TIRYNTHE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Unesco site: impressive "Cyclopean" walls of the Mycenaean city of Tirynthe, built from the century BC onwards.
This site (Αρχαιολογικός Χώρος Τίρυνθας/Archaiologikos Choros Tirynthas) is listed jointly with Mycenae as a Unesco World Heritage Site. It's an impressive sight: over a length of 300 m, an 18 m-high hill of white limestone preserves the mighty walls of the Mycenaean city of Tirynthe. Erected from the 14th century BC onwards, they still stand 7 m high, compared with their original height of 9 m, and are 8-10 m thick. Made of huge blocks weighing up to 13 tonnes each, these walls were described as "Cyclopean" after the demise of the Mycenaean civilization in the 12th century BC. Once past the ticket office, a ramp built at the same time as the walls leads into the citadel through a fortified gate. But the remains are few and far between. On the southern terrace stood the megaron (palace) with its annexes and a courtyard covered in frescoes, fragments of which are on display at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Within the western wall, an ancient secret staircase with 80 steps leads down to the foot of the hill and around the site. You can also continue into the citadel: the northern terrace was home to workshops, stores and dwellings. But the ruins here are even less "telling". On the other hand, 2.2 km to the west are the two beautiful domed tombs of Tirynthe, dating from the late 13th century BC (same times and ticket).
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