Caryatids is a unique work of art by the ancient Athenians, known worldwide for its beauty but unfortunately also for the destruction and theft it has suffered. However, few know the origin of these girls who appear as statues and adorn the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens, as well as one of them that adorns the British Museum. The origin of the Caryatids can be found in the Peloponnese and specifically in the Karyes of Laconia, which we visited and presented directly to them. The greek term "Caryatids" / "Karyatides" literally means "maidens of Karyai" (Karyai - Karyes).
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| copy of the Caryatids at Karyes in Laconia |
At a distance of about 2 hours from Athens and 35 minutes from Tripoli and Sparta, we find the historic and beautiful village of Karyes, which was formerly also called Arachova, where modern studies have disproved the myth that it is a word of slavic origin, but it is of vlach origin, specifically from the word "rekha" which means "mountain ridge". We chose the route from the capital of Laconia, Sparta. Karyes are located on the western slopes of Mount Parnonas, at an altitude of 950 meters. Through a green path, from a fairly good road, we entered the village area. On the road that goes up to the center of the village we find a series of impressive statues, donated by the Municipality of Athens in the 1960s.
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| statues at the entrance of Karyes |
After we left the car near the center of the village in order to climb the hill that dominates the monument of the Caryatids. Near the central square we came across a sign which leads on one side to the ancient path and on the other side to the water path. We will visit these paths in another of our treks.
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| the signs leading to the paths |
Arriving in the center of the village, we see beautiful stone-built houses, small taverns and elegant cafes, as well as guest houses, all ready to serve visitors.
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| the beautiful village of Karyes |
In the central square we find the building of the Community of Karyes as well as an imposing statue that inscribes the verses of our national anthem: "From the sacred bones, of the Hellenes arisen, and valiant again as you once were, Hail, o hail, Liberty"!
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| Community of Karyes |
Continuing our walk, we come across an imposing church, right above the square. This is the church of Agios Andreas (saint Andrews), which is the Cathedral of Karyes. It was built in 1960 near the site of the old church and opposite the village's library. The church was created with a donation from the expatriates of the village, as well as with donations from benefactors of Karyes.
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| church of Agios Andreas |
We slowly climb up the hill and find some historical facts about Karyes that help us understand the historicity of the place. In Homeric times, Karyes was called Polichni. This city belonged to the Arcadians, specifically the Tegeans. There, the king of Sparta, Menelaus, gathered his army to travel to Troy. Menelaus planted plane trees, which today are called "Panagia's plane trees" and are still there today to remind us of the passing of the mythical king. After battles between Tegeans and Spartans and after the two powerful cities made an alliance, Karyes came under the rule of the Lacedaemonians. According to Pausanias, there was a sanctuary of Artemis, a sanctuary of Zeus Scotita and a trophy of Hercules in the area. In the late Byzantine period, the Franks conquered the area and made it a fiefdom. During the years of the Turkish occupation, the inhabitants of Karyes went through fire and iron. Looting and massacres took place in the area by the Turks and the reason was that the residents had organized resistance groups. A black page for the village was the passage of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, who slaughtered all the inhabitants he caught and burned the whole area. We understand the pain of the inhabitants from the following incident: "during a Turkish invasion a father preferred to behead his children himself, rather than fall into the hands of the Ottomans".
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| the streets of the village |
March 14, 1944, the already troubled village was holocaust by the Germans. Houses, the school and even the village clock, all went up in flames. After all this glorious but also turbulent history, nowadays the inhabitants are engaged in animal husbandry, beekeeping, agriculture, commercial and tourist activities.
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| Karyes of Laconia |
This is how we reach our destination. On the hill where the Caryatids rule. A monument of unique beauty, a copy of the Erechtheum. In a green environment with an unparalleled view, it stands there reminding us of the greatness of our ancestors, as well as the rich history of the place.
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| Caryatids |
Next to the monument there is also a plaque that records the history: the monument of the Caryatids dominates the ancient acropolis of the Karyes according to historians and is a copy of part of the ancient temple of Erechtheion in the Acropolis of Athens. It was built at the expense of many donors and at the initiative of the Association of Apantachou Karyats and was inaugurated in 1983. It is now a symbol of modern Karyes and marks the connection of the present with the glorious past of the place. The Caryatids daughters of the Karyes were priestesses who danced a ritual dance every year at the Caryatia, a festival in honor of Artemis Caryatida. Lucian (circa Orchisis 10) wrote: the Lacedaemonians, considered the best of the Greeks, having learned to caryatize (to dance the dance of the Caryatids) from Polydeukis and Kastor, do everything with music, even war with flute accompaniment and rhythm. When later girls from other cities of Laconia took part in this dance, they too were called Caryatids. The daughters of the Karyes became famous for their artistic dancing and for their harmonious body shape, so that all the harmonious female figures in the sculptural art of ancient times came to be called Caryatids. In architecture they are sculptures that have a female form and serve either to support buildings instead of columns or as a decorative element on gates, facades, friezes and roofs. - Association of Apantachou Karyats
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| Caryatids |
So we admired the wonderful monument. Along with the monument, we also admired the view of the landscape which really enchanted us. Bridges, olive trees, comfrey trees, plane trees, holly trees, oak trees, chestnut trees, walnut trees, fir trees and black pine trees adorn the area, making it one of the most beautiful corners of Laconia and the Peloponnese.
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| the view from the acropolis of Karyes |
We start the descent down and after a short ten-minute ride we found ourselves again in the center of the village, where in a beautiful cafe we enjoyed hot coffee, looking at the visitors who came from different parts of Greece and beyond, to admire this unique destination.
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| the nature of Karyes |