| Mycenae Μυκῆναι Mykēnai | |
 | |
| State | Greece |
|---|---|
| Region | Peloponnese |
| Territory | Argolis |
| Institutional website | |
Mycenae is an archaeological site ofArgolis, in Greece. It houses the ancient Acropolis of Mycenae, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
To know
Geographical notes
The ancient city lies deep in the valley at the foot of the mountains. 2 km from the archaeological complex is the village of Mykines, consisting mainly of souvenir shops and restaurants.
When to go
The site can be visited all year round, however in the summer the heat can make the visit exhausting.
Background
The Mycenaean civilization
At the beginning of the second millennium BC the Bronze Age was in full swing, the Minoan civilization in ancient Crete ended around 1600 BC. due to the catastrophic volcano eruption of Santorini. Around the same time a new Mycenaean civilization began to form on the mainland, the development of which is associated with migration into the Peloponnese of the Achaeans, the ancient Greek tribes who lived in Thessaly.
The Mycenaean civilization is sometimes called the palace civilization, because its centers were fortified palaces of the nobility. The level of Mycenaean culture was incredibly high for its time, it even had its own script - the so-called linear B script, inspired by the linear letter A, used by the Minoan civilization of Crete.
The Mycenaean civilization then fell into ruin in the 13th century. B.C. and it soon disappeared, apparently in the face of a serious military threat (usually regarded as the migration from the north of the Doric tribes) and abnormal climate change.
Mycenae
Mycenae between the fifteenth and thirteenth centuries BC it was the largest Greek city and, perhaps, the capital of the Mycenaean state. According to Greek mythology, the city was founded by Perseus. Perseus could claim the throne ad Argon, but by chance he killed his grandfather and decided to leave his home and found Mycenae. One of the most famous kings is Atreus, whose sons they were Agamemnon is Menelaus protagonists of the famous campaign against Troy.
Archeology does not confirm and, most likely, will never be able to confirm the fascinating plots of Greek mythology, but reports that the first burials in Mycenae already belonged to the 18th century BC. The fortifications most important appear in the city around 1350 BC. and continue to expand until the beginning of the 12th century BC. that is the period of the Trojan war, shortly after which the city burns to never be reborn. In the Archaic period (VII-VI century BC) the Acropolis of Mycenae was a sanctuary, later destroyed, of which traces of the Roman era also remain.
The excavations of Mycenae began in 1841 with Greek archaeologists, but the real fame brought to the ancient city is due to Heinrich Schliemann. His excavations began in 1876, where he found the famous gold mask attributed to Agamemnon but recent studies have dated the mask to the 16th century BC, i.e. 400 years before the Trojan War. After Schliemann, excavations in Mycenae continued. A lot of interesting artifacts are present in the museum of Mycenae, while the most valuable are in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Myths of Mycenae
According to myths, Mycenae was founded by the hero Perseus. After killing his grandfather by chance, he did not want to inherit the throne of Argos so he became king of Tiryns by founding Mycenae.
Another legend has it that Atreus had two children, Agamemnon is Menelaus. Egisto, son of Thyestes who killed Atreus and restored Thyestes to the throne. With the help of King Tindar of Sparta, the Atreids again led Thyestes into exile. Tindaro had two cursed daughters, Helen and Clytemnestra, whom Menelaus and Agamemnon married. Agamemnon inherited Mycenae and Menelaus became king of Sparta. Helen fled with Paris of Troy. Agamemnon waged a 10-year war against Troy to bring her back to her brother. Due to the lack of wind, the warships could not set sail for Troy. Agamemnon then sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia following the dictates of the oracle. The deities, having been satisfied by this sacrifice, blew the winds and the Greek fleet departed.
After the war, Agamemnon returning, was killed in his bathtub by Clytemnestra, who bitterly hated him for having ordered the sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia. Clytemnestra was aided in her crime by Egisto, who later reigned, but Orestes, son of Agamemnon, was smuggled into Phocis. When he returned as an adult he killed Clytemnestra and Egisto.
How to get
.JPG/150px-Mattpainted_Pottery_(NAMA_199).JPG)
By plane
The nearest airport is the international airport of AthensEleftherios Venizelos.
By car
Mycenae is located 14 km north of Argon On the way to Corinth is Athens. It is more comfortable to travel by car, if this is not possible, you need to take any bus from Athens, Argos or Nafplio. These buses run every hour and in the timetables appears Mycenae currently (October 2018) lead up to the archaeological site and no longer in the town of Fichti. (Φίχτι), 2 km from ancient Mycenae.
