Along the path in the lower area...
As we drove on towards Naphlio we passed the ancient site of Tiryns..... It appeared to be a huge area with immense wall blocks.... We turned around and went back to the site.... We paid 3 euros each and found the site was very small. It had no signs and no maps at the visiters center. They had two areas that were obviously going to be a museum but it was empty ... It was a really great area for the museum but ... nothing at all. We wondered why they didn't just post pictures of what was discovered there and perhaps pictures of the excavations... pictures are fairly cheap.....
WE walked along to paths and saw there were quite a few confusing triangle holes.
Tiryns: Fresco 13th century: Athens museum
The lady at the ticket booth didn't speak English so she couldn't help us on what was there.... To try to dicipher what was there we tried to look at maps in a book the ticket lady found. I bought postcards at the center and we asked where the scenes were that were featured.... Hmmmm .... we were amazed to find out the only way to view them was to drive out along the road turn on a side road next to the site and see the area through the trees and fences. It was a little strange. .... but we did do it. The area is pictured is not accessable from inside although there was a path that could have been developed about 50 more feet and it would have shown the side area.
We enjoyed the site. We found the area was one upper region and one lower one. We went to the upper one and could see the entrance to what we believe was the cistern.
The cover of a book with the spelling...
.. it was blocked with an unattractive blue gate. ... the lower paths walked past quite a few of the triangular man made caves.... really.... it was fascinating.... but we didn't know what we were looking at.
The Ruins of the fortress and palace of Tyrans are older than the Mycaenae walls. Homer mentioned the "wall-girt" cities that took part in the Trojan Wars. The walls are truely massive. Some of the stones used are over 13 tons each. Tiryns flurished up to 1200 BC. The site had famous tunnels (secret cisters) .... they were a huge achievement for their times.... Fragments of wall paintins and artifacts are displayed in the archaelogical useums of Nafplio and Athens. In 1200 the Acropolis was destroyed by fire.
