The Turkish Grammeni fortress - The Kastro Koules Grammeni near Magarikari and Grigoria on Crete

The fortress of Grammeni was built in the 19th century by the Turks in a place that was naturally defensible. It is 11 x 25 meters long and it had 24 battlements. Grammeni and other forts were placed by the Turks at strategic locations around the Messara plain, for example on incoming roads, to isolate the plain and prevent communication with the environment. When the nearby village of Magarikari was destroyed by the Germans in 1944, the inhabitants of the village found refuge in the fortress.