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.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. This site, excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in 1884–1885, is the subject of ongoing excavations by the German Archaeological Institute at Athens and by the University of Heidelberg.
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.
UNESCO designated Tiryns as a World Heritage Site in 1999.
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The massive cyclopean walls of this ancient Mycenae palace fortress are worth a visit! It is a short 10 minute drive north of romantic Nafplio. A gentle pathway leads you up to the top of the...
The massive cyclopean walls of this ancient Mycenae palace fortress are worth a visit! It is a short 10 minute drive north of romantic Nafplio. A gentle pathway leads you up to the top of the... more »
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Nafplio has three outstanding sites to visit in its vicinity - Mycenae, Epidaurus and Palamidi fortress, and they overwhelm every other. We were driving from Mycenae to Nafplio when accidentally...
Nafplio has three outstanding sites to visit in its vicinity - Mycenae, Epidaurus and Palamidi fortress, and they overwhelm every other. We were driving from Mycenae to Nafplio when accidentally... more »
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Really interesting historical site. The ancient city where Hercules was born. The must to visit.
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Quite a small monument, that is out of the way, but also comes with a nice view of the surrounding area
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