Isari is an old mountain settlement in Arcadia, built amphitheatrically on the eastern slope of Mount Agios Ilias, at an elevation of approximately 850 metres, offering an impressive view over the plain of Megalopolis and the Messenian basin. Its name is thought to derive either from the Turkish word hisar (fortress), referring to its naturally fortified position, or from the name of its first inhabitant. During the Ottoman period, Isari served as a passage, lookout point, supply station and refuge for klephts and armatoloi, owing to its inaccessible location and the forested slopes surrounding it. Shortly before the Revolution, two inhabitants of Isari — the priest Nikolaos Sakellariadis and Athanasios Sioris — appear to have been initiated into the Filiki Etaireia. The village was particularly active during the early years of the Greek War of Independence. Many of its residents took part in key battles, such as those of Karytaina (03/1821), Valtesi (05/1821), Tripolitsa (09/1821), Dervenakia (07/1822), Drampala (06/1825), among others. In the significant Battle of Isari in 1825, the villagers resisted fiercely against the advancing Turco‑Albanian forces, but the battle ended with the destruction of the settlement: most houses were burned, and the church of Agios Nikolaos was completely destroyed. Throughout the Revolution, the fighters of Isari distinguished themselves in military operations, aligning with the forces of Theodoros Kolokotronis and Nikitaras. Fotakos Chrysanthopoulos described them as “the finest lads of the province of Fanari.”