Kouledes Asprovalta

On a conical, steep-sided hill at the foot of the Kerdyllian Mountains, four kilometres north-east of Asprovalta in Macedonia, stand the few surviving remnants of a Byzantine fortification known as the Upper Castle of Kouledes. The site was only discovered by chance after a forest fire in 2004, and the vegetation has since regrown, making access difficult. The name Kouledes, Turkish for "castles", reflects the presence of two neighbouring strongholds, the other lying some 500 metres away and associated with the ancient Via Egnatia. The history of this upper castle is unknown, but it likely served as a fortified settlement or monastery rather than a military fortress, cooperating defensively with its lower neighbour. The citadel's perimeter wall, built of stone with lime mortar, runs roughly 70 to 80 metres; the best-preserved section stands 1.8 metres high and 1.5 metres thick. Below the summit, a rectangular cistern, internally 3.2 by 4.3 metres, retains some of its plaster lining.