MYSTRAS MONASTERY
PELOPONNESUS, GREECE
Image Numbers 311 & 312
Mystras is a monastic fortress in the central Peloponnese. Situated on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries. It remained the capital of the despotate, ruled by relatives of the Byzantine emperor, although the Venetians still controlled the coast and the islands. Under the despot Theodore, Mystras became the second most important city in the empire after Constantinople. The last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, was despot at Mystras before he came to the throne. Demetrius Palaeologus the last despot of Morea, surrendered the city to the Ottoman emperor Mehmed II in 1460. In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is particularly beautiful in spring when spectacular blossom trees are in bloom.
TECHNICAL NOTES
Upper Image 311
The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/137th of a second and aperture F9. 45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.
Lower Image 312
The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/160th of a second and aperture F10. 45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.