Eight of the world’s most unique traditional houses

1. Toraja House : Indonesia

Tongkonan are the traditional Torajan ancestral houses. They stand high on wooden piles, topped with a layered split-bamboo roof shaped in a sweeping curved arc, and they are incised with red, black, and yellow detailed wood carvings on the exterior walls. The word “tongkonan” comes from the Torajan tongkon (“to sit”).

Tongkonan are the center of Torajan social life. The rituals associated with the tongkonan are important expressions of Torajan spiritual life, and therefore all family members are impelled to participate, because symbolically the tongkonan represents links to their ancestors and to living and future kin

The construction of a tongkonan is laborious work and is usually done with the help of the extended family. There are three types of tongkonan. The tongkonan layuk is the house of the highest authority, used as the “center of government”. The tongkonan pekamberan belongs to the family members who have some authority in local traditions. Ordinary family members reside in the tongkonan batu. The exclusivity to the nobility of the tongkonan is diminishing as many Torajan commoners find lucrative employment in other parts of Indonesia. As they send back money to their families, they enable the construction of larger tongkonan.

2. Ksar Ouleds: Tunisia

These multi-storey houses in Tunisia are made of clay because woods are not available in the area.

3. Turf Houses: Iceland

Because timbers are not suitable for house construction in Iceland due to its harsh winter climate, most houses are made of turf.

4. Rock Houses : Iran

This village called Kandovan is a tourist spot in Iran and is famous for its unique houses which are carved inside rocks. These houses were built about 700 years ago and are still being inhabited. The mineral water in the area is also well-known to tourist because it is believed that it can cure kidney problems.

5. Underground House: Tunisia

Believe it or not, this dwelling is actually a hotel. It is called Hotel Sidi Driss. This traditional Berber troglodyte underground building is located in the village of Matmata, Tunisia. If you have seen the movie ‘Star Wars’, the hotel served as the home of Luke Skywalker on the planet Tatooine.

The structures are created by digging a large pit in the ground and around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by trench-like passageways.

6. Toro Pit Dwelling: Japan

Not far from Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is another archeological site where unique traditional house designs can be found – Late Yayoi archeological site. It is located in Suzuga-ku the city of Shizouka. The pit-house above is believed to have been built in the 1st century CE.

7. Xinle Houses: China

These traditional houses are Xinle house design of the Xinle civilization that flourished in China 7,200 years ago.
The Xinle Civilization flourished about 5500 to 4800 BCE during the Neolithic period at the lower Liao River.

8. Bolgatanga Painted Village: Ghana

During dry season when there is little work in the field, women in this village in Ghana are busy painting their houses. These painted houses are located in Village Of Pottery Art and Culture or simply VOPCA, a village 8 km west of Bolgatanga. These houses are popular tourist attraction in the area.