One of the oldest and most beautiful houses in Bijelo Polje, although crowded with the gray of various architectural buildings, is more than a silent witness of the past times.
In the soul of the rare united traditional town house in the center of the city, the unparalleled kindness and cordiality of the family of Mehmed Salemovic is interwoven, who, roughly nine years ago, with restoration, prevented it to collapse and preserved its authentic appearance.
That's why the house for years has been a favorite place for visitors and tourists to take pictures, especially in the summer. The house was visited several years ago by the then-Turkish ambassador in Montenegro Nijazi Tanilir with his wife. It is difficult to say whether it is more beautiful in the summer, with the windows lined with flowers, or under the snow that colors its rusticity.
Though restored, its appearance, particularly the hand-cut steep roof covered with shingles, resembles the appearance of about 170 years ago, which, as he came from Skopje, was found by Salem, which later became Salemovici.
Its authentic appearance is also witnessed by the picture of the house by the famous painter from Bijelo Polje Rasim Hadrović Polimski, which dominates in one of the rooms on the upper floor.
In addition, in Bijelo Polje, among the older houses are Gušmirović, Kajabegović, Kučević and Muzurović. Among them, only Kajabegović's house is restored.
The house of Salemovic has no foundation, and it is "attached" to the land with thick walls up to ninety centimeters. The lower part of the house served to tie the horses of various traders who came to the city, and thus an extra income for the family of the then famous tailor Ćerim Salemovic, Mehmed's father.
By placing a wooden floor and a window this space was turned into a kitchen and dining room, and at night it served as a bedroom. The ground floor is made of stone and the upper floor of loam, which gives the house a special charm.
Steep wooden stairs lead to the room on the first floor. Rooms with rugs are bordered by thick walls having a wooden door with a bolt.
Entrance to the rooms, especially the most prominent, with shingles ceilings with no paint, with old chandeliers, with tens of exhibits of various objects of that time, give the impression of a rich museum setting.
In that room at the end of the two walls, right next to the windows, is dominated by a huge "stretched" divan where there are " šilteta” - cushions, in front of which there is a “tegara”, which once played remarkable importance in the organization of life.
This charming portable bowl with a copper recess in which the cinder was placed, with a lid, beside the room warming, served to make coffee in cezve, and also to prepare the delicious dishes – as it is Dutch oven for roast meats. The sewing machine “Singer” from which the old tailor Cerim used to feed his wife and five children, is still used by Muradija. Old embroidered slippers complement the sewing machine with a silk shirt. Mehmed explains that it was not exactly established when the house was built, but it probably originates from the period up to 1850 and it is not known whether his grand grandfather built or bought this house. His father, Ćerim, and his mother, Lutva, daughter of the then famous imam Mustafa - Mujo Dizdarević, who served in the mosque, which was located at the site of the building “Elektroprenos” until 1957, invested their entire life in its repair and maintenance.
My father would say as a joke: "While other people and couples go to the sea, I keep my home on injections for 40 years," Mehmed says, whose father was the founder of the first tailor co-operative in Bijelo Polje. He says the idea of restoring the house came after his mother's death nine years ago, especially when the walls started "moving" down the street.
"It took me two years to find the board-shingle roof, while the ceilings - the hatchbacks retained the authentic look and were never painted. Even though the walls went to fall on the outside of the house, the craftsmen were skillfully able to stop their further movement and clamps - kept the original state," he said, adding that the works lasted for about a year.
Today, on the ground floor of the renovated house, live the sisters Muradija and Bisera, and sister Sanija often joins them. They do not mind that every so often someone rings the door-bell asking if they can take a picture, and sometimes to have a look inside. And with friendly hosts, old items, albums, cakes, among which is the popular “Tri leće” prepared by Mehmed's wife Edina, the man is easily carried away and forgets about the time.
Text by Jadranka Cetkovic, on January 21st 2019, read more at Vijesti
