Archaeological Sites
This is a brief
explanation of some of the most fascinating
archaeological sites of Greece and the Greek Islands
that a tourist can pay a visit to.
Ancient Olypmia - It is considered
as one of the most important sanctuaries of ancient times.
Olympia is the place were the Olympic Games first took place, in
the 7th century B.C The Games were organized to honor Zeus and,
according to the myth, they were founded by Pelops, King of
Peloponnese. .
There’s an area were religious buildings and temples are located
and it’s called, “Altis”. The area outside the Altis housed the
auxiliary buildings, the priests' houses, the baths and the
areas for the preparation of the athletes.
At the site you will find the temple of Zeus, the Temple of
Hera, the Stadium, the Bouleuterion, the Philippeion, the
Leonidaion, the workshop of Pheidias, the Palaestra, and the
Gymnasium.
This site
was founded by French archaeologists in 1829 and some of finds
were transferred to the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Knossos-
is the most important and best preserved palace
of the Minoan Civilization. It was discivered by Minos
Kalokairinos in 1878.According to the myth, Knossos was the seat
of the legendary King Minos and it is also a place connected to
many legends such as the “Labyrinth with the Minotaur” and the
story of “Icaros”. About 2.000 B.C., the Minoans were
characterized by a flourishing commercial, political, social and
cultural system, as well as by the construction of impressive
palaces such as Knossos.The Minoan also developed for the first
time a trade network with the rest of the Aegean and even
established colonies like Akrotiri in Santorini. According to
the remains of Knossos and the lack of defensive walls, the
Minoans must have had peaceful relations with their neighbours.
Aside from the palace of Knossos you will also come across the
little palace, the Royal Villa, the house of the Frescoes, the
caravanserai and the Temple tomb.
The site of Delos
It’s a little islet located a few
miles from the famous island of Mykonos, in the center of the
Cyclades. Delos is considered as one of the most important
Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries of Greece.
According to the Greek mythology, Delos was the birth place of
Apollo, the god of light and Artemis, the goddess of hunting.
Delos was a sacred place dedicated to Apollo and used to have
splendid buildings and sanctuaries.
The excavations of Delos started in 1873 and are still carried
out by the French School of Archaeology. Many of the
masterpieces can be seen in Museums of Greece and abroad.
Some other monuments you will see are:
the Agora of the Competaliasts, the Temple of the Delians, the
Minoan Fountain, the Terrace of the Lions, the Establishment of
the Poseidoniasts from Beirut, the Stoivadeion, the Theatre,
Temple of Isis.
Mycenae- is considered as the
most important Mycenaean site.
Mycenae is the legendary home of the Atreides. The Mycenaean
civilization took its name after the discovery of the site of
Myenae.
Mycenae
was once a great city. They were one of the power houses in the
days where city states such as Athens, Corinth, and Sparta
controlled the region. The Myceneans had achieved an affluent
status. The riches of kings were discovered in several burial
sites. These treasures are on display in the Athens
Archaeological Museum. At one point the Mycenaens had control of
the island of Crete which most likely aided in their control of
the region.
Their castles
were fortified with what we call the Massive “Cyclopean” walls,
the reason being is that people believed that only Cyclopes
could have lifted the stones that made up the wall. Their
society was based on a military force.
Other sites you
will see at this location are: the palace, the wall-painted
“cult-centre”, the Lion gate and “Grave Circle A” .
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