The Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina) is located 75 km east of Thessaloniki, Greece, centered around the royal tombs built by the ancient Kingdom of Macedon at Aigai. The underground museum containing the burial cluster of Philip II of Macedon began construction in 1993 and was inaugurated in 1997. Exhibits are presented in four interconnected areas, including the Palace, the royal burial cluster of the Temenid dynasty (burial cluster "C"), the burial cluster of Philip II , and a gateway entrance with a semi-open-air exhibition of the sculptures found in the city sanctuaries and the restored upper floor of the Palace of Philip’s facade.
The collections housed in the museum are the grave goods recovered from a series of archaeological excavations beginning in 1861 and continue to the present day.The museum has a dark, imposing atmosphere that surprises most visitors.
Some of the most impressive and important exhibits from the Macedonian dominated period of the Greek history are available in the exact location that the original excavations took place. The museum was built in 1993, 16 years after the discovery of the Royal tombs in “Aiges”.
It was built in order to create ideal conditions considering the humidity and temperature needed for the findings to be properly preserved and protected. Inside the museum there are four separate tombs and the “Heroon”, a small temple built for Phillip II of Macedon.
Some of the most spectacular exhibits of the museum are the shield and armor of King Phillip the second and the famous Golden Larnax found in the sarcophagus of the King.
An incredibly detailed golden wreath of 313 oak leaves and 68 acorns was found inside the Larnax. The extremely small size of the carefully carved ivory figures still impresses today. T
