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Tripoli

Tripoli, capital of Arkadia, is located between the villages of Alea and Stadio. There is the region of Ancient Tegea an important town of Arcadia in ancient times. The ancient temple was destroyed by fire around 395 and was rebuilt in 340 BC by sculptor Skopa to house the ivory statue of Athena, of which only a few fragments remain. The Tegea museum displays numerous findings of archeological value. Tripoli is 165 km far from Athens. Being a military center played a leading role in the war of independence of 1821.

The mount Mainalon next to Tripoli is the home of Panas the ancient God of music. Tripoli belongs to the province of Arcadia, which had been the homeland of the Pelasgians, and was later inhabited by the Dorians. Ancient Arcadian cities had many colonies, as in Cyprous (Pafos) and Italy (Rome). They sided against Sparta, with whom they had always been at odds. The most important Arcadian cities were Tegea and Mantineia. The League of the Arcadians was founded in Megalopolis on 369 B.C. and, later Arcadia joined the Commonwealth of Achaia. Under Roman Rule, it began to decline and was subsequently deserted after raids by Alarichos and the Slavs. Franks came in the 12th Century, and was later overrun by the Turks in 1458. Arcadia was the site of major and decisive battles during the War of Independence of 1821 against the Turks.

Tripoli was reconstructed after its destruction carried out by Pasha Ibrahim in 1827. From the beginning of the revolution against the Turkish regime, Tripoli was the first key point for the Greeks in their fight against the Turks, arriving to release it in September of 1821. During the War for Independence, it had a very important role and suffered many calamities, including the bombing of Ibrahim.

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