Mystras is virtually a “modern” site by Greek standards. Established by the Franks around 1250 and later the Byzantine (Constantinople) capital of the Peloponnese.
Some photos:
Messsene. The city state of Thebes founded around 400BC. These are the ruins of a very large city.
The Theater.
The city council chambers.
The gymnasium.
Olympia. A major world heritage site. Inhabited for ~6000 years with a city here for at least 4000 years. The ruins cover a large area.
This is, of course the site of the ancient Olympic games. The stadium is still here, set up for 45,000 spectators.
Olympia was also the site of the Temple of Zeus. The 40+ foot statue of Zeus in the temple was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The statue stood in the temple for over 800 years. It was removed to Constantinople and lost in the great fire around 500AD.
There is an excellent museum at the site.
For centuries offerings great and small were brought here to Zeus. One special custom was that after a successful military campaign the generals brought artifacts from both the victors and the vanquished. Here both from roughly 500BC, helmets from the destruction of the Etruscans.
And the defeat of the Persians at Marathon.
Delphi
This was believed to be the geographic center of the world in ancient times. For maybe 2000 years the oracle spoke to men as the voice of Apollo answering questions and delivering prophecies. Emperors and kings, governors and princes and common persons travelled here to deliver offerings and receive the advice of the oracle.
Both the current town and the ancient town site are very compact and very vertical.
Once one of the richest sites in the ancient world with majestic statues, buildings holding the valuable offerings of city states and nations ..
… today a ruin.
The riches have been plundered by many groups and even the little museum sadly holds mainly fragments.
A few photos from a little road trip down the coast from Kalamata.
And of course some food photos. The little braised leg of lamb in one of these photos was about 9 inches long and could be cut with a fork.
And so, that’s it for Greece this year.
Thanks for coming along.
We are heading back to Bemidji by way of a few days in London.