The Citadel at Mycenae

The Mycenaen age existed from 1600 to 1200 BC, long before the rise of Athens as a great city state This is the main citadel of the Mycenaean civilization

The entrance to the citadel is through the famous Lions' Gate

A close up shot of the Lions' Gate

Through the Lions' Gate one comes across the Grave circles which were Royal Tombs

The second set of Royal Grave circles

This is a view of the far wall, on the other side is a drop into a canyon

Mycenae had a deep cistern which could help withstand a siege With the typical triangle arch there are 99 steps down to the bottom

A few steps in, things become completely black, this was taken with the camera's flash

The view from the citadel out to the valley beyond