Mycenae and Tiryns were the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization. Between 1600 and 1200 BC, its kingdom was the most powerful in Greece. Homer, in his Iliad and Odyssey, spoke of it as "rich in gold". Mycenae consists of a fortified citadel and surrounding settlements. Its walls were 13 meters high and 7 meters thick. The walls of the city of Tiryns are even more immense, which in parts are 20 meters thick.

The Mycenaean prospered through their trade with eastern Mediterranean neighbors like the Hittites and Egyptians, but this all came to an end and the palaces were destroyed around 1200. The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns were the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture.