page_title: Sparta, Laconia
section_title: Main sites
hierarchical_section_title: Sparta, Laconia / Tourism / Main sites
caption_attribution_description: English: Ancient theatre of Sparta
context_page_description: Sparta is a town and municipality in Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population of 35,259, of whom 17,408 lived in the city.
context_section_description: In the center of the city is the Archaeological Museum. Built by architect G. Katsaros, 
  in 1874–76 to house the collection of local archaeological finds by  Panagiotis Stamatakis, it was the first Greek museum in a provincial city.
  The city's cathedral is at the southwest end.
  The ruins of ancient Sparta lie north of the city. Entering by the South Gate of the Acropolis, known as Lakedaemonia, there is the Rotunda, the Theatre and the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos to the West. Exiting the Acropolis by the North Gate there are the remains of the earliest ancient walls, the Heroon and the Altar of Lycourgos, whereas to the East there is the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. To the North is the   Monastic Church of Osios Nikonas (10th century).
  
  The "Tomb of Leonidas", or Leonidaion (37.0767°N 22.4254°E), is a limestone structure of the  late 5th century BC, likely a temple, but named for Leonidas I in the 19th century, being the only ancient monument indicated within the limits of the newly-planned town in 1834.
caption: The theater of ancient Sparta with Taygetus in the background.
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