The capital of the prefecture of Lakonia, Sparta is 225 km from Athens and has 15.000 residents.
\nThe modern city is built at the same position as the ancient city. Sparta is full of trees, parks and well preserved public buildings. The city has an intense night life and many juvenile resorts. Sparta is a modern and beautiful city, one of the best in Greece.
\nUnfortunately the discoveries of ancient Sparta are minimal however one can visit the temple of Athena Chalkioikos, whose adoration terminated at 4th century AD, the temple of Artemis Orthia, the Menelaio (5 km), where glorified Menealos and Helen were worshipped, and the sanctuary of Amyclean Apollo (5,5 km.) near the village Amykles.
\nIn the city of Sparta are the statue of the legislator of the city Lykourgos, the statue of king Leonidas and the Leonidion, a building looking like a temple where according to tradition the bones of the glorious king were transferred and buried.
\nThe city has many neoclassic buildings among them the theater, the Town hall, the Juridicial Mansion and the Archaeological Museum. Also, admirable are the Public Central Library, the Koumantarios Art gallery and the Municipal Market.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Sights<\/h4><\/div>\n- the Byzantine castle-city of Mystra.<\/strong> The city was built on a hill. At the top is the citadel and around it are the remains of the fortresses, towers, buildings and churches saved until today, like the monastery of Pantanassa with murals from the 15th century, the 14th century Church of Perivleptos, the metropolitan Church of Saint Demetrius with marvellous murals from the 13th century, Saint Theodori (13th century), the Church of Odigitria, the Church of Evaggellistria, Saint Sofia with murals of the 14th century, Saint Nikolaos (17th century). Around the castle we find the group of Palaces, a set of buildings where the ruler and the dignitaries of the area lived. Important are the wing of the Katakoyzinon and the wing of the Palaiologon from the 15th century. On another side of the hill are kept in good condition the \u201cresidences\u201d, mansions usually two-storied.<\/li>\n
- the castle-city in Monemvasia<\/strong>, with important churches like Virgin Mary Myrtidiotissa, Virgin Mary Chrysafitissa, Saint Nikolaos e.t.c.<\/li>\n
- ruins of ancient Voion an important centre in Mycenaean and classic years.<\/li>\n
- the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta.<\/li>\n
- the Menelaio hill in Sparta, with Mycenaean buildings revealing the existence of an important administrative centre (15th-14th century BC). On the western side of the hill is the Sanctuary of Menelaos and Helen.<\/li>\n
- the Town Hall of Sparta built in 1906.<\/li>\n
- the Archaeological Museum of Sparta accommodated in a building built in 1875 and contains exhibits from excavations in the prefecture.<\/li>\n
- in the region of Diros in Mani, the caves Vlychada and Alepotrypa.<\/li>\n
- The A’ Kouveleiki cave near Alepochori<\/li>\n
- the Apidima caves in Areopoli with important findings from the paleolithic age.<\/li>\n
- Kaiada, 10 km from Sparta, a region with caves and ravines where according to mythology the Spartans threw their not able-bodied children.<\/li>\n
- the arched tomb in Vapheio dated to the Early Mycenaean period (1500 BC)<\/li>\n
- in Geraki, the medieval castle and the ancient city Geronthre.<\/li>\n
- the ancient city in Gythion with ruins from the citadel and the theatre.<\/li>\n
- Tainaro cape with its lighthouse, the southern part in Peloponnese, connected with thrills and legends since the ancient years. The ancient Greeks thought that here were the gates of Adis.<\/li>\n
- the lighthouse on the islet Kranai in Gythion.<\/li>\n
- in Limeni, the palace of Petrompei Mayromichali the last bey of Mani before the revolution in 1821.<\/li>\n
- the Church of Agios Nikolaos at Agoriani<\/li>\n
- the Monastery of Agioi Tessarakontes in Chrysafa<\/li>\n
- the Church of Agia Varvara of Erimos built in the 12th century<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
History<\/h4><\/div>The region is inhabited from the neolithic era and the first king was Lelegas. Sparta was built in the middle of the fertile plain along river Evrotas. In 1.100 BC when the Dorics came, Sparta was built, the bigger Dorian centre of Greece and dominated in Greece mainly after the Peloponnesian War.<\/p>\n
Sparta was conquered by the Romans in 146 BC and was ravaged from the Goths in 395 AC.
\nIn 750 the Slavs came, was conquered by their Franks in 1204 and by the Tyrks in 1458 while from 1685 to 1715 dominated the Venetians. Liberation came in 1828.<\/p>\n<\/div>