'Tiryns' (in
ancient Greek Τίρυνς and in modern Τίρυνθα) is a
Mycenaean archeological site in the
Greek nomos of
Argolis in the
Peloponnese peninsula, some kilometres north of
Nauplion.
Tiryns was a hill fort with occupation ranging back seven thousand years, from the beginning of the
Bronze Age. It reached its height between
1400 and
1200 BC. 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". In ancient times, the city was linked to the myths surrounding
Heracles, with some sources citing it as his birthplace
[1].

Plan of Tiryns excavations
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 was excavated by
Heinrich Schliemann in 1884-1885, and is the subject of ongoing excavations.
Tiryns was recognized as one of the
World Heritage Sites in
1999.
See also
★
Mycenae
★
National Archaeological Museum of Athens