Knossos Photographs Knossos Knossos was undeniably the capital of Minoan Crete. It is grander, more complex, and more flamboyant than any of the other palaces known to us, and it is located about twenty minutes south of the modern port town of Iraklio. Knossos was inhabited for several thousand years, beginning with a neolithic settlement sometime in the seventh millennium BC, and was abandoned after its destruction in 1375 BC which marked the end of Minoan civilization. The first palace on the low hill beside the Krairatos river was built around 1900 BC on the ruins of previous settlements. It was destroyed for the first time along with the other Protopalatial palaces around Crete at 1700 BC, probably by a large earthquake or foreign invaders. It was immediately rebuilt to an even more elaborate complex and until its abandonment was damaged several times during earthquakes, invasions, and in 1450 BC by the colossal volcanic eruption of Thera, and the invasion of Mycenaeans who used it as their capital as they ruled the island of Crete until 1375 BC.

Arthur Evans, the British Archaeologist who excavated the site in 1900 AD restored large parts of the palace in a way that it is possible today to appreciate the grandeur and complexity of a structure that evolved over several millennia and grew to occupy about 20,000 square meters. Walking through its complex multi-storied buildings one can comprehend why the palace of Knossos was associated with the mythological labyrinth. According to Greek mythology, the palace was designed by famed architect Dedalos with such complexity that no one placed in it could ever find its exit. King Minos who commissioned the palace then kept the architect prisoner to ensure that he would not reveal the palace plan to anyone. Dedalos, who was a great inventor, built two sets of wings so he and his son Ikaros could fly off the island, and so they did. On their way out, Dedalos warned his son not to fly too close to the sun because the wax that held the wings together would melt.

In a tragic turn of events, during their escape Ikaros, young and impulsive as he was, flew higher and higher until the sun rays dismantled his wings and the young boy fell to his death in the Aegean sea. The Labyrinth was the dwelling of the Minotaur in Greek mythology, and many associate the palace of Knossos with the legend of Theseus killing the Minotaur . The Greek myth associated with the palace about Theseus and the Minotaur is fascinating, but walking around the ruins of Knossos today it is hard to imagine it to be a place of torment and death. Instead, the palace radiates with joyous exuberance through the elaborate architectural planes and volumes that were clustered around the central courtyard over time. The elegant wall frescoes which decorated the walls speak of a people who approached the subtleties of life and the splendor of nature with a joyous disposition. For the visitor today, the area around the ramp which leads to the main palace, immediately exposes the rich strata of ruins that span millennia. To the left of the entrance ramp three large kouloures in the shape of large round pits reveal in their deep bottom the remains of Prepalatial building ruins .

The palace of Knossos was the center of administration of the entire island during Minoan times, and its position as such allowed for unprecedented growth and prosperity as witnessed by the plethora of storage magazines, workshops, and wall paintings. The Throne room with its gypsum throne and benches to accommodate sixteen persons, the central courtyard, and the theater, along with the royal chambers paint a portrait of Knossos as a forum of elaborate rituals and extraordinary historical occurrences. The restorations performed by Evans have been criticized as inaccurate, and there is a feeling that many of the details were reconstituted (to use Evans' term) utilizing at best "educated guesses". For the visitor however, the restorations render the incomprehensible strata of ruins along with their past grandeur a bit more obvious, and bring the majesty of Minoan life at the palace a little closer. The ruins of a prepalatial building at the bottom of one the Koulouras. Picture of Knossos Palace. Looking NE towards the Hypostyle Hall (or Customs House). The Knossos Grand Staircase leading to the royal chambers. The Shield frescoes are visible behind the characteristic Minoan columns.

Knossos: Palace of the Minoans Knossos: Palace of the Minoans By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | March 15, 2013 04:30pm ET MORE Credit: Andrei Nekrassov Shutterstock The Palace of Knossos is located just south of modern-day Heraklion near the north coast of Crete. Built by a civilization that we call the Minoans, it covers about 150,000 square feet (14,000 square meters) of space, the size of more than two American football fields, and was surrounded by a town in antiquity. The site came to prominence in the early 20th century when it was excavated and restored by a team led by British archaeologist Arthur Evans. The Palace of Knossos (Knosós) is near the modern-day city of Heraklion (Irákleion) on the island of Crete. Credit: CIA World Factbook The chronology of the palace is a matter of scholarly debate. Construction of the palace appears to have begun around 1950 B.C. although there may have been structures predating it.

