Politismos eMagazine | Mt. Taygetos
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Mt. Taygetos Tag

Kardamyli: A charming fairytale town

04.04.2019 in Travel

Kardamyli: A charming fairytale town   In Kardamyli, stone houses with tiled roofs sit protected in a bay at the base of Mt. Taygetos just across from the small, lush island of Meropi.   The old district of the town features restored towers and pebbly creeks with olive trees and cypresses. Kardamyli attracts both tourists seeking outdoor sports/recreation and those seeking a leisurely vacation. Nature lovers, artists, Greeks and foreigners (mainly British but also Germans and other northerners), have made this“gate to the Messinian Mani” their hang out. There are boutique hotels with personality, taverns in stunning courtyards overlooking the…

Mystras: the dwelling of the last Emperors

26.04.2018 in History

Mystras: the dwelling of the last Emperors     The fortified city of Mystras sprawled on the northern slopes of Mt. Taygetos in the vicinity of the modern city of Sparta. The early settlement was founded by the Frankish prince William II in 1249, forty-five years after the occupation of Constantinople by the Franks. The solid castle walls effectively made the Mystras town impregnable by land. However, the Byzantines captured Mystras in 1262 and in the 14th c. became the capital of the independent Despotate of the Morea (Peloponnese).   Under the Ottoman threat throughout the 15th c., the Byzantines…

Leonidas: the sacrifice of a king

18.04.2018 in History

Leonidas: the sacrifice of a king   Leonidas is a widely known hero king, an example of self-immolation and defiance of despotism. He and a force of 300 Spartan troops sacrificed themselves after a fierce battle against the Persians in 480 BCE. The narrow pass of Thermopylae is a sacred grave, a symbol of the highest of the human values: freedom.   The Greek historian Herodotus describes the lineage of Leonidas going back to the mythical hero Hercules. His father, the Spartan king Anaxandrides, had four sons and therefore, it seemed unlikely for Leonidas to represent the Royal House of…