Article Mycenae

Mycenae is a place where history meets myth. Due to its extraordinary historical value, the site of Mycenae was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 4, 1999.

Mycenae was one of the main centers of Greek civilization in the 2nd millennium BC and a military stronghold that dominated much of southern Greece. The period from the 16th to the 12th centuries BC is therefore called the Mycenaean period. The city of Mycenae was the center of the first Greek civilization, which arose after the Minoan culture on Crete. At its peak, the Mycenaeans controlled all of southern Greece.

The first archaeological excavations began in 1841 and have continued intermittently until the present day (2024). The famous amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann also worked in Mycenae.

Mycenae flourished between approximately 1600 and 1150 BC, a period now known as the Mycenaean culture. The ruler of this powerful city-state, the mythical King Agamemnon, went down in history as the leader of all the Greeks in the famous Trojan War. Although his story is shrouded in myth and the Peloponnesian dynasty is famous for its bloody tragedies, a visit to the citadel will allow you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of its former power.

Mycenae and the surrounding buildings were so monumental that even the ancient Greeks did not believe they could have been built by mortal hands. They attributed them to the mythical one-eyed giants – the Cyclopes. Hence the name for the huge, irregular stone blocks from which the walls are built – Cyclopean walls.

The iconic symbol of Mycenae and one of the most photographed sites in all of Greece is the Lion Gate. This monumental entrance gate was built around 1250 BC and is the only surviving example of Mycenaean sculpture. The magnificent relief with two lionesses standing leaning on a column is the embodiment of the strength and power of the former kingdom.

Just beyond the Lion's Gate, on the right, on the western slope of the citadel, is a circular tomb where members of the royal family were buried. There are six shaft tombs, almost 10 m deep, where Heinrich Schliemann found a lot of gold and jewelry in 1876. Schliemann was convinced that he had discovered the tomb of King Agamemnon, and one of the most famous finds, a golden funerary mask, is so inextricably linked to him.

The visitor route continues up a stone ramp and the remains of a magnificent staircase that led to the regent's palace on the acropolis.

The main entrance to the palace itself was a monumental gate – the propylon. Today, only the foundations of two pillars are visible.

At the top of the hill stood a palace surrounded by administrative buildings. This was the political, economic and military center of the entire ancient empire. Inside the palace was a throne room and a vast court. Only the foundations have survived, but even so, one can imagine the luxury in which the kings lived.

From the palace on the peak, there is a far-reaching view of the surroundings. It is possible to overlook the entire Argos plain and see all the way to the sea.

Two large residential complexes on the northern slope were destroyed in the earthquake.

Around 1250 BC, a side gate was built in the northern part of the citadel from monolithic stone blocks.

To the left of the entrance to the complex is a modern archaeological museum, where an extensive collection of objects represents the Mycenaean civilization.