In the late 1660s the Ottoman explorer Evliya Çelebi visited Nafpaktos and described the town as one of the most important urban centers of central Greece. There were 3000 townhouses, many of which had two storeys. They were well-built and solid buildings, beautiful and in good shape. They had many windows, balconies and patios, while the wooden parts were adorned with lively colours. Most houses faced south, towards the sea and the distant mountains of the Peloponnese. The cobbled streets were clean and wide. There were 45 public fountains, while almost all the houses had access to their own water supply from the more than 245 springs that flowed all over the mountain.