Socha

The tower at Socha stands on a hill above the settlement of Kalivia Sohas in Laconia, seven kilometres south of Sparta, where an imposing gorge opens into the eastern reefs of Taygetos. It is thought to date from the 14th or 15th century, a Late-Byzantine construction, though no historical source mentions it and it appears never to have been archaeologically examined. The tower survives to a reasonable height, its rectangular plan measuring 7.20 by 5.10 metres, with traces of a low fortified enclosure around it. Higher up the mountain, deeper in the gorge, lie the remains of the medieval castle-settlement of Soha, of which this tower evidently formed part of the defensive system. A stone-paved path from Kalivia Sohas passes the tower and climbs to that castle, perched on an impressive rock to the right of the gorge. Access is free.