Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aigai

Μετάφραση Greek Version

Museum of the Royal Tombs at Aigai

The museum is located in Vergina, 75km west of Thessaloniki and 12km away from Veria, the nearest city. The museum has a dark, imposing atmosphere that surprises most visitors.
 
Some of the most impressive and important exhibits from the Macedonian dominated period of the Greek history are available in the exact location that the original excavations took place. The museum was built in 1993, 16 years after the discovery of the Royal tombs in “Aiges”.
 
It was built in order to create ideal conditions considering the humidity and temperature needed for the findings to be properly preserved and protected. Inside the museum there are four separate tombs and the “Heroon”, a small temple built for Phillip II of Macedon.
 
Hundreds of items are displayed including beautiful gold creations, elaborate jewelry, colorful wall paintings, mosaics, hundreds of ancient items including a richly carved burial bed and others, used by the imperial family.
 
Some of the most spectacular exhibits of the museum are the shield and armor of King Phillip the second and the famous Golden Larnax found in the sarcophagus of the King.
 
An incredibly detailed golden wreath of 313 oak leaves and 68 acorns was found inside the Larnax. The extremely small size of the carefully carved ivory figures still impresses today. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Professor Manolis Andronikos, the well-known archaeologist who brought all these treasures to light, while offered important help to their preservation and restoration efforts.