Places from ancient legends that you can visit in our days in reality

In ancient mythology, separating truth from fiction can sometimes be challenging. After all, there is a piece of truth in every legend. Moreover, people have always been inspired by life events to create stories. Next in the review are places from the most popular and fabulous myths that exist in reality and where legends come to life…

8 legendary sites you can visit today

1. Mount Olympus

The name of Mount Olympus is familiar to anyone who has ever heard of the myths of Ancient Greece. This is the place where the gods lived. Homer described Olympus in great detail in his Iliad. There was a magnificent palace complex at the top of the mountain. The gates to the house of the gods were made of pure gold and guarded by the goddesses of the seasons. Each deity had his palace; the most magnificent was, of course, Zeus.

Olympus exists in reality. It is the highest Greek mountain, with several dozen peaks and many gorges. The palace complex was located on Mytikas Peak. The whole area is a monument of history and archeology. Interestingly, there is more than one mountain called Olympus in Greece. It’s customary to call any high mountain that way. There are also similar peaks in Cyprus and Turkey.

2. Sherwood Forest

The legend of Robin Hood is probably known to everyone, primarily due to the efforts of Hollywood producers. This hero of Old English folklore was a skilled archer. The noble robber took money from the rich to give to the poor. Legend has it that Robin Hood was a knight of very high and noble birth who participated in the Crusades.Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. When he returned home, he discovered that his father had been treacherously murdered and his estate had been taken away. As a result, he had to become a highwayman.

Historians still don’t know if such a person existed in reality. We even found several historical figures in the documents of the 13th century who may well correspond to this character. Whatever it was with the personality of Robin Hood himself, the location of the noble robber and his friends, Sherwood Forest, actually exists in England. Today, it is Nottingham’s most popular tourist attraction.

3. Troy

The Trojan Kingdom was one of the most powerful in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, the Spartan king Menelaus had a wonderful wife named Elena. She was even called Elena the Beautiful. The Trojan prince Paris fell madly in love with this woman and kidnapped her. Menelaus gathered a vast army and went to war against Troy. The battle was one of the most brutal and bloody in history. They managed to take the impregnable city by deception, sending a massive statue of a horse as a peaceful sacrifice, where the soldiers hid.

Troy exists. Now, it is the territory of the modern state of Turkey. Up until the 19th century, this story was considered entirely fictional. In 1871, archaeologists stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient city, which in all respects coincided with the Troy described in the legend. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4. The mythical city of the great King Arthur

The legend of the noble King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is another popular myth of ancient England. Historians have neither fully confirmed nor denied the existence of this monarch. But, as scientists say, if Camelot existed, this place would exist under Cadbury Castle in Somerset. However, some disagree with this statement and suggest other options for Camelot in Cornwall and Shropshire.

5. Cyclops Island

The main hero of the war with Troy was the legendary Odysseus. It was he who came up with the idea of the Trojan horse. He became famous not only for this story. The way to Ithaca, the birthplace of Odysseus, lay through the island of Cyclopes. A dangerous place where one-eyed giants lived. Odysseus and his men landed on an island where everything was tremendous. The sailors come across a cave and giant sheep grazing beside it. Without thinking twice, travelers arrange a sumptuous meal for themselves. Suddenly, the owner of the cave and the shepherd return in one person — the one-eyed giant Polyphemus.

The giant manages to swallow two of Odysseus’ friends before Odysseus tricks him into losing his sight. Polyphemus furiously chases the uninvited guests and, in an impotent rage, throws vast boulders into the ocean, trying to kill them. Today, these rocks can be seen off the coast of modern Sicily. They’re called Cyclops Islands. This is a beautiful resort with stunning views. Science does not know whether there were mighty one-eyed giants.

6. The legendary city of gold — El Dorado

The legend of El Dorado was a response to people’s obsession with yellow metal. Historians are still arguing about whether he was. In the 16th century, the Spaniards called the leader of a particular tribe, the Muisca, who covered his entire body with gold, decorated it with precious stones, and then plunged into the waters of Lake Guatavita.

The story was passed down by word of mouth and eventually turned from a golden chieftain into an entire city of gold. The greedy Spaniards turned on the whole continent in search of legendary treasures, destroying almost the entire indigenous population. Only the golden city of El Dorado was never found. Of course, this does not mean that this myth has no drop of truth.

The historical texts of the Incas write that they had a ritual according to which the chief threw precious stones and gold into the lake. This reservoir still exists today. It’s a wonderful place. But no one has found gold there yet.

7. Entrance to the mystical underworld

Modern Japan is a Buddhist country, but this has not always happened. These people have many ancient traditions and teachings that predate the Buddhist religion. One of these is the myth of Yomi-no-kuni. It tells the story of how two ancient deities created the universe. They were Izanagi, his wife, and his sister, Izanami. She died creating a fire, and her husband became distraught and decided to go to the realm of the dead to bring his beloved back.

Izanagi found Izanami, and they even let him take her away. There was only one condition — not to look at his wife during the journey. When they were almost there, he couldn’t stand it and turned around. He saw a rotting corpse behind him, not his wife. Simultaneously, a whole army of demons appeared and began to pursue Izanagi. He managed to escape, but the entrance to the underworld was sealed by a giant boulder called Yomi-no-Kuni, and his beloved wife’s wife-sister remained there forever.

The stone still exists today. It is located in the Matsue district, where Izanami’s grave and a temple in her honor are located. However, there are many boulders there, and no one knows exactly which one blocks the entrance to the kingdom of the dead.

8. The Road of Giants in Ireland

This fabulous place is in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, where four tens of thousands of giant basalt columns are located. Scientists believe they arose from a large-scale volcanic eruption in ancient times. The stones form steps that lead from the foot of the cliffs directly to the water.

Local legends say that these basalt columns are the remains of a dam. It was built by a giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill, who lived in ancient times. He was trying to defend himself from another giant named Benandonner. He escaped to Ireland by this causeway. The giant’s wife, Sadhbh, hid him by disguising him as a baby and putting him in a cradle. Benandoner saw a huge baby giant and was very scared, thinking how big his father must be. After that, he rushed back to Scotland, destroying the dam on his way so the terrible giant would not catch up with him.

Many places on Earth are home to myths and legends. They give people the opportunity to take a peek into the past and understand how their ancestors lived. Of course, no magical creatures or mythical treasures can be found anywhere today, but the places themselves have not lost their magic. Most of them are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.