Mani is a rugged, parched peninsula of Mt. Taygetos that sports tower-like houses.
In the 13th century Mani was a part of the Despotate of Mystras, a semi-autonomous region of the Byzantine Empire. From 1460 onwards, the Ottomans dominated the region, but the Maniots (the inhabitants of Mani), together with the Venetians, fought them continuously until the start of the Greek Revolution of 1821. During the period of Turkish rule, the pirates of Mani were notorious.
