Photos, videos and docs of Martin M. Miles, with the keywords: "Ottoman"

Nafpaktos

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 20:16:34 +0000

Nafpaktos, now a town with just under 15,000 inhabitants, has been an important port since classical times. During the Peloponnesian War, it served as a naval base for the Athenians, but was seized from them in 405 BC. In 338 BC, the Aetolians took control of the town, which they defended for a long time, though in vain, against the Romans in 191 BC.

In the Middle Ages, the city was ceded by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel to the Venetians, who fortified it so strongly that in 1477 an Ottoman army of 30,000 men was forced to withdraw without success. It was not until 1499 that Bayezid II was able to force the city to surrender with an army of 150,000 men.

At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Venetian-Spanish fleet defeated the Ottoman fleet stationed there. It was the last major galley battle in the Mediterranean, heralding the end of Turkish dominance. Lepanto was the Venetian name for Nafpaktos. During this battle, up to 40,000 people died in a single day.

Beneath the Greek flag at the entrance to the Venetian harbour stands a statue of Miguel de Cervantes, who lost his left hand at the Battle of Lepanto. He was later known as "el manco de Lepanto", the One-Armed Man of Lepanto

Nafpaktos

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 21:01:34 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Nafpaktos, now a town with just under 15,000 inhabitants, has been an important port since classical times. During the Peloponnesian War, it served as a naval base for the Athenians, but was seized from them in 405 BC. In 338 BC, the Aetolians took control of the town, which they defended for a long time, though in vain, against the Romans in 191 BC.

In the Middle Ages, the city was ceded by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel to the Venetians, who fortified it so strongly that in 1477 an Ottoman army of 30,000 men was forced to withdraw without success. It was not until 1499 that Bayezid II was able to force the city to surrender with an army of 150,000 men.

At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Venetian-Spanish fleet defeated the Ottoman fleet stationed there. It was the last major galley battle in the Mediterranean, heralding the end of Turkish dominance. Lepanto was the Venetian name for Nafpaktos. During this battle, up to 40,000 people died in a single day.

From 1678, Nafpaktos was once again under Venetian rule as Lepanto, but was returned to the Ottoman Empire under the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699

Nafpaktos

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:40:09 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Nafpaktos, now a town with just under 15,000 inhabitants, has been an important port since classical times. During the Peloponnesian War, it served as a naval base for the Athenians, but was seized from them in 405 BC. In 338 BC, the Aetolians took control of the town, which they defended for a long time, though in vain, against the Romans in 191 BC.

In the Middle Ages, the city was ceded by the Byzantine Emperor Manuel to the Venetians, who fortified it so strongly that in 1477 an Ottoman army of 30,000 men was forced to withdraw without success. It was not until 1499 that Bayezid II was able to force the city to surrender with an army of 150,000 men.

At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Venetian-Spanish fleet defeated the Ottoman fleet stationed there. It was the last major galley battle in the Mediterranean, heralding the end of Turkish dominance. Lepanto was the Venetian name for Nafpaktos. During this battle, up to 40,000 people died in a single day.

From 1678, Nafpaktos was once again under Venetian rule as Lepanto, but was returned to the Ottoman Empire under the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 20:20:09 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Chlemoutsi Castle is a High Medieval Crusader castle in the far west of the Peloponnese. It is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Greece.

After the ‘Latin’ crusaders had captured Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, the French knights occupied the Byzantine Peloponnese. Geoffrey I of Villehardouin, as a result of a dispute between him and the clergy of the Principality confiscated the church’s property and had Chlemoutsi Castle built between 1220 and 1223.

Following the conquest of Constantinople (1453), the Turks captured Chlemoutsi in 1460. During the Turkish-Venetian Wars, the castle repeatedly changed hands between the two sides. From 1687 to 1715, Chlemoutsi was held by the Venetians. From 1715 to 1821, the Ottomans were once again had the castle, although it gradually lost its strategic importance due to the introduction of new weaponry. During the Greek Revolution, on 10 November 1825, it was defended by the inhabitants who had taken refuge there against the siege by the troops of the Egyptian general Ibrahim Pasha, who captured Chlemoutsi.

Today the castle houses a museum.

