Most Popular PlacesRandom PlaceListsItinerariesAdd a PlaceDownload the App Macedonian Tomb of Agios Athanasios Statue of Žorik Wood Street Steps High Shoals Falls Atlas Obscura’s Guide to America’s Most Haunted Cemeteries 3 days ago The Best Haunted Hotels to Book for a Spooky Getaway 12 days ago Is Alton, Illinois America’s Most Haunted Small Town? 16 days ago A late 4th-century BC archaeological wonder located just outside the suburbs of Thessaloniki, Greece. Encased safely inside a concrete protective shell beneath a 12-metre-high burial mound (tumulus) is a late 4th-century BC Macedonian tomb holding a breathtaking secret: flawlessly preserved, 2,400-year-old fresco paintings. Though ancient grave robbers stripped the burial chamber of its gold long ago, they left the spectacular artwork untouched.
The tomb's facade features a striking pediment guarded by golden-winged griffins. Below them, a brilliantly detailed symposium frieze captures a lively ancient banquet: six garlanded men recline on couches drinking wine, accompanied by female musicians, while a procession of hunters, horses, and heavily armed infantry approaches. Flanking the heavy stone doorway are two life-sized, melancholic young guards standing a permanent vigil.
Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The tomb is located on the right side of Leoforos Athinon heading west out of Thessaloniki, near the agricultural and industrial zones of Agios Athanasios.
It is easiest to reach by car or taxi. Look for a fenced grassy mound with a modern shelter built into the side. The site is generally open from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, closed on Tuesdays.
Because it is a smaller, lesser-known archaeological site, hours can occasionally fluctuate; it is wise to confirm with local tourism offices in Thessaloniki before making a dedicated trip. At this ancient settlement at the foot of Mount Babadağ, honeycomb tombs are carved into a round cliff. The Catedral Basílica de Salvador is special for its stunning Baroque interior and the historic sepulchre of Mem de Sá, connecting the church to Salvador’s colonial past.
One of Minoan Crete's most famous images, a crowned, lily-adorned figure striding through a garden, was largely invented in the 1900s from a handful of surviving fragments, and archaeologists still argue about what it actually shows. The beautifully tiled, hidden resting place of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s wet nurse, tucked away behind a bustling railway track. A painted medieval castle where the most celebrated outlaw-poet of the Middle Ages was imprisoned — and where you can descend into his exact cell, nine centuries later.
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