In 1788, the notorious lord of Ioannina, Ali Pasha, founds his Serai high up in the Castle to gaze at the waters of the lake. Foreign travelers are dazzled by the opulence. It is an enviable palace with patios, baths, horses, servants, luxurious apartments for the Pasha himself, his family and of course, his harem. He decorates the Sandef Odan, the reception hall, with Byzantine columns, deck chairs and thick carpets of the Gobelins House, brought in from Paris. Daggers and pistols embellished with gold and precious stones are hanging on the pilasters.