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Agia Roumeli is the end point of the Samaria National Park route. Most people, after several kilometers of walking through the gorge, only dream of reaching the white buildings of the village, regenerating their strength and jumping into the sea. However, if, after passing Samaria, someone still has a lot of energy and enough time before the ferry leaves, we suggest entering the Turkish fortress located just above the village.
Turkish fortress towering over the village of Agia Roumeli
To see its massive walls, just look up while walking through the streets of this village. Our observations show, however, that hikers reaching Agia Roumeli rarely look up, not to mention looking for additional challenges. A pity, because in our opinion this fortress deserves to be climbed up to it.
The mountain on which this fortress is erected blocks access to Agia Roumeli from the north. Therefore, when you go up to an altitude of 194 meters above sea level, you can see not only the well-preserved walls of the fortress. From the top there are amazing views of the village below, the surrounding beaches, the Libyan Sea and the mouth of the Samaria Gorge. When the visibility is good, you can also see the islands of Gavdopoula and Gavdos. They are the southernmost borders of Europe.
This fortress has a lot of tourist potential, but making it a regular attraction will require significant financial resources. So far, the only investment made was the installation of lamps that illuminate the centuries-old walls in the evenings.
Agia Roumeli is visible below
If you hope that this fortress hides a dark story similar to Drosoulites from Frangokastello , then unfortunately we must disappoint you, because we did not find any such information in the sources. What may, however, be puzzling is the reason for the presence of the fortress in such an exposed place. And this is where the story gets more interesting. First of all, you need to know that Turkish forts are not unusual in Crete. There are a lot of them and they are scattered practically all over the island.
Turecka twierdza nad Agia Roumeli Jej zewnętrzne mury są w niezłym stanie Warto się tu wspiąć aby zobaczyć to miejsce z bliska
These forts are known collectively as koulés and koulédes (pl). Their presence is proof of the enormous undertaking undertaken by the Turks after the suppression of another Cretan uprising, which took place in 1866-69. In order to avoid further uprisings for independence, the Ottoman troops occupying the island then built a chain of such forts all over Crete. They are placed so that they are within sight of each other. This was to allow the crews to easily contact each other.
Soldiers stationed in such koulédes could communicate with each other by means of flags, fire or smoke signals. During this period, 150 such forts were built in Crete. At least 20 of them were built in Sfakia itself. Some of them were large enough to accommodate a certain number of permanent soldiers. Others were small observation points used periodically.
In the case of some forts, the troops stationed there had contact only with the nearest one. However, in many cases, where the terrain made it possible, soldiers were able to communicate in this way with the garrison of several fortresses. The main task of Turkish soldiers stationed in such forts was observation. In particular, it was about noticing any actions taken by the Cretan partisans in a timely manner. All this was to prevent another attempt to organize an uprising, and eventually put it down as soon as possible.
This was exactly the purpose behind the creation of the fort located above the village of Agia Roumeli. Popularly known as koulés, it was built by the Turks in the 18th century. The reasons for its introduction here are rather obvious - the Samaria Gorge area is one of the most active insurgent areas. Thanks to the erection of a fortress in this area, the Turks could keep an eye on the Cretan partisans hiding in the gorge. It is not the only fort in the area, but it is certainly the best preserved one. It was quite large and originally there were probably at least two floors.
The interior of the fortress
On the same hill there is another smaller fort called Koul é daki , which is located higher. It is located at an altitude of 529 m and is about 1.5 hours uphill walk from the fortress described above. In the past, it was probably just an observation point operated by soldiers stationed in the lower fortress. Currently, however, it is in a very poor condition.
On the opposite side of the gorge, on the second hill surrounding the Samaria Gorge, there are also the remains of two other Turkish forts. Unfortunately, these fortresses are also in poor condition and completely ruined. The remains of their construction indicate that a constant number of soldiers were stationed there in the past. Remains of other Turkish fortress ruins can also be found above the former village of Samaria and near Xyloskalo. Other nearby forts built by the Turks are to the west in the Tripiti gorge and to the east around Agios Ioannis.
We have marked the location of Turkish fortresses in the vicinity of the Samaria Gorge and its immediate vicinity on the map
The forts built around Agia Roumeli were not in direct line of sight with the fort near the Tripiti Gorge, due to the high ridges between the two gorges. Likewise, the fort located in the gorge above the village of Samaria was not in sight of the forts built closer to the coast. Most likely, however, the forts near Agia Roumeli used the communication line with the fort near Agios Ioaniss.
During the next Cretan uprising, some of the Turkish kouledes were destroyed by the Sfakians. However, after the cessation of fighting, they were quickly rebuilt by the Ottoman army. Only when the Turks left Crete for good in 1898 were the forts permanently empty. Currently, many of them are in very poor condition. It sometimes happens that only foundations or pieces of walls remain from the old fortresses.
To get to the fortress built above Agia Roumeli, you need to choose one of the two paths that lead up to the top. One begins behind the Πκκλησία Παναγία (Panagia Kera) church in the village and zigzags up to the top. From what we have seen this year in the upper part, the trail is locally in poor condition. The second path starts at the paved road leading from the gorge exit. Here, the hiking trail begins at the cemetery in the old part of Agia Roumeli. It is a relatively good path that goes along a very steep slope. When entering, the views from it are amazing, but the more sensitive ones can make you dizzy.
Jeden szlak jest nad wioską
Drugi szlak biegnie wzdłuż wzgórza
Początek szlaku wzdłuż wzgórza jest w okolicach cmentarza
It takes about 30-40 minutes to go up, and it takes a little less time to go down. In summer, high temperatures can be felt when climbing. Especially if you choose the path that starts next to the church. It is located on the south side of the mountain and is completely shadowless. You will need to bring water and a hat. The ideal time to climb is late afternoon, when the temperatures are already more bearable. Unfortunately, however, it requires staying in Agia Roumeli for the night, which we strongly encourage you to do.
↤ click the appropriate part of the island to change the bottom map
W 2002 roku Falasarna zdobyła tytuł najlepszej plaży w Grecji. Wyróżnienie to nie jest bynajmniej przypadkowe, gdyż miejsce to jak na standardy Krety jest naprawdę unikalne.
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The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion. Word
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