Mycenae, built between two hills, Profitis Ilias and Sara, dominates the Plain of Argos. The citadel of Mycenae is the most impressive creation of Mycenaean architecture. It served as seat of the administration of the realm and of its various activities. The fortified area occupied a surface of 30,000 sq. m.
On my way to Mycenae, the tour had another stopover at Nafplio. Nafplio is dubbed the most romantic town in Greece.
It was an important seaport in the Middle Ages. Venetian and Turkish conquerors left their mark in the town and strongly influenced its culture.
Nafplio city tour bus.
Monument of the Morea Expedition at the Philellinon Square. Perching on the mountain is the castle of Palamidi, which is one of the three castles in Nafplio.
A nice place to enjoy and relax while enjoying the sea view instead of ruins.
The castle of Boutzi is a small fortress that was built by the Venetian in 1471 to protect the city.
The quiet and charming streets of Nafplio.
The Church of Agios Spyridon is located in the old town of Nafplio.
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The 18th century church was the site of the assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was elected the first governor of an independent Greece in 1828. He was stabbed and shot near the door of the church. Some of the bullets still have their prints against the walls of the church. Well, I wish I had more time to explore this charming town.
Next, I arrived at the archeological sites of Mycenae which is the main attraction of Mycenae.
It dominated the Eastern Mediterranean from the 15th to the 12th centuries BC and played a vital role in the development of the culture of Classical Greece.
Yes, the archeological site of Mycenae is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site was inhabited since Neolithic times. The Mycenaean rulers had their palace built on a hill (acropolis), which was surrounded by imposing fortifications.
According to the myth, Mycenae was founded by Perseus, son of Zeus and Danae. In order to built the citadel, Perseus employed the Cyclopes, mythical beings from Asia, after the whom the fortification walls were dubbed cyclopean.
The Lion Gate is a monumental entrance.
The relief of the Lion Gate.
The Great Ramp begins from the inner courtyard of the Lion Gate, follows the incline of the rock and stops at its south end.
Ramp House – House of the Warrior Vase.
The Ramp House had at least two storeys, but only the foundation of the ground floor survived.
The building consists of basement and storerooms. Burials of the Middle Helladic and the early Late Helladic period were found here, indicating that this entire area was previously part of the so-called Prehistoric Cemetery before the fortification walls were constructed.
Let’s see more ruins.
The North Quarter. The area was destroyed by earthquake and abandoned. Habitation was resumed in Hellenistic times.
The propylon of the palace is the main entrance to the palace complex.
The palace complex of Mycenae was built on the summit of the hill. Most of the ruins visible today dates back to the 13th century BC.
This is the northeast extension which is the third and last building extension of the fortification of the citadel.
It involves the construction of an underground cistern, in which was collected water conveyed along a stone-built subterranean aqueduct from a natural spring located outside and east of the walled citadel.
The descent to the cistern is cobbled. At the far end of the passage, at a depth of 18m, is a quadrilateral roofed shaft.
The North Gate. The gate was closed with a double wooden door, bolted by a sliding bar.
The Lion Tholos Tomb. It is named the Lion Tomb due to its proximity to the Lion Gate of Mycenae.
Built in the 14th century BC, this tomb is big! You can directly look down into the tomb from above.
Museum of the archaeological site.
Last but not least, Treasury of Atreus is an impressive tholos tomb. Built around the middle 14th century BC, it consists of a passage, entrance, tholos (vaulted chamber) and small side chamber.
The tomb was found robbed. So there is no information on either the goods or the burials it once housed.
Entrance to small side chamber inside the main chamber.
Any gold there? Nope, just an empty chamber.
Well, its time to move on. Enough of all that archaeological stuff.
After that, I was brought to a pottery and sculpture center.
And finally, we reached the hotel, Hotel Europa at Olympia because we’re going to visit Olympia the next day.
It’s a four-star hotel, so the room and facility is pretty comfortable.
We had a nice buffet dinner at the top floor.
Time to call it a night. Next is the post about Olympia, stay tuned.
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