Mitato
Mitato is a term meaning "shelter" or "lodging" in Greek.
Appearing in the 6th century, during the Byzantine period it referred to an inn or trading house for foreign merchants, akin to a caravanserai. By extension, it could also refer to the legal obligation of a private citizen to billet state officials or soldiers. Alternatively, in the 10th century, Constantine Porphyrogenitus uses the term to refer to state-run ranches in Anatolia.
In modern Greece, and especially on the mountains of Crete, a mitato is a hut built from locally gathered stones to provide shelter to shepherds, and is used also for cheese-making. Mount Ida in central Crete is particularly rich in flat stones suitable for dry stone construction.
