When western engineers were called to drain the Lake Kopais in the late 1800s to reclaim more fertile land, they were met with a mysterious set of huge canals and dykes, which showed that the lake had been drained before in the past. Therein lies the mystery of Gla…
Yet there was no hint of this in ancient Greek and Roman writings, or any indication of such a feat thereafter. After much research it was discovered that the Mycenaean civilization had achieved this huge project as far back as the 15th or 14th century BC, which turned out to be far bigger than any other Mycenaean remains (Tiryns, Mycenae, Thebes, etc.). Sadly, the remains of the canals and stone-built banks have disappeared under fertile land. Evidence suggests they were used for a 300 to 400 years before natural disaster or lack of maintenance gave way to flooding again.
Nonetheless, a few hundred meters beyond the highway near the Kastrou interchange there are some limestone remains and walls from the site of Gla, whose Mycenaean name was never known, representing the grandest of Mycenaean citadels. This citadel however seems to have been inhabited for only a hundred years, although mystery still shrouds why and as a refuge from whom. There is a road around the site that is partly paved, which will reveal the extent of the site, especially if you move on to higher ground. Remains of a strange L-shaped building which could be a palace, different from other Mycenaean structures to date, represent the focal point of the settlement.