Archaeological Site of Aigai (Vergina), Greece

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Aigai is an archaeological site near the modern town of Vergina, in northern Greece. It is the site of the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia. Today there are still a number of ruins visible at the site, the most outstanding of which is the Macedonian royal palace of Antigonus III Doson (AD263-221), which is decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes.

Archaeological discoveries were first made in the hills around Vergina in the 1850's, and in 1861, a French archaeological team lead by Leon Heuzey, began excavation work there, which led to the discovery of the palace. However the project was abandoned due to risk of malaria.

Excavation resumed in 1937 under the University of Thessaloniki, and more of the ancient palace was rediscovered. However the outbreak of war with Italy brought work to a stop again. It only resumed in the 1950's, and eventually the rest of the royal capital was uncovered.

Of great interest to Greek archaeologists at the Aigai site were the tumulus, or concealed tombs, of the Macedonian kings. Numerous such tombs have since been discovered, even as late as the 1990's.

Archaeological Site of Aigai (Vergina) was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 20th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Mérida, Mexico, on 2 - 7 December, 1996.

Photos of Archaeological Site of Aigai (Vergina)

Macedonia royal tombs, Vergina
Author: Rufus210 (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0)

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 40 28 17.004 E 22 19 5.988 in the Prefecture of Imathia, Region of Central Macedonia
Inscription Year: 1996
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, III

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