Tiryns was a fortress built on a hill and which had been inhabited as far back as seven thousand years ago (even before the Bronze Age).

It reached its peak at around 1400 and 1200 BC when it was one of the most important centres of the Mycenaean world, amd especially in the Argolida.

Its most notable and impressive features are the palace, the tunnels and the giant walls which were given the name "Cyclopean" due to their size. The Cyclopean Walls are also the reason that Tiryns was given its Homaeric characterization of "mighty walled Tiryns". In ancient times, the city was linked to the myths surrounding Heracles, with some sources citing it as his birthplace.