Ruins of an Ottoman mansion on a low hill amidst an olive grove at the northern side of lake Trichonis.

History

We do not know the date of construction of this building neither the identity of the original owner.

Muhtar could have been the name of the land owner or a local official. “Muhtar”, in Turkish, is a rather common name, but it was also a title of a low-rank local administrator.

What we know is that this area during the 19th century was a dependency of the monastery of Prousos (in Evrytania). The monastery bought it from a Greek proestos named Chatzopoulos to whom the property was granted by the notorious Ali pasha of Ioannina (1740-1822). The area was not part of the dominion of Ali pasha but was within his sphere of influence.

According to a local legend, the mansion belonged to the son of Ali pasha, Muhtar. The legend is enriched with tales of hidden treasures and Greek mistresses but it is not verified historically and most probably is not true.

The tower-mansion was built some time between the late 17th century (when many Ottoman towers appeared in rural lands) and the first years of the 19th century. Most probable chronology: before the middle of 18th century.

Sources