The Beautifully Built Maniot Towers- War Machines
They are the emblems of Mani. Vigilant lookouts. You won’t find such a spectacular sight in all of Greece. Stone strongholds that thrust from the rocky land as if to strike the sky itself. Their height was directly related to their defensive powers, but also to the rank and social position of the family to which they belonged. Their construction was dictated by military strategy; no windows, minimal openings, battlements and multiple storeys, to give their defenders the advantage. Their spare, elegant masonry was the product of generations of local craftsmen who drew their inspiration from Byzantine fortification architecture.