A crusader on horseback
13th / 14th c. AD

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 20:08:50 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:58:52 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:38:53 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:26:01 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:19:47 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 19:12:07 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:28:52 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 18:17:19 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Kastro-Kyllini - Chlemoutsi Castle

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 21:00:39 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:08:38 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

Carved graffiti can be found all over the ruined town.

Mystras

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:00:21 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Frankish castle towering over the byzantine town.

Mystras - Hagios Demetrios

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 20:43:05 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Church of Hagios Demetrios, the earliest of the surviving churches of Mystras, is the metropolitan church, It is a wooden roofed basilica.

The church was founded between 1263 and 1272 by the Bishop Eugenios, whose tomb was discovered in the church. The paintings were commissioned by Bishop Theodosios and date to approximately 1272.
Inscriptions dedicate the structure to Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Laconia, however, he was undoubtedly not the founder, he likely only commissioned the construction of the narthex around 1310.

Mystras - Hagios Demetrios

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 20:33:12 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Church of Hagios Demetrios, the earliest of the surviving churches of Mystras, is the metropolitan church, It is a wooden roofed basilica.

The church was founded between 1263 and 1272 by the Bishop Eugenios, whose tomb was discovered in the church. The paintings were commissioned by Bishop Theodosios and date to approximately 1272.
Inscriptions dedicate the structure to Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Laconia, however, he was undoubtedly not the founder, he likely only commissioned the construction of the narthex around 1310.

Mystras - Hagios Demetrios

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 20:27:28 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Church of Hagios Demetrios, the earliest of the surviving churches of Mystras, is the metropolitan church, It is a wooden roofed basilica.

The church was founded between 1263 and 1272 by the Bishop Eugenios, whose tomb was discovered in the church. The paintings were commissioned by Bishop Theodosios and date to approximately 1272.
Inscriptions dedicate the structure to Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Laconia, however, he was undoubtedly not the founder, he likely only commissioned the construction of the narthex around 1310.

Mystras - Hagios Demetrios

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:48:56 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Church of Hagios Demetrios, the earliest of the surviving churches of Mystras, is the metropolitan church, It is a wooden roofed basilica.

The church was founded between 1263 and 1272 by the Bishop Eugenios, whose tomb was discovered in the church. The paintings were commissioned by Bishop Theodosios and date to approximately 1272.
Inscriptions dedicate the structure to Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Laconia, however, he was undoubtedly not the founder, he likely only commissioned the construction of the narthex around 1310.

Mystras - Hagios Demetrios

nobody@ipernity.com (Martin M. Miles) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 21:39:56 +0000

Martin M. Miles has posted:

Mystras is a Byzantine ruined city near the village of the same name, northwest of Sparta.

The history of Mystras begins with the Fourth Crusade. When the Crusaders conquered the Peloponnese in 1206/1207, Godfrey I of Villehardouin became Prince of Achaea. His son, William II, conquered the rest of Laconia and in 1249 built a strong hilltop fortress in Mystras, which had previously been uninhabited.

In 1259, William II was captured by the troops of the Byzantine Emperor and secured his release by surrendering Mystras. The Greek inhabitants of Sparta, weary of Crusader rule, settled in Mystras, located just three kilometers away. A flourishing city grew up below the castle, eventually boasting a population of tens of thousands.
Mystras was conquered by the Ottomans in 1460. Minarets began to appear alongside churches and monasteries. The city came under Venetian control in 1687, but fell back to the Ottoman Turks as early as 1715.

In 1770, during a Russo-Turkish war, troops from the Balkans, who had invaded the Peloponnese on Ottoman orders, devastated the city. This marked the end of Mystras's heyday. During the Greek War of Independence, the city was subsequently so severely destroyed that plans for its reconstruction were abandoned. Instead, a short time later, Sparta, which had been abandoned centuries earlier, was rebuilt.

Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

The Church of Hagios Demetrios, the earliest of the surviving churches of Mystras, is the metropolitan church, It is a wooden roofed basilica.

The church was founded between 1263 and 1272 by the Bishop Eugenios, whose tomb was discovered in the church. The paintings were commissioned by Bishop Theodosios and date to approximately 1272.
Inscriptions dedicate the structure to Nikiphoros, Metropolitan of Laconia, however, he was undoubtedly not the founder, he likely only commissioned the construction of the narthex around 1310.