Koules of Koxare

The Koules of Koxare is one of the small forts, or koules, raised by the Ottoman authorities in the wake of the Cretan revolution of 1886, with construction dating to 1867 or shortly afterwards. It guarded the vital route running from the Mesara plain towards the Sfakia region, standing near the mouth of the Kourtaliotis gorge close to the village of Koxare. Greek rebels partially destroyed it in 1896.

The fort comprises a large inner courtyard, enclosed along its western side by two adjoining, arch-linked spaces with domed roofs. To the east stands a further domed structure, set lower than the others, reached by a ramp from the south. Built from local whitish stone with hard mortar and coated both inside and out, its masonry is 1.20 metres thick. The western and eastern buildings have since collapsed, though a rainwater cistern survives in part. The condition today is rather poor.

Heritage data from Wikidata, compiled and verified in the Atika atlas.