The archaeological site of Mycenae is the imposing ruins of one of the greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century B.C. and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. Mycenae is indissolubly linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey , which have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf.
Mycenae was almost completely destroyed by a fire in the 12th century. The Mycenaean civilization declined, but the area was still inhabited. It is believed that it was abandoned in the 3rd century AD. Close to the area of the Mycenaean palace, the so-called Tomb of Agamemnon,the king of the Mycenaeans, is also situated.
The findings from Mycenae can be viewed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Mycenae is an UNESCO World Site.