Kougki

The remains of a fortress-monastery stand on a hill above the village of Samoniva in Thesprotia, facing the better-known stronghold of Kiafa across the Souliote heartland. It was fortified in 1793 by the monk Samuel, following Ali Pasha's first failed campaigns against Souli. Its fame rests on a desperate act of defiance: on 16 December 1803, after the Souliotes had capitulated and most had departed, Samuel and five companions remained inside, set fire to the powder magazine, and blew up the stronghold rather than surrender it to Ali's army. Today the condition is not good, with only remnants of the original construction surviving. The site carries no formal entrance arrangements, and its remote, rugged setting adds to the sense of a place defined by sacrifice rather than grandeur.