Castle of Pylos (Niokastro): A robust Ottoman castle

Built by the Ottomans in 1573, after their defeat at the naval battle of Nafpaktos, it features one of the most unusual citadels in Greece. Its hexagonal shape, resembling a constellation when seen from above, and the formation of its walls testify to a major change in the conduct of warfare, namely the introduction of firearms. Thus, the walls were thick to withstand cannon fire and low to avoid providing targets for projectiles. The steep slope helped repel armed attacks, making the impact somewhat milder.

The Ottoman occupation of Niokastro lasted until the beginning of the Greek Revolution, with two brief interruptions: the first one when the Venetians occupied the castle under the orders of Morosini (1686), and the second when the Russians captured it, thanks to the Orlov brothers (1770). On October 8, 1827, Niocastro was transformed into a bloody theatre, as it offered an unobstructed view of the Navarino naval battle, during which the three Great Powers (England, France and Russia) destroyed the Egyptian fleet of Ibrahim Pasha.

Inside the fortification, huge rusty anchors and a cannon, complete with cannonballs, echo the wartime past, with the superbly restored church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour standing out. The former mosque with its octagonal dome is one of the few buildings to survive within the walls.