This first palace was damaged (likely by earthquakes) and around 1700 B.C. a second palace was built on top of it. Crete was hit with a catastrophe (of some form) around 1450 B.C., with sites being destroyed across the island and a people called the Mycenaeans occupied Knossos until the palace itself was destroyed, probably sometime before 1300 B.C. When the palace was first constructed “it must have been a remarkable sight, quite unlike anything seen on Crete before,” writes J. Lesley Fitton in her book "Minoans" (British Museum Press, 2002). She notes that although other settlements on Crete around this time built palaces of their own, none was as large as Knossos. “Knossos perhaps began as a ‘first among equals,’ and the relationship between the powerful groups that built the palaces may not have been entirely friendly.” The position of Knossos was not accidental, and Fitton notes that it lines up with a sanctuary located at Mount Juktas to the south.

The first palace Although the remains of the first palace mostly lie underneath the second, archaeologists have been able to put together a rough picture of what it looked like in antiquity. The first palace was built around a central court and contained numerous storage areas including magazines to the west and northeast. On the northwest side of the central court was a room that researchers refer to as the “early keep” and near that another section referred to as the “initiatory area.” The initiatory area contains a “lustral basin,” which consists of a square tank, sunk into the ground, with a staircase descending on two sides, writes Arnold Lawrence and Richard Tomlinson in their book "Greek Architecture" (Yale University Press, 1996). They note that several of these basins were built in the palace. “For lack of any better explanation, the original use is assumed to be religious, in connexion with some ritual of anointing, but there would have been no drawback to using the basin as a shower-bath provided the water was mopped up quickly.” The walls of the first palace were bulkier than those built later on.

“On the whole, the structure of the earlier Palace was bulkier, more massive, than that of the later Palace in general layout and in individual details,” writes researcher John McEnroe in his book "Architecture of Minoan Crete" (University of Texas Press, 2010). He notes that the column bases and pavement were made of stones of different colors. The development of the palace coincided with the appearance of a written language at Knossos known today as “Cretan Hieroglyphs.” It has yet to be deciphered. Also in this early period the different regions of Crete maintained their own distinct style of pottery and material culture, an indication that the island was not unified. The second palace The first palace suffered damage (likely from earthquakes) and by 1700 B.C., a second palace was being built over its remains. “In the second Palace, much of the monumental bulk of the earlier building would be lightened through structural innovations and intricate details, and the taste for colored stone would be partly replaced by representational wall paintings,” writes McEnroe. Again, a good portion of the palace was used for storage, including a western section dedicated to magazines.

In this period, the pottery styles and material culture of Knossos would be used across the island, indicating that people acknowledged the hegemony, or at least influence, of the site. The palace in this period contained four entrances, one from each direction, and a royal road running to the north of the palace. McEnroe notes that the entranceway to the south offered a particularly grand arrival, leading the visitor through a narrow corridor lined with a fresco depicting a procession. Their final destination would have been the central court, which may have been used for religious ceremonies. “After the narrow confines of the twisting, dark corridor, the broad, brilliant Central Court offered sudden expansion and release,” writes McEnroe. Indeed it’s an entranceway not dissimilar to that of a labyrinth, a key idea in Greek literature (found in stories like Theseus and the Minotaur) and something that was on Arthur Evans' mind when he interpreted the site. He thought he had uncovered the palace of the mythical Crete King Minos, who in legend kept a Minotaur in a labyrinth, demanding that the city of Athens feed it young men and women.

This idea of the palace belonging to Minos was so powerful that Evans named the people of the civilization “ Minoans .” This central courtyard provided access to several areas, including a throne room, a central palace sanctuary and a residential quarter, which may have housed royal apartments. The throne room was entered through an anteroom and offered an impressive sight. “Two double doors lead into the Throne Room with gypsum benches on three sides and the magnificent throne in the centre of the north wall flanked by the reconstructed Griffin fresco,” writes a team of British School at Athens researchers in an online virtual tour article of the site. Whether an actual king or queen sat in the throne room is a matter of debate. “It has recently been proposed that the Throne was for the epiphany of the Goddess who would enter from the Inner Sanctuary and be seen from the Anteroom,” writes the British School at Athens team. To the south of the throne room is an area that researchers refer to as the Central Palace Sanctuary. McEnroe notes that a small tripartite shrine was reconstructed by Evans and behind it is an area that many scholars see “as the religious heart of the Palace,” containing the temple repositories.

