Temple of Olympia
Pictures of Greece
Pylos
Pylos is famous for its natural harbor, one of the largest in the world, and the scene of numerous naval encounters including the Pelopponesian Wars described by Thucydides and the Greek War of Independence in 1821. The town of Pylos is a small port on the southern side of the harbor.
On a hill overlooking both the town and the harbor is the impressive Niokastro (new castle). The Niokastro was captured by the Venetians in 1686, by the Turks in 1715, the Russian forces under the Orloff brothers in 1770 (only for a few months), the Greeks in 1821 (during the War of Independence), the Egyptian forces under Ibrahim Pasha in 1825, and was finally surrendered to the French forces of General Maison in 1828.
The citadel, which stands on the landward side of the fortress, was encircled by a moat constructed by the Venetians and was strengthened by six bastions, five of which are still preserved. All the way around the perimeter there is a wide interior walkway with battlements, beneath which are vaulted rooms at ground floor level.
The church of the Metamorphosis waas probably built about 1573, originally as a mosque, and repeatedly changed its function, depending on who was master of the castle.
The Makriyannis bastion, one of the four round towers in the fortification wall, stands on the northwest side of the fortress, near to the modern entrance. Popular tradition links its name with the role played by General Makriyannis in the events of 1825.
