Margariti Castle

The Margariti Castle, stands magnificent on a hill, in the south of the modern settlement and is a path of approximately 150 m long. This is an Ottoman castle that began to be built in 1549, on the ruins of pre-existing ancient fortress in order to strengthen the newly conquered territories of Ottoman against paralian cottage, especially the area of ​​Parga. In 1571, 6,000 Venetians, Kerkylans and local forces from Parga and Paramythia, under the guidance of Pauli Orsini, counter to the aggressive action of Margariti’s guard against the Venetian acquisition of Parga, with a combined attack to occupy the castle. ). Three consecutive attacks took about his goal), attributed by the Greek painter Antonios Vassilaki (Antonio Vassilacchi) from Milos, Tintoretto student, who has suffered in the battle for this purpose. After peace in 1573, Parga remained Venetian and Margariti Ottoman, while the fortress is repaired by the Ottomans of the region. “Margariti remains in the 17th century. An important fortress of the area. In 1669 it states that it had 8 Topciyan (shooters) and guard between 40-50 Greast. The area is visited in 1670-71 Elia Tselebi, describing the fortress with obvious excesses, as a pentagon with a perimeter of 520 m and a 200 person guard. In the 18th century. Margariti is run by Suleiman Tsaparis, a large family leader who will run the area until the first half of the 19th century and will hold the largest part of its territories. At the same time, it is presented as a center of riot and uprisings against the Ottoman gate and outbreak of anti-government conspirations. In 1811, the area passes to the power of Ali Pasha Temelenlis. Although there are no clear references, the castle is almost certain that it continued to play a role in the historical events and continuous war conflicts of the region, mainly as a base against Parga, while later and until 1913, when the area was incorporated into the Greek state, He was used as a prison, as a Turkish army barrack and as a seat of the military commander of the region. The current form of the castle in Margariti is due to the extensive repairs suffered in the second half of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. And it has the features of a large, fortified military home, growing around an inner courtyard. The castle has an irregular pentagon plan with a maximum dimensions of 30 x 40 m. His walls were made of stretched stones and strong mortar and are saved as a height of about 10 m on the best preserved western side thereof. The fortification was boosted by a tower tower in BA and a circular in its ND corner. The towers were entirely staged interiorly leaving a protected space for placement of firearms at the top. Another reservoir, housed with a dome at its lower level, protected from the north of the castle gate. The gateway, which was arched, was on the northern side of the fortification and had a strong altitude difference, more than 5 m with the surrounding outside the castle, communication with which it has not been possible to ascertain at present. Likely to be secured through a mobile wooden scale. The inner courtyard, in which the gateway drives directly, has a maximum dimensions of 16 x 10 m and almost rectangular shape. Its floors were the carved natural rock. Around the courtyard the castle is formed on two levels .__
On the ground floor there were vaulted spaces that communicated each other through a corridor that contained the western and south side of the courtyard. Two tanks were detected in the western wing for water storage. They were entirely coated interior with hydraulic mortar and input to them was made of small openings at a height of 1.50 m. From their floor. Between the tanks there was a bathroom, fed with water from clay tubes and had a stone-built conduit to remove sewage. In the eastern wing, a lavator detected, while another vaulted storage area occupied the corner of the castle. Access from the courtyard to the upper level was secured with a wooden scale with a stone base in front of the West Wing. At this level, the fortress of the castle guard was stood. Two large rooms were divided over the winged wing tanks. In a better condition, the walls of the southern wing of the floor are rescued. The large room in the corner had arched windows and a fireplace for its heating, while on the walls there were also storage cabinets, as well as refolded openings and a defensive resorts. “