2. A long time ago…in the prehistoric times…
If you have read the Odyssey or the Iliad, you may know of
Agamemnon's story.
3. Mycenae and Tiryns (1600 – 1100 B.C.)
Agamemnon was the king of Mycenae; the place it stood had a strategic
position for the control of the Argolic plain, in the North-East Peloponnese.
Mycenae was an acropolis site built on a hill 274 metres above sea level.
It was the most important centre of the late Bronze age in Greece shaping one
of the greatest civilisations of Greek prehistory and culture and the wider
Mediterranean area for the years to come.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
4. …the entrance to Mycenae is called Lion’s Gate
The civilisation of the
Mycenae has given its
name to a whole period;
the Mycenean period.
5. Mycenae and Tiryns (included in the UNESCO
heritage list in 1999)
The architecture is unique; both Mycenae and the citadel of Tiryns,
very close to Mycenae, are known for their huge walls resembling a
fortification built by the Cyclops.
Archeologists believe that the walls of
Tiryns were built at the same time as
those of Mycenae.
The walls of Tiryns.
6. Mighty walled
Tiryns (name
given by Homer)
The Cyclopean attribute of the
walls is clearly seen in huge rocks
comprising the tunnel leading to an
array of rooms. Interestingly, the
roof of the tunnel and the paths
leading to them remind the visitor
of a gothic arch.
Both Mycenae and Tiryns were
included in the UNESCO heritage
list in 1999.
7. Monastery of Saint John, the Theologian
Patmos Island
This Greek Orthodox Monastery was founded in the capital of Patmos
Island, Chora in 1088. Patmos is an island in the Dodecanese (12
islands) complex.
Why is it worth visiting?
Αυτή η φωτογραφία από Άγνωστος συντάκτης με άδεια χρήσης CC BY-NC-ND
8. Saint’s John’s monastery and the Cave of
Apocalypse are both UNESCO Heritage sites
(included in the list in 1999)
• The cave of Apocalypse was the place
where Agios Ioannis (Saint John), one of
the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ wrote
the Book of Apocalypse (meaning
Revelation ) and his Gospels (96 A.D).
• Situated half-way between the port of the
island and its capital, Chora, it stands to
remind the visitor of the place where the
great Book was written.
• Hard to interpret, the book has drawn
scholars’ and theologians’ attention.
People flock there to experience the
atmosphere.
Αυτή η φωτογραφία από Άγνωστος συντάκτης με άδεια χρήσης CC BY-SA
9. Patmos, the holy island
Patmos, the “Jerusalem of the
Aegean” was proclaimed “holy
island” by Greek national law in
1983.
If you are into night life, however,
bear in mind that it is not ideal for
all night partying.
All night clubs close at 2:00 A.M.,
due to the monastic influence of
the island.
11. The Acropolis of Athens (included in the
UNESCO list in 1987)
• Built on the sacred rock of Athens, overlooking the city, the Acropolis
dates back to mid 5th century BC. An UNESCO Heritage site, it still
stands to remind the visitor of the Golden Age of Pericles and the
grandeur of Ancient Greece.
• It was the time Athens was at its peak, being the seat of the Athenian
league.
12. The Parthenon in the Acropolis of Athens
The Parthenon is a temple built mainly in the Doric order by Iktinos and
Kallikrates. It housed Phidias’s statue of Athena, the goddess, made out
of gold and ivory.
Athena gave her name to the city itself. Unfortunately, Athena’s statue
was most likely destroyed in a fire in the 3rd century A.D.
13. Taking down the Swastika flag off the Acropolis
in World War II
In April 1941, the Nazis occupied
the capital of Greece, Athens, and
the Swastika was put up on the
holy rock of the Acropolis.
But… resistance on the part of the
Greeks was about to start…
On the night of May 30th 1941,
two young Greek students
climbed the rock of the Acropolis
and took down the Swastika flag.
A heroic act by Manolis Glezos
and Apostolos Santas. They were
both 18.
A real life story that has a lot to
tell.
14. A great act of
Resistance!
• The Nazis were guarding the
Acropolis, so the two young men first
had to read all the information they
could get about secret passages.
• Both students were sentenced to
death in absentia but the order was
not executed as they were not
immediately arrested.
• Manolis Glezos was an elected
Member of the European Parliament
from 2014 until July 2015.
