The Tower House (Kulla) of Mahmut Pashë Rrotulli - Opterushë

The Kulla of Mahmut Pasha is located in the centre of the village of Opterushë, 8 km east of Rahovec. Among the people it is known as the Kulla of Mahmut Pasha, and it is presumed to have been built in the 19th century by Mahmut Pashë Rrotulli, who also built the Sahat Kulla (Clock Tower) in Rahovec, and other monuments in Prizren, Mamushë and Budakovë. The kulla has the characteristic features of the tower houses that were built during the

19th century in the Plain of Dukagjin and served as a space for living, socialising, observation and defence. It has a floor plan with sides of 6 metres. It is built with a ground floor and two floors. The ground floor served as a service area, as a stable for the guests' livestock. The first floor was used for accommodating guests and for various meetings, while the second floor served for observing the situation outside the kulla.

The kulla is presumed to have originally had a bay window (qoshk) as well, which was destroyed in the course of later transformations. The walls were built with a thickness of 80 cm, of local stone of irregular shapes bound with lime mortar. The roof was made with a wooden construction, hipped, covered with stone slabs – a covering characteristic of the roofs of the Rahovec region.

From the time it was built until today, the kulla has undergone many changes. During the 19th century the kulla had an administrative function and served as a municipal building, from which several surrounding villages were managed. Later, during the Yugoslav period, it was used for political matters.

In its final phase it was given for use to a local villager, who adapted the kulla for use as a mill. During 1999 the kulla suffered serious damage, which caused the collapse of the roof structure, the intermediate floor construction and the greater part of the wall structure.

The restoration interventions of 2014 contributed to the consolidation of the structure of the kulla, restoring the values of this important monument of the cultural heritage of the Rahovec region.