They were “found filled with pottery and a range of remarkable objects such as the famous faience Snake Goddesses now in the Herakleion Museum.” On the southeast side of the central court is an area referred to as the residential quarter. Its rooms may have served as royal apartments, used for living by the palace’s rulers. The British School at Athens researchers note that a grand staircase, made of gypsum, leads down to it. It contains a “hall of the colonnades” encircling a light-well. To the south is an area known as the “Hall of the Double Axes” which “takes its name from the Double Axe Mason's Mark signs carved on the limestone ashlar wall blocks,” the British School at Athens researchers write. McEnroe notes that this hall received light from three directions and had partitions, allowing the palace inhabitants to determine how much light got in at any one time. Another key feature in the residential quarters is an area that Evans called the “queen’s megaron.” It features a reconstructed fresco depicting blue dolphins swimming above a doorway. McEnroe notes that it has two light wells along with partitions. Its features include a possible bath, storage areas and toilet.

“My guess is that it served as a bedroom,” he writes. While there may have been some disruption at Knossos associated with the eruption of Thera around 1600 B.C. , it did not bring about the end of the palace, which occurred a few centuries later. The queen's megaron at the Palace of Knossos features a reconstructed fresco depicting blue dolphins swimming above a doorway. Credit: ">Karel Gallas Shutterstock The end of Knossos Around 1450 B.C., a cataclysm hit Crete. Fitton notes that all the palaces on the island, with the exception of Knossos, were destroyed. What exactly happened is a matter of debate. One idea is that a series of natural calamities, such as earthquakes, hit the island. Another idea is that Crete was invaded by a people called the Mycenaeans, whom researchers know came to occupy Knossos. The Mycenaeans were a Greek-speaking people who apparently moved to Crete from the mainland. They wrote in a language we call “linear B,” and thousands of inscribed clay tablets bearing the script, and baked from fire, have been found at Knossos.

“Several parts of the Palace, mostly on the upper story, were involved in administrative record keeping,” writes McEnroe, adding that they indicate that Knossos was a center of economic activity on the island at this time. McEnroe also notes that the Mycenaeans embarked on a program to rebuild parts of the palace and create new frescoes. Compared to the earlier frescoes the range of motifs “is remarkably narrow,” he writes. “There are no fanciful nature scenes with exotic animals or scenes of fashionable women joyously participating in outdoor ceremonies. Instead the fresco program was stripped down to a few bare essentials. Bulls, tribute-bearing processions, heraldic devices and decorative friezes form of the bulk [of the decorations],” he writes. Knossos appears to have been destroyed sometime before 1300 B.C., apparently by fire. The Mycenaeans would see their civilization collapse around 1200 B.C. as a series of population migrations, possibly spurred by environmental problems, swept across Europe and the Near East. In the period after this collapse the people of Crete took to the hills, living in elevated settlements in hopes of surviving the calamity that had befallen the ancient world.

Knossos Palace in Heraklion - Greeka.com Location: Town The Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete, Greece:The Minoan Palace at Knossos is over 20,000 square meters and the largest of all Minoan palatial structures. It was built of ashlar blocks, had many floors and was decorated with really beautiful frescoes. The old palace was built around 2,000 BC but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC. The newer, more complex palace, was built almost immediately after the first one was destroyed. In the middle of the 15th Century BC, the Achaeans took over the island of Crete and settled in the palace. The palace was once again destroyed by fire in the middle of the 14th Century B.C and henceforth ceased to function as a palatial centre. The first excavations that brought to light parts of the palace were carried out by Minos Kalokairinos, a Cretan merchant and antiquarian in 1878.

Several other people attempted to continue the excavations including W.J Stillman, the American Consul in Greece, M Joubin, a French archaeologist and Arthