Old Byzantine era village of Kardamyli at Mani, Greece
The Mani Peninsula (Μάνη, Mánē in Greek), also long known by its medieval name Maina or Maïna, is a geographical and cultural region in Greece. The capital city of Mani is Areopoli. Mani is the central peninsula of the three which extend southwards from the Peloponnese in southern Greece. To the east is the Laconian Gulf, to the west the Messenian Gulf. The peninsula forms a continuation of the Taygetos mountain range, the western spine of the Peloponnese. Mani is home of the Maniots (Mανιάτες, Maniátes in Greek). The terrain is mountainous and inaccessible. The name Mani is originally thought to have come from the Venetian word Mano meaning hand, but this was due to the Venetians having built a castle called "Castle De Le Maina" by hand. Linguistically the name Mani originates from the Greek word "Manîa" (Mανία), meaning "crazed" or "wild." The English word "mania" evolved from this, although it coincidentally sounds similar to the Venetian mano. Until recent years many Mani villages could be reached only by sea. Today a narrow and winding road extends along the west coast from Kalamata to Areopoli, then south to Akrotainaro (the pointy cape which is the most southward soil of continental Greece and continental Europe) before it turns north toward Gytheio. Mani has been traditionally divided into three regions: Exo Mani (Έξω Μάνη) or Outer Mani to the northwest, Kato Mani (Κάτω Μάνη) or Lower Mani to the east, Mesa Mani (Μέσα Μάνη) or Inner Mani to the southwest. A fourth region named Vardounia (Βαρδούνια) to the north is also sometimes included but was never historically part of Mani. Vardounia was a region between Mani and Laconia that was occupied by Turk-Albanians during the Ottoman occupation of most of Greece. Administratively, Mani is now divided between the prefectures of Laconia (Kato Mani, Mesa Mani) and Messenia (Exo Mani), in the periphery of Peloponnesos, but in ancient times it lay entirely within Laconia, the district dominated by Sparta.
Size: 4272px × 2848px
Location: Kardamyli village, Mani peninsula, Greece
Photo credit: © PANAGIOTIS KARAPANAGIOTIS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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