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.
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 1 Ancient Mikenes lies on the hilltop in the middle of the picture, hidden by higher surrounging hills. |
 2 A closer view of the mammoth walls and path up to the palace. |
 3 A closer view yet. |
 4 The famous Lion Gate to the lower citadel. |
 5 The lions may have been the symbol of the House of Atreus of epic fame and tragedy. |
 6 Inside the Lion Gate, the stone-paved path leads upwards. |
 7 The (in)famous archaeologist Hermann Schliemann, who also exacavated Troy in Asia Minor (Turkey), excavated Mykenes, including Grave Circle A. |
 8 Impressive mountains in the distance. |
 9 Impressive passage between standing monoliths. |
 10 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. |
 11 American tourist preparing to make the ascent to the hilltop palace ruins. |
 12 A lone olive tree at whose foot... |
 13 ... cyclamen are in bloom! |
 14 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. |
 15 Part of the monumental walls of the upper citadel. |
 16 Looking back down at Grave Circla A, the hillside entrance to Clytemnestra's tomb .. and the parking lot. |
 17 Big stones in that wall! |
 18 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. |
 19 Part of a fresco from the Cult Center on the Acropolis of Mykenes. |
 20 A 6th-c. BCE black-figure krater with a scene of Dionysian revelries. |
 21 About 500 m away on a facing hill lies the impressive entrance to the tomb Schliemann claimed to be that of Agamemnon himself. |
 22 The roof of Agamemnon's tomb, a tholos (or beehive) tomb. |
