Tiryns or (Ancient Greek: Τίρυνς; Modern Greek: Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archaeological site in Argolis in the Peloponnese, and the location from which the mythical hero Heracles performed his Twelve Labours. It lies 20 km (12 mi) south of Mycenae.PutTiryns into our Nafplio tour site and find out what's close by, where to stay, and where to head next.
Tiryns was a hill fort with occupation ranging back seven thousand years, from before the beginning of the Bronze Age. It reached its height of importance between 1400 and 1200 BC, when it became one of the most important centers of the Mycenaean world, and in particular in Argolis. Its most notable features were its palace, its Cyclopean tunnels and especially its walls, which gave the city its Homeric epithet of "mighty walled Tiryns". Tiryns became associated with the myths surrounding Heracles, as the city was the residence of the hero during his labors, and some sources cite it as his birthplace.
The famous megaron of the palace of Tiryns has a large reception hall, the main room of which had a throne placed against the right wall and a central hearth bordered by four Minoan-style wooden columns that served as supports for the roof. Two of the three walls of the megaron were incorporated into an archaic temple of Hera. The site went into decline at the end of the Mycenaean period, and was completely deserted by the time Pausanias visited in the 2nd century AD.
In 1300 BC the citadel and lower town had a population of 10,000 people covering 20–25 hectares. Despite the destruction of the palace in 1200 BC, the city population continued to increase and by 1150 BC it had a population of 15,000 people.
Along with the nearby ruins of Mycenae, UNESCO designated Tiryns as a World Heritage Site in 1999 because of its outstanding architecture and testimony to the development of Ancient Greek civilization.
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Tiryns reviews
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Very interesting old archaeological site, possibly Heracles' place of birth. I was impressed by the thickness of the walls (7m thick). There is not much left beside the exterior walls, made of huge...
Very interesting old archaeological site, possibly Heracles' place of birth. I was impressed by the thickness of the walls (7m thick). There is not much left beside the exterior walls, made of huge... more »
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I enjoyed strolling through the site of Tiryns and seeing firsthand the history and viewpoints of the location.
I enjoyed strolling through the site of Tiryns and seeing firsthand the history and viewpoints of the location. more »
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Archeological site from the ancient Greeks that's pretty well preserved. Only 2 euro to get in then you're free to walk around and explore, we spent about 45 minutes total. Plenty of free parking and it's only a 10 minute ride from nafplio.
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Strengthened and in a good mood, we now go to the excavations of Tiryns (UNESCO World Heritage Site), only a few kilometers away. Schliemann swung his spade here in 1876 and the German Archaeological Society has been conserving and restoring here since 1967. The 725-meter-long Mycenaean fortification walls on the rock plateau, which is only a few meters high, are particularly powerful at up to 17 meters high and 8 meters wide. The largest individual blocks weigh 13 tons. Afterwards we drive to a nearby orange grove, where a small but well-preserved Mycenaean tholos tomb slumbers.
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