By bus
You can take a KTEL bus from Nafplio or from Argon. From Athens or from Corinth the races go up to the archaeological site (October 2018).
By taxi
- Taxi service, ☎ 30 6946 431726.
Permits / Rates
For the complete visit to the site it is necessary to plan a time of about two hours. Inside the site there is a lack of information signs, many of which have been demolished by the wind or the flow of tourists. If you want to understand the individual buildings, find a book or go to the museum to get started.
- 1 Main entrance, ☎ 30 27510, 30 76585, @[email protected].
From April to October: € 12 full, € 6 reduced. From November to March the entrance is half. 
April: 08: 00-19: 00, May - 11 September: 08: 00-20: 00, 12 - 30 September: 08: 00-19: 00, October: 08: 00-18: 00, November-March: 08: 00-15: 00. Admission is valid for the site of Mycenae, the treasure of Atreus and the Museum. - 2 Entrance to the treasury of Atreus. Access with the same ticket for Mycenae. This entrance allows access only to the treasure of Atreus.
From April to October: € 12 full, € 6 reduced. From November to March the entrance is half. 
April: 08: 00-19: 00, May - 11 September: 08: 00-20: 00, 12 - 30 September: 08: 00-19: 00, October: 08: 00-18: 00, November-March: 08: 00-15: 00. Admission is valid for the site of Mycenae, the treasure of Atreus and the Museum.How to get around
Mycenae: full screen map.
The center of the Mycenaean complex is a fortified hill with the acropolis. Around it there are many tombs including Atreus' treasure, one of the largest tombs. The entrance to the site is next to the parking lot. From there you can immediately go up to the acropolis, go down the other side and go to the museum, then leave the site and go on foot or by car to the treasury of Atreus (there is a separate entrance 300 meters from the main one, but there is no real parking).
What see
.jpg/220px-Greece-0412_(2215128259).jpg)
- 1 The acropolis. The hill is surrounded by mighty stone walls, which are called cyclopean, since after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, during the "dark ages", the Greeks naively believed that stones of this size could only be moved by mythical creatures such as the cyclops. The walls were actually built around 1350 BC, when Mycenae, like all the surrounding cities, began to actively strengthen to fight an enemy that historiography does not know today. Inside the walls there are dozens of ruins, including the governor's palace (Megaron) on the top of a hill, the craft buildings and military leaders, while other ruins are heavily damaged such as to make indistinguishable between Greek and ancient ruins.
2 The door of the lions. The most exciting monument in Mycenae is the southern gate with a bas-relief depicting two lionesses. This part of the wall (and with it the bas-relief) was built shortly afterwards, towards the middle of the 13th century BC. Lionesses apparently symbolized Mycenae and later became the site's own symbol. This is the only sculptural monument of the Mycenaean civilization that we possess. 
- 3 Circular tomb A. A good half of the Mycenaean excavations are burials that take the form of round wells covered with stone from the inside, the so-called circular tombs. The most impressive complex of this type is called by archaeologists Circular Tomb A and is located within the city walls: it is here that Schliemann made his sensational discoveries, declaring them to belong to the era of the Trojan War, although later scholars they attributed the burial to the sixteenth century BC at the time of the founding of the city. Later the rulers were buried in luxurious "tholos" domed tombs outside the city walls; the largest of these tombs is the treasure of Atreus. In the circular tomb A there are a series of vertical stone slabs that resemble those of Stonehenge. Unlike other ruins, the complex structures of the Mycenaean buildings are clearly visible, but there is only conjecture about the meaning.
- 4 Circular tomb B. This circular tomb is very similar to the A, but it was discovered by chance in 1951, obtaining the vast kit including a mask similar to that of Agamemnon.
- 5 Tank. The huge cisterns with spring water became a novelty of Mycenaean building art of the 14th century BC, when the ancient state faced a series of external dangers, and to maintain an effective defense the city needed a reliable water supply. Sources say the reservoir is at a depth of 18 meters and has a height of 5 m. It is possible to go down via a dark and steep stone staircase. But if you decide to go down, don't forget a lamp.
- 6 Archaeological Museum of Mycenae. One of the most interesting archaeological museums adjacent to the site. The visit is essential as it shows only the Mycenaean finds, allowing to evaluate the level of development of the ancient civilization. There are also metal objects, ceramics and even fragments of frescoes. Furthermore, the museum helps to understand the structure and purpose of those ruins that you will see on the acropolis. Therefore, a visit to the museum is recommended before going there.
- 7 Treasure of Atreus (Outside the site, along the access road). This is the largest Mycenaean tomb, it was built around 1250 BC. Schliemann immediately called it the tomb of Agamemnon, but then had a second name: the Treasure of Atreus (father of Agamemnon). The tomb is no less impressive than the cyclopean walls of the acropolis. It consists of huge stone blocks, the largest of which is the entrance and weighs 120 tons, and has a triangular opening at the entrance, redistributing the total load. The height of the internal hall is 13.5 m, its diameter is 14.5 m. The perfectly round stone arch is also of great importance. The tomb was decorated with bronze and stone reliefs, fragments of which have survived to this day but were taken away from Greece in the early 19th century and are now on display in major European museums. If you have time, you can walk around and explore other smaller tombs, but similar in structure and always from the Mycenaean era.
- 8 Tomb of Clytemnestra. This tomb dates back to 1250 BC. it is the last to have been erected shortly before the destruction of Mycenae. Constructively it is very similar to the Treasury of Atreus and as described by Pausanias it is located outside the walls of Mycenae, precisely because Queen Clytemnestra was not considered worthy to be buried inside the city, after killing her husband Agamemnon together with Egisto .
- 9 Tomb of Egisto. This tomb dates back to the 15th century BC.
- 10 North gate. This fortress entrance is smaller than the Lions' gate and leads directly to the Megaron. It is made up of monolithic stone blocks that make up the beam and lintel.
What to do
- 1 Mycenaean bridge (Immediately after the village of Mikines, turn right onto a dirt road). Explore the small Mycenaean bridge built of large stone blocks.
Shopping
In the nearby village there are many souvenir shops where you can buy water and food. There is also a gift shop inside the archaeological complex, along the way to the museum. The nearest supermarket is located at Argon.
Where to eat
On the central street of the village, the cafes and restaurants follow one after the other. If the archaeological complex is open, there is probably somewhere to eat. In the evening, only the hotel restaurant can be found open La Petite Planete, but in the low season everything will be closed. Prices are moderate.
- 1 Kolizeras, ☎ 30 27510 76315, fax: 30 27510 76463, @[email protected]. A large restaurant that does business with tour groups. Reviews are contradictory.
- 2 Electra. Restaurant with terrace on the main road.
Where stay
When the archaeological complex is closed, there is absolutely nothing to do in Mycenae, so it is best to stay here one night maximum. If you have a car, the same operation can be done by spending the night at Argon if not, even better a Nafplio.
- 1 [link not working]La Petite Planete, ☎ 30 27510-76240. A good country hotel with a swimming pool and beautiful views over the orange groves in the Argolis valley. In the hotel you can dine on the principle of a Greek tavern, ie food that was cooked on the same day, without a menu. Wi-Fi only on the terrace and in the lobby. Great reviews.
- 2 Camping Atreus (at the entrance to the village). €24. Pool and Wi-Fi, good reviews.
Safety
In hot weather, take enough water and don't forget your sunscreen. Bring suitable shoes because in some places the stones are slippery due to the thousands of tourists. The heat from the ascent to the Acropolis hill makes the visit tiring and for this reason it is advisable to do the visit early in the morning or in the evening.
How to keep in touch
- Information, ☎ 30 27510, 30 76585, @[email protected].
Around
- 3 Tiryns, ☎ 30 27520, fax: 30 27520 24690, @[email protected]. € 4 full, € 2 reduced (Feb 2018). From November to March: 08: 00-15: 00, From April to 11 September: 08: 00-20: 00, from 12 to 30 September: 08: 00-19: 00, October: 08: 00-18: 00. Friday only 12: 00-17: 00. This complex has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1999 and is of great importance for archeology. It came from the famous German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. It dates back to 1400 BC. only to be abandoned around 1200 BC. However, important remains of Mycenaean architecture remain.
- 4 Dendra (Midea, a hamlet of Nauplia), @[email protected]. € 2 full price, € 1 reduced ticket (Feb 2018), € 1 from November to March. Mon-Fri: 8: 00-15: 00. Prehistoric site not far from Nafplio, with tholos tombs. From this site comes the panoply of Dendra which can be visited at the Archaeological Museum of Nafplio.
- 5 Heraion of Argos (Prosymna), ☎ 30 27520, @[email protected]. Free admission. 8:00-15:00. It is a temple dedicated to Era excavated by Schiemann.
