KALAMATA (officially KaltaµaL, from an

See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient

See also:

• TOWN

town near the site)  , chief town of the modern Greek nomarchy of Messenia in the Morea, situated on the left bank of the Nedon, about r m. from the sea . Pop . (1907), 13,123 . There is a suburb on the right bank of the stream . On a hill behind the town are the ruins of a medieval castle, but no ancient Greek remains have been discovered, although some travellers have identified the site with that of the classical Pharae or Pherae . It is the seat of a court of justice and of an archbishop . During the middle ages it was for a time a fief of the Villehardouins . In 1685 Kalamata was captured by the Venetians; in 177o, and again in 1821, it was the revolutionary headquarters in the Morea . In 1825 it was sacked by Ibrahim Pasha . Kalamata is situated in a very fruitful district, of which it is the emporium . The harbour, though recently improved, offers little shelter to shipping . Vessels load and discharge by means of lighters, the outer harbour having a depth at entrance of 24 ft. and inside of 14 ft .

The inner harbour has a depth of 15 ft. and is sheltered by a

breakwater 164o ft. in length; in the winter months the fishing craft take shelter in the haven of Armyro . The silk industry, formerly important, still employs about 300 women and girls in four spinning establishments . Olive oil and silk are the chief exports .