Aga konak in Tsifliki
The tower of Aga at Tsifliki is located in a privileged position in Elounda lagoon, on the road leading to Plaka. In fact, the settlement Tsifliki owes its name to this residence, which was the base of the chiftlik (Turkish system of land management) of the region.
It was built around 1616 by the Venetian feudal lord of the area, a few years before the Cretan War and the occupation of Crete by the Ottomans. It is depicted for the first time in an engraving from 1638. It is one of the few surviving of the 120 feudal rural residences of the Venetian period in Crete.
During the Ottoman period it was mainly used as the residence of Sakir Aga Papoutsoglou from Fourni. During the Ottoman era, some interventions were made such as the addition of a hammam and a tiled roof. After 1943, the building was distributed to refugees, while since 1980 it has been declared a monument by the Greek state.
The complex of Tsifliki consists of a central two-story building, to which other auxiliary buildings were later added. It has a fortress structure as its large inner courtyard and buildings are surrounded by a large wall. The dark vaulted buildings on the ground floor were used as warehouses, stables and water tanks. Access to the first floor is via an external stone staircase.
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