World Heritage Identification Number: 511
World Heritage since: 1989
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇬🇷 Greece
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Mystras: The Medieval Jewel of the Morea
The Archaeological Site of Mystras, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989, stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural diversity that once thrived in the Morea region of Greece. Nestled within the picturesque landscape of the Taygetus mountain range, this fortified town offers a unique blend of Byzantine, Frankish, and Ottoman influences, making it a captivating destination for historians, archaeologists, and travelers alike.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape.
Encyclopedia Record: Mystras
Mystras or Mistras, also known in the Chronicle of the Morea as Myzethras or Myzithras (Μυζηθρᾶς), is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Situated in the Taygetus range, above ancient Sparta, and below a "Frankish" castle, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering during the Palaeologan Renaissance, including the teachings of Gemistos Plethon. The city also attracted artists and architects of the highest quality.Additional Site Details
Area: 54.43 hectares
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 37.08056 , 22.36667
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© Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
