The tomb of Philip II at Vergina, a photo from Imathia, Macedonia

Photographer's Note

Vergina, about 50 miles west of Thessaloniki, is a small village. As Aigai however it was a leading city of the Macedonian kingdom, the location of royal palaces and royal burials.

The tumulus had been known since the early nineteenth century and there had been various small archaeological excavations. But it was not until 1977 that the Greek archaeologist, Manolis Andronnikos, began excavating here, convinced that the tumulus was the site of the Macedonian royal tombs.. A tumulus measuring about 110m wide by 13m high turned out to cover some tombs. Not just any old tombs, either. One of them was identified as that of Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Another is thought to belong to Alexander IV, the son of Alexander the Great.

The heart of the museum is the tomb of Philip II and the artefacts found in and around it. The tomb is not open to the public but by descending a wooden staircase you can get down to see the entrance to it in the rock face. The front of the tomb is sealed with a white stone outer door with a column on either side. The most striking aspect of the entrance is the wall painting that runs across the width of the facade. The painting depicts a hunting scene with an older and a younger man on horseback, possibly Philip II with his son Alexander the Great.

First shown on TE? Impossible... Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The quality of the photography is what the lighting allowed (no flash).

holmertz, aliabazari, pierrefonds, Fis2, COSTANTINO, ikeharel, jemaflor, pajaran, mcmtanyel has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

holmertz (103710) 2022-06-22 11:38

Hello Piotr,
The painting and other decorations are faded but the entire view makes a strong impression. The darkness surrounding the well lit tomb creates a very exciting atmosphere. We really feel like we are stepping a long way back in time. You handled the difficult circumstances very well.
Best regards,
Gert

Silvio1953 (223069) 2022-06-22 11:59

Ciao Piotr, great view of fantastic tomb, excellent exposure, fine details, good clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

lousat (140058) 2022-06-22 12:04

Hi Piotr,a great first time, your contribution is truly precious, an important piece recognized by UNESCO photographed without flash to highlight this magical light, perfect for the tomb, top quality! Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

aliabazari (23363) 2022-06-22 12:36

Hello Piotr
A beautiful view of this ancient monument. Clarity and lighting done well. The image has good depth and dynamics. Thanks for sharing

pierrefonds (115645) 2022-06-22 12:44

Hi Piotr,

I appreciate the play between the lighted and shadowed areas. The point of view is showing the details of the tomb of Philip II. The sharpness is very good. Have a nice dya.

Pierre

Fis2 (172049) 2022-06-22 13:47

Czesc Piotr!
Interesujacy grobowiec, ciekawe wejscie.
Swiatlo tworzy niepowtarzalny klimat tego zdjecia.
Dobry kadr i kolorki.
Podoba sie.
Milego wieczoru.
Krzysztof

COSTANTINO (117908) 2022-06-22 21:02

Hello my dearest friend Piotr and have
a nice day and a happy evening
an artistic photo perfectly executed
I like the way you captured this
photo without flash!!! the quality
of the photo is impressive enough
because the light was not enough
that moment!!!!
regards
Costantino

ikeharel (114715) 2022-06-22 21:04

Nice effect with the concetrated light upon the subject, contrast with the dark walls on sides, Piotr.
Well managed the picture with no flash.
Have a nice new day,
Ike

ifege (49573) 2022-06-22 21:16

Hi Piotr
A flash would have given different colours whilst this good photo has good natural colours and they are emphasised by the dark surrounds. Well done.
cheers
Ian

jemaflor (148334) 2022-06-22 23:18

Hi Piotr,
A tomb well photographed, good management about light capture, interesting, tfs

pajaran (117171) 2022-06-22 23:21

Pozdrav.

Lep pogled, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lrepa stara arhitektura i detalji, dobro pokazano sa lepim bojama i kontrastom.
Dobar rad, lepa fotografija.
Lep deo grobnice.

Zelim vam lep i uspesan dan, sve najbolje.
Paja

emka (158936) 2022-06-23 0:28

cześc Piotrze, No popatrz, w Verginie też nie byłam. ale z r. tak jest, że każda grupa ma nieco inna trasę (żeby trzeba było z nimi jechać jeszcze raz). ciekawy grobowiec ojca Alexandra macedońskiego.

Pozdrawiam serdecznie

M

Tue (93556) 2022-06-23 10:11

Hello Piotr,
A great photo of this ancient tomb, very nicely lit in the centre, which makes it stand out nicely from the darkness. The details and textures are clearly visible as well.
Lars

jmdias (116601) 2022-06-28 10:03

piotr

amazing antiquity, I never had seen such place before. the simplicity is almost modernist. excellent image. TFS.

take care

jorge

mcmtanyel (69348) 2022-07-13 19:51

Hello Piotr,
Good light management, no part is blown out. Nice capture of a historically significant tomb.
Regards,
MT