Mystras - the Surprise of Peloponnese

We went to Peloponnese for the first time in 2016 for Easter. It was a great trip, but this story is not about it. I only mention it because then we found Mystras. We got lost on the way to Sparta, this was not so difficult then, and suddenly we were at the foot of a steep hill, fully overgrown with ruins. Amazing. Of course, I immediately forgot where we were headed and stuck to the gates as a coat of arms. Just to find that, on Easter, our southern neighbors cared more about their own holidays than their tourism, and the site was irreparably closed.

I had vowed that I would see this site some day at all costs, so when in October 2024 we were looking for a place for our late sea vacation, the southernmost parts of mainland Greece immediately came to my mind. We were already on better terms with Google than before, so we were able to go straight to Mystras without any quarrels. I already knew what was there, and still the view astonished me again. I have seen other ghostly cities, but the way this one crawls up the slope all the way to the top – I guess that would ignite any history lover like myself.

So far it has become clear, I hope, that Mystras is a city, or rather its remains. Unlike most of its brethren in the Peloponnese, it is not ancient, but medieval. It dates back to the mid-13th century, when this was the seat of the secular and spiritual authorities of this part of the Byzantine Empire. From the mid-14th century on, it was the center of the Morea Despotate, until 1460, when it fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. We can see how it climbed up the hill in the hope that this would save it from the conquerors. Alas, it did not work out.

The size of Mystras was only 1/65 of the area of Constantinople, but if you stand at the foot of the hill and look up, it will not seem small at all. The city plan is very clearly divided into three zones: the Lower City, the Upper City and the Citadel on the top of the hill, each representing a separate line of defense. The Upper City housed the palace, central administrations and the homes of the aristocracy. The Lower City was for the middle class, along with numerous churches and monasteries. The peasantry, as usual, remained outside the walls.

I liked what a certain Julian of Escalon wrote in the Book of the Eparch: “Some malicious people, who like to interfere in the affairs of others, are trying to prevent other people from building houses from which they can see their neighbors. We do not think that seeing your neighbor is a bad thing. Let the one to whom it seems bad take measures to secure his own house and make it impenetrable to the eyes of others, either by railings, by screens, or in any other way that seems appropriate to him.”

Inside the city itself, several monasteries were located. All had a similar architecture: a central church (Katholikon), surrounded by monastery buildings attached to a defense wall. The buildings included the monks’ cells, a kitchen with a dining room, bathrooms, warehouses, a hospital, perhaps an olive oil press, a mill, a bakery. The monks were engaged in copying books and in agricultural activities. The female monastery of Pantanassa is the only one still operating today, it houses the only contemporary inhabitants of Mystras.

The heart of the city was the despot’s palace. It consisted of several wings, added in stages throughout the period between the 13th and 15th centuries. The oldest was probably built by the Franks in the mid-13th century. Then they felt it would be nice to have a proper kitchen and their own water tanks. Then the despot’s wife asked for a larger apartment. Finally, they added a throne room with barracks and storerooms. In October 2024, the palace was under restoration, although we did not understand for what purpose.

The highest point in Mystras is the citadel, or the acropolis as it is known locally. It occupies the very top of the hill and can be reached through the town itself or by car to the upper parking lot – but make no mistake, from the parking lot to the top there is almost as much climbing as from the highest city gate; it’s just that your car is closer on the way back. This was the headquarters of the garrison commander and was maintained in constant combat readiness. The view from the fortress walls down to the parking is stunning, you can hardly believe where you started from.

During the Ottoman period, the city continued to be an important center, making a living from silk weaving and the production of wine, olives, citrus fruits and tobacco. It gradually declined after 1770, when it suffered serious damage during an uprising. It was declared a national cultural monument at the beginning of the 20th century, and its last resident left in 1953. Mystras has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1989.