The scant remains of Ancient Tegea are to be found to the south of Tripoli and are spread out over a large area. The best preserved is the Sanctuary of Alea. There are also evidence of ruins in the Archaeological Park near the village of Episkopi.
The Sanctuary of Alea Athina and the Temple of Skopas
The sanctuary and temple is fenced in but the gate was not locked when we visited. The site dates back to the 8th Century BC but the majority of what you see is from around the 4th Century BC. If you use a little imagination it’s not too hard to picture how the place may have looked in its heyday. There are information boards in Greek and English and an open shed stuffed full of some of the more intricate artifacts. The information board states that the Spring of Auge [picture below left] is where Herakles allegedly met Auge the daughter of Aleos who was a priestess of Alea Athena. Their union resulted in the birth of Telephos.
Tegea Archaeological Park
The Archaeological park is really pretty. There’s a Folklore Museum here as well as a church and some ruins. There are also some statues and monuments commemorating the creation of the modern Olympic flame in Episkopi in 1934. The Ancient Stoa and Early Christian Baslica are unfortunately fenced in so you can’t get up close. There is also an attractive looking taverna, but don’t be fooled, when we visited the taverna in 2022 there was hardly any food on offer and we were served by a right old grump who ripped us off over a couple of cookies. We were glad to get away.
The attractive 18th Century domed church, which according to the Bradt Guide was built on top of a 10th Century Byzantine Church which is built on top of an Ancient Theatre. This is actually really clear to see if you look carefully.
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