Time Travel – Mystras

A place that I’ve wanted to visit for a long-long time is Mystras. Located a mere 7 km from Laconia’s capital, Sparti is where one will find Mystras, There are many significant places of historical and religious significance for a Greek (and non-Greek) to visit and Mystras are one of those places. Mystras is an open air museum that when you walk through the ruins – one can almost hear the echos of history and time. Mystras, a story that begins from the time of the Fourth Crusade and continues right up to modern Greek history, Greece’s War of Independence.

Mystras, the wonder of the Morea, was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected by the Prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Re-conconquered by the Byzantines then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832. Today, all that is left are the ruins, stunning to look at from below, emotionally moving when up close and walking through this UNESCO-protected archaeological site.

The site was well chosen by Villhardouin: a deep chasm divides the 621 meter high summit from the Taygetos range with the  remaining being very steep, ideal to deter any resistance. Despite Mystras’ advantage, it did not remain  in the hands of Frankish rule for long, falling to the Greeks in 1262 as part of a ransom deal to allow Villhardouin to regain his freedom after being held prisoner.

The name Mystras comes from the name Myzithras (yes, the Greek cheese) and theories that it was named for it’s shape like the cheese or in honour of a cheesemaker on the hill. In 1262, Byzantine Emporor Michail Paleologos VIII captured Mystras and the Franks were never to regain control. A new chapter arose for Mystras with the population below the fortress growing, as they built their homes seeking safety at the foot of Mystra. A town was born, with a Metropolis and monastaries, Mystra increased in importance with the army at the fortress, the wealthy living in the upper hora and the middle class in the lower town (kato hora).

From 1349AD an onwards the autonomous administration of the Morea was entrusted. Morea refers to the area of Greece that we currently know as the Peloponnese Peninsula. Morea originates from the Greek word also meaning mulberry, plant known to exist in the region since ancient times, used in the production of silk since the Middle Ages.

The Despotate of Morea was ruled by and large by relatives of the Paleologos clan and during the rule of Theodore, Mystra ruled nearly all of the Peloponnese, became more prosperous than the rest of the Byzantine Empire, becoming the second most important city in the Empire, after Constantinople.

The frescos of the Peribleptos Church that remain to this date are crucial pieces of the puzzle of understanding Byzantine art. The castle, triple wall, gates, palaces, mansions, streets and temples are all superb examples of how this civilization flourished until the mid-fifteenth century. The town attracted artists, scientists, scholars and philosophers. The philosopher George Gemistos Plethonos lived there until his death in 1452. He and other scholars who were based in Mystra also greatly influenced the Italian Renaissance, especially after he accompanied John Paleologos VIII to Florence in 1439.

Emperor Constantine even held lofty ambitions to include all of Greece in the Empire. However, internal feuds and foreign war campaigns prevented the realization of this dream. A Turkish raid on the Peloponnese in 1446AD forced the despots to pay tribute to Sultan Mourad. An Albanian revolt took place in in 1453, an armed conflict between despots Demetrios (Mystra) and Thomas ( in Patras). Mohammed II intervened with a strong army and put an end to the anarchy. Thus was the beginning of the end of the Byzantine Empire.

In 1464, the Venetian nobleman Malatesta (the Wolf of Rimini) leads a daring attempt at retaking Mystras but he only manages to enter the city. Mystra under Turkish rule loses its important position and it shares equal footing with Thessaloniki. The Venetians once again control Mystras from 1687 to 1715 and Mystra’s population is around 42,000 inhabitants (1000 Christian families and 200 Jewish).

The Turks regain control of the fortress in 1715 and base their military operations in the area from here. Mystra gains Independence once again for several months, only to be burnt and ravaged by the Albanians. Fifty years later it was burnt once again by the Egyptians of Ibrahim. Mystras was under Ottoman rule until 1821, the beginning of the Greek War of Independence.

Mystras today consists of the UNESCO-protected ruins (1989)  and the modern town below. Mystra is a short drive from Sparti and the trip will see you pass through a road lined with olive trees. If you’re in Laconia, you can base your stay in the area in Spari and conduct day trips to the various parts of the Prefecture. On the day I went to Mystra, I visited the ruins and then carried on South towards the Port city of Gytheo…my next stop in Laconia.

NOTE: Those who are also my friends in Facebook may view lots more photos from my visit to Mystras. This was a very emotional day for me.

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© 2007-2010 Peter Minakis