The modern town of Sparta, Peloponnese, Lakonia prefecture, lies in a fertile valley with a backdrop of
the awesome Taygetos Mountains. The tidy streets and busy centre belie the myths and legends of this renowned part
of Greece. However outside the town, in a magnificent old olive orchard, lie the rubble and remains, including a ruined
theatre, of the once famous city of Ancient Sparta. But it’s to see the ruined Byzantine thirteenth century town of Mystras
that brings most tourists here. Mystras is a special place, serene in its hillside setting, resting among wildflowers and
lush trees, in the thrall of the Taygetos Mts. My pictures include the beautiful ruins of the Byzantine church
of Agia Sophia, the Palace of the Despots, the Monemvasia Gate, the Convent of Pantanassa, the Monastery of
Perivleptos, and the Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios, also called the Mitropolis.
 0500 Sparta Bus Station P1040076.JPG |
 0501 Looking over Sparta towards the Taygetos Mountains P1030923 (2).JPG |
 0502 Sparta street looking towards Taygetos Mountains P1040393.JPG |
 0503 Streets of Sparta P1030883.JPG |
 0504 Streets of Sparta R001-054.JPG |
 0505 Streets of Sparta R001-051.JPG |
 0506 Modern Sparta R001-053.JPG |
 0507 Sparta Street corner R001-055.JPG |
 0508 Looking over Sparta towards the Taygetos Mountains P1030923.JPG |
 0509 Sparta in Thrall - Mighty Taygetos Mountains P1030905 (2).JPG |
 0510 Taygetos Mountains from Sparta P1040397.JPG |
 0511 Taygetos Mountains from Sparta P1030926.JPG |
 0512 Taygetos Mountains from Sparta P1030893 (2).JPG |
 0513 Taygetos Mountains from Orange Grove, Sparta P1040398 - Copy.JPG |
 0514 Ancient Sparta lost in wildflowers P1030889 - Copy.JPG |
 0515 Ancient Sparta ruins P1030899.JPG |
 0516 Ancient Sparta - Ampitheatre P1030904.JPG |
 0517 Ancient Sparta - Ampitheatre - Town in background P1030911 (2).JPG |
 0518 Ancient Sparta ruins P1030898.JPG |
 0519 Ancient olive grove, Sparta P1030917 (2).JPG |
 0520 Ruins among the wildflowers, Sparta P1030897.JPG |
 0521 Ancient olive tree, Sparta P1030919.JPG |
 0522 Ancient Sparta with Byzantine wall P1030918 (2).JPG |
 0523 Top of Mystras P1030927.JPG |
 0524 Looking back to Taygetos Mountains from Mystras P1030929 (2).JPG |
 0525 Taygetos Mountains under snow, from Mystras P1030932.JPG |
 0526 Gate to Mystras DSC05749.JPG |
 0527 Top of the path to Mystras P1030935 (2).JPG |
 0528 Ruined houses, looking up to the castle, Mystras P1030983.JPG |
 0529 Byzantine ruins, Mystras, from top P1030952.JPG |
 0530 Ruined houses near entrance, Mystras P1030938.JPG |
 0531 Lakonian Plain from top, Mystras P1030991.JPG |
 0532 Byzantine Church of Agia Sofia, Mystras DSC05754.JPG |
 0533 Byzantine Church of Agia Sofia, Mystras P1030984.JPG |
 0534 Gateway, Mystras P1030936.JPG |
 0535 Ruined house, Mystras P1030951.JPG |
 0536 Ruined house, Mystras P1030981 (2).JPG |
 0537 Ruined house, Mystras P1030994.JPG |
 0538 More house ruins, Mystras P1030981.JPG |
 0539 More ruined houses, Mystras P1030953.JPG |
 0540 Hillside steps and wildflowers, Mystras P1030968.JPG |
 0541 Byzantine Palace of Despots, wildflowers and view, Mystras DSC05769.JPG |
 0542 Byzantine Palace of Despots, Mystras DSC05768.JPG |
 0543 Giant Fennel wildflowers by the Palace, Mystras P1030977.JPG |
 0544 Euphorbia, Silene and Phlomis wildflowers and old wall, Mystras P1030966.JPG |
 0545 Valerian and silene vulgaris wildflowers, Mystras P1030993.JPG |
 0546 Through the Monemvasia Gate, Mystras P1030987.JPG |
 0547 Monemvasia Gate, Mystras P1030990.JPG |
 0548 Entrance to Convent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040002.JPG |
 0549 Convent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040010.JPG |
 0550 Gallery of Convent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040035.JPG |
 0551 Convent gallery, Mystras. View over Lakonia P1040029.JPG |
 0552 Convent Gallery, Mystras P1040033 (2).JPG |
 0553 View from Convent Gallery, Mystras P1040032.JPG |
 0554 Courtyard of Convent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040011.JPG |
 0555 Convent of Pantanassa Courtyard, Mystras P1040022.JPG |
 0556 Inside Convent Courtyard, Mystras P1040013.JPG |
 0557 Interior of Convent church, looking towards altar, Mystras P1040024 (2).JPG |
 0558 Frescoes inside Covent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040023 (2).JPG |
 0559 Frescoes inside Convent of Pantanassa, Mystras P1040027 (2).JPG |
 0560 Detail of Byzantine Convent church, Mystras P1040009 (2).JPG |
 0561 Detail of Byzantine Convent church, Mystras DSC05794 (2).JPG |
 0562 Entrance to Byzantine Monastery of Perivleptos, Mystras DSC05803.JPG |
 0563 Byzantine church of Agios Nickolas, Mystras DSC05815 (2).JPG |
 0564 Byzantine Monastery of Perivleptos, Mystras P1040045.JPG |
 0565 Byzantine Monastery of Perivleptos, Mystras P1040050.JPG |
 0566 Laskaris Mansion, Byzantine house, Mystras P1040057.JPG |
 0567 Byzantine church of Agios Georgios, Mystras P1040055.JPG |
 0568 The Mitropolis, Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios, Mystras P1030996.JPG |
 0569 The Mitropolis, Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios, Mystras P1040059.JPG |
 0570 Cathedral Courtyard, Mystras DSC05826.JPG |
 0571 Interior Courtyard of the Mitropolis, Mystras P1040071.JPG |
 0572 Interior Courtyard of the Mitropolis, Mystras DSC05825.JPG |
 0573 Gallery, the Mitropolis, Mystras P1040063 (2).JPG |
 0574 Gallery, the Mitropolis, Mystras P1040065 (2).JPG |
 0575 Exterior Frescoe, the Mitropolis, Mystras P1040073 (2).JPG |
