Mykenes

Mikenes, or Mycenae, seat of the Mycenean culture, was the palace of Homer's King Agememnon, whose kingdom was the most powerful in Greece in the period 1600-1200 BCE.
Ancient Mikenes lies on the hilltop in the middle of the picture, hidden by higher surrounging hills.  gr17 091508210 k A closer view of the mammoth walls and path up to the palace.  gr17 091510321 k rca A closer view yet.  gr17 091508270 s-r-a The famous Lion Gate to the lower citadel.  gr17 091508390 s
The lions may have been the symbol of the House of Atreus of epic fame and tragedy.  gr17 091509222 k Inside the Lion Gate, the stone-paved path leads upwards.  gr17 091508450 s The (in)famous archaeologist Hermann Schliemann, who also exacavated Troy in Asia Minor (Turkey), excavated Mykenes, including Grave Circle A.  gr17 091508452 s Impressive mountains in the distance.  gr17 091508410 s
Impressive passage between standing monoliths.  gr17 091509161 k Grave Circle A is where Schliemann found the gold death mask which he supposed was the  mask of Agamemnon , now visible in the Archaeological Museum in Athens.  gr17 091509181 k American tourist preparing to make the ascent to the hilltop palace ruins.  gr17 091508470 s A lone olive tree at whose foot...  gr17 091509011 k
... cyclamen are in bloom!  gr17 091508560 k From the palace, the view extends to the sea near Nafplio, so the position was well chosen, with its face to the sea and its back to a higher mountain.  gr17 091508461 k Part of the monumental walls of the upper citadel.  gr17 091508552 k Looking back down at Grave Circla A, the hillside entrance to Clytemnestra's tomb .. and the parking lot.  gr17 091509080 k
Big stones in that wall!  gr17 091509241 k In the museum are many objects found on the site, although the most valuable ones are in Athens. This pot shows motifs of swans and other birds.  gr17 091509531 s Part of a fresco from the Cult Center on the Acropolis of Mykenes.  gr17 091509414 k ac A 6th-c. BCE black-figure krater with a scene of Dionysian revelries.  gr17 091509561 s-r-aaa
About 500 m away on a facing hill lies the impressive entrance to the tomb Schliemann claimed to be that of Agamemnon himself.  gr17 091510370 k The roof of Agamemnon's tomb, a  tholos  (or beehive) tomb.  gr17 091510390 k