Pyramids of Argolis

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Usually when you speak about pyramids people immediately think of Egypt, and others believe that there are pyramids only there, but this is not true, there are pyramids throughout the world!
Today I will speak you about the “Greek pyramids” located in the regional unit Argolid, part of the Peloponnese. Yes, maybe they are not as the usual massive pyramids, anyway they are part of the history of Greece.

 

Pausanias, a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations. In his writings, Pausanias mentions two buildings resembling usual pyramids, but unfortunately neither of these still survives and there is no evidence that they resembled to Egyptian pyramids. Luckily there are still something to visit and study.

Greek pyramids, also known as the Pyramids of Argolis, refer to several structures located at the Southeastern edge of the plain of Argolid, near the springs of the Kephalari river.
The best known of these is known as the Pyramid of Hellinikon.
The dimensions of the rectangular building surrounding the pyramid of Hellinikon are 7 by 9 meters. The walls become vertical in order to support the floor of the building.
This impressive monument is built entirely from the gray limestone of the district with large blocks in a trapezoidal and partially polygonal system.
In the times of Pausanias, it was considered to be a tomb. Twentieth century researchers have suggested other possible uses.

About the dating of the pyramids of Hellinikon there are not certainties, some researchers think that it is the oldest in the world erected at about 2720 B.C.
An interesting curiosity is that the astronomical orientation of the long entrance corridor was found related to the rise of Orion’s belt occurring in c. 2000-2400 BC


So if you didn’t know where to go in your next holidays this is a very interesting place to visit!

 

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