The mountain village of Maniaki, formerly called Ypsili Rachi, is 7 km from Vlachopoulos, 33 km from Pylos and 44 km from Kalamata. With only 35 permanent residents, the village has a long history that follows the history of Messinia. In ancient times, the area was part of the kingdom of Nestor, of ancient Pylos.
Historically, Maniaki is mainly known for the battle that took place on May 20th, 1825, between the Greeks, under the leadership of Papaflessas, and the Egyptian army under Ibrahim Pasha's leadership. The battle ended with the Greeks' defeat and the death of the chiefs Papaflessas, Dimitrios Dikaios, Panagiotis Kefalas and hundreds of other fighters.
In the village, the visitor can admire the traditional stone houses, as well as the statue of Papaflessas. Also, there are the churches of Agios Grigorios Theologos, Agios Konstantinos and Eleni and the church of the Resurrection of Christ. In fact, in this church (which was built in 1911), the bones of the fighters killed in the Battle of Maniaki are kept.
At a distance of 3.5 km from the village, in the place, Tambouria is the Monument of Papaflessas (a pyramid with a pointed end), also known as the Monument of the Battle of Maniaki. Next to the monument, the visitor can see the Holy Trinity church in which on May 20th every year a Doxology and Memorial Prayer is held for the fighters who fell in battle.
