Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Panagia and Charalambos church

Areopoli is a quaint traditional village in the central part of Mani, located at the feet of the Agios Elias mountain. The village is considered being one of the prettiest in Greece. Originally its name was Tsimova, but in 1836 it was renamed Areopoli, after “Ares”, the god of war, to commemorate its role in the Greek War of Independence. Areopoli played a very important role in the Greek liberation fight. On the square of the village, on March 17 of the year 1821, the people of Mani raised the banner signifying the start of the revolution against the Turkish occupation. The flag of the National uprising in Areopoli, nowadays is a relic on display in the National Historical Museum of Athens. Through the years Areopoli developed into a commercial centre of importance for the entire area. It is the ‘capital’ of Mani. The village offers a small historical center with stone built houses and some of the traditional Mani-tower houses (built for social and defensive reasons). Along the main street one comes across the dual churches of Panagia and Charalambos (main image).