GREECE PELOPONNESE ELEIA SAMIKON ACROPOLIS

Two kilometers from modern Samikon is the acropolis of ancient Samia. A signposted track leads uphill and a part of the walls can be seen from the coastal road. Samia lies on mount Lapithas, the westernmost offshoot of the Eleian mountain range Minthe, at an altitude of some 200 m. It was founded in the 5th century BC at an important strategic position to control the narrow coastal passage between Eleia and Messenia.

The very impressive walls with a length of 1,500 m enclose a triangular sloping area. They consist of limestones with a thickness of about 2 m, and constitute a typical example of the pseudo-polygonal masonry. Four small gates are set into the walls, on their outer side rectangular towers are preserved up to a height of 5 m.