, school, communal village cistern, plane tree)

Kalderími (cobbled mule path)

Alóni (threshing floor)