Greece 12 - Peloponnese

PeloPonnese

L A K O N I A

PeloPonnese

SIGHTS

PeloPonnese

M

Y S T

r A S

Mystras declined under Ottoman rule, but

thrived again after the Venetians captured

it in 1687 and developed a flourishing silk

industry. The population swelled to 40,000.

The Turks recaptured the town in 1715 and

from then it was downhill all the way; the

Russians burnt it in 1770, as did the Albani-

ans in 1780, and Ibrahim Pasha torched what

was left in 1825. By the time of Independence

it was a largely abandoned ruin. Much resto-

ration has taken place since the 1950s (and

continues to this day) and in 1989 it was de-

clared a Unesco World Heritage site.

1 Sights

oMystras ruIN

(%23315 25363; adult/concession €5/3; h8am-

8pm) Spread over a steep, verdant moun-

tainside of the Taÿgetos ranges, this former

capital of the Byzantine Empire is the single

most compelling set of medieval ruins in

Greece. A classic fortified city, Mystras is sur-

rounded by verdant olive and orange trees.

Treading the cobblestones, worn smooth by

centuries of footsteps, you can walk with

the ghosts, ducking into the ruins of palac-

es, monasteries and churches, most dating

from between 1271 and 1460.

From the upper-entrance ticket office,

the right-hand path (signposted ‘Castle’)

leads up to the fortress; it’s a 10-minute as-

cent. The fortress was built by the Franks

and extended by the Turks; the views of the

Lakonia plain, spread out below, are noth-

ing short of fantastic. The left-hand path

descends from the ticket office to Agia So-

fia, which served as the palace church and

burial ground for several emperors’ wives;

some frescoes survive in a side chapel. Steps

descend from here to a T-junction.

A left turn leads to the Nafplio Gate.

Near the gate is the huge Palace of Des-

pots, largely restored but closed to the

public at the time of writing. The complex

was started by the Franks and finished by

the Byzantines; various buildings were con-

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Convent of

Pantanassa

Evangelistria

Vrontokhion

Monastery

Agios

Theodoros

Aphentiko

Episcopal

Palace

Museum

Lower Entrance

(Monemvasia

Gate)

Vaulted

Passage

Agios

Hristoforos

Laskaris

Mansion

Marmara

Fountain

Monemvasia

Agios Gate

Nikolaos

Small

Palace

Palace of

Despots

Nafplio

Gate

Agia

EntranceUpper Sofia

House of

Frangopoulos

Agios

Taxiarhes Georgios

Kastro

(621m)

Monastery

of Perivleptos

Mitropolis

(Cathedral of

Agios Dimitrios)

UPPER

TOWN

LOWER

TOWN

Mystras

D

Sparta

(7km)

e#^0100 .05miles00 m

D

Pikoulianika

(600m)