The fortress of Pantokrator (Utz Kale for the Ottomans), was built at the entrance of the Ambracian Gulf after the town’s occupation by Ali Pasha in 1807. The decision to erect the fort may belong to the Ottoman conqueror, but the design was French. A French traveller and consul in Preveza notes that Colonel Guillaume, who accompanied Ali Pasha, was determined to convince him of the need to build a fort superior to the usual castles. The ruler of Epirus agreed and the French consul ensured that some coins bearing the face of Napoleon were placed next to the cornerstone.