Sparta in Greece, Peloponnese resort
Rating: 7,8/10 (933 votes)  This city – a real visiting card of Laconia and the entire Peloponnese in general. Sparta is located opposite the Langada gorge, in the north of the Evrotas valley. This city is one of the most ancient in the entire region, as a political unit it appeared at the beginning of the 11th century BC. Further, for many hundreds of years, this policy was the most unusual and most independent in all of Hellas. Sparta had a special system of choosing leaders and government, and very strict laws were established. Sparta was famous precisely for its warriors. Here, from childhood, they were brought up very harshly, and not only boys, but also girls – so that in the future they can give birth to healthy children. Spartan warriors were famous for their endurance, courage and many other fighting qualities. Before the Roman period, there were no walls in Sparta – it was believed that the best defense for the city was not a stone fortress, but the courage of the soldiers. Although now it is almost impossible to separate the truth from legends, it is clear that Sparta played a significant role in the history of all Greece, although for almost its entire history it constantly fought with other cities and policies. During the reign of the Romans, it was Sparta (and also Athens) who were self-governing – all other cities were completely subordinate to the conquerors. In the modern city, there are almost no traces of its former greatness. It was almost completely rebuilt at the beginning of the 19th century, and turned from a military city into a major political and commercial center of the country, the capital of an agricultural region. From the monuments survived: a statue of King Leonidas, a huge theater on one of the hills, fragments of the acropolis, the ruins of the Byzantine church and the monastery of Osios-Nikon of the 10th century, as well as the ruins of the temple of Athena. If you go from Sparta to Tripolis, you can see the ruins of the sanctuary of Artemis, in which the young men were tested for endurance – they were flogged with rods until the first drop of blood, and they had to be silent. Nearby are the ruins of Menelaion – a small Mycenaean settlement, as well as the ruins of the sanctuary of Apollo – one of the most important temples in the region. All items found during excavations in the city are collected in a small city archaeological museum. On weekdays and Saturdays, it is open from 8.30 am to 3 pm, and on Sundays – from 9.30 to 14.30. Southwest of Sparta is the Museum of Olive Oil and Olives. It works from Wednesday to Monday, in winter from 10 am to 5 pm, and in the summer – from 10 to 18. The museum contains items that are dedicated to everything connected with this cult product for all of Greece.      We also recommend reading Mausoleum of the first emperor of Minsk. in China, Nanjing resort Topic: Sparta in Greece, Peloponnese resort. |
