Pyrgaki

On a conical hill above Anavyssos in south Attica, at a spot called Katafygi, meaning refuge, stand the ruined remains of Pyrgaki, a small tower that was probably built as a watchtower. Its date is uncertain, but it is thought to be Byzantine and to predate the thirteenth century. The tower does not appear to be Frankish or Ottoman in origin. Its position, safely inland, would have allowed those manning it to observe the coastline from a distance. Nearby, traces of a medieval settlement dating from the eleventh to the fourteenth century have been found, and it is possible the tower was raised before that community came into being. Today only a few stones survive, enough to suggest its modest scale and purpose, but not enough to reveal much more about its history.