The ruins of the old mills

Little known and difficult to find are the remains of the mills of Kazaviti. Some are located close to the upper village border, just outside the village in the ravine. A very special place with magical charisma.

According to a document from the Turkish administration of 1905, nine mills were in operation at that time in Kazaviti

The older ones operated with weighty, roller-shaped millstones with which the olives were crushed on hewn stone slabs to recover oil. To process cereal to flour, horizontal plates were laid out of very hard volcanic rocks imported from the Aegean Islands (Psathoura?). Thus, no crushing of the grains, but grinding between two rubbing surfaces in circular motion, was in use.

In the area of the mills ruins in the gorge below the former gardenland of Prongima, testimonies of both working methods have been preserved. Two powerful stone rolls made of granite, one of marble stone and another made of cement. As well as several fragments of the plates of porphyry rock.

It should be mentioned here that in the archaeological zone above the goats’ crag several fragments of this very hard rock of handmills could be found.

This mill was the property of the Athos Abbey Esfigmenou, which also included Metochi Manola in the village. This was destroyed by the forest fires on the 10th of September. On both buildings a mysterious circular incision has been preserved. Again, according to the document, the monastery sold the mill together with the water basin further up in the ravine to Georgian Emmanouloudi. The facility was operated as a grain mill until the years after the Bulgarian occupation.

The water was connected by a canal with the mill. However, the amount of water needed to operate the mill wheel is no longer sufficient today. Many water hoses, illegally laid, drain water above the mill for irrigation of olives in the valley.
Location on Google Maps

The forest fires have not severely damaged this part of the ravine.

The location of the large mill.

The easiest way to reach the mill is the former cultural land. If you follow the main road from the Platia uphill, you will arrive at a sharp left turn. Shortly thereafter, a small path leads to the right. Follow this through the terraces to the edge of the forest. Here we go down a steep path down to the mill. If you follow the stream, you reach a narrow place with an old dam.