Menelaion

Near Sparta, at the top of the hill of Prophet Elias that dominates the eastern side of Evrotas, are the ruins of a sanctuary built in honor of the deified Menelaus and Helen.
In ancient times the area of the sanctuary was called Therapni. The findings of the excavations suggest that this is one of the most important sites of Mycenaean Laconia.
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The sanctuary was a large pyramidal structure that rises to the top of the hill, where the worship of Menelaus, mythical king of Sparta and his wife Helen, began in the 8th century BC and continued until the Hellenistic times. The construction of the first temple can be placed at the end of the 7th c. BC or at the beginning of the 6th c. BC, while the works in the temple at the beginning of the 5th c. BC contributed to the building of a sanctuary worthy of the mythical heroes of Sparta. You should visit Menelaion not only because of its historical importance but also for the magnificent view to the valley of Evrotas and Taygetos!
 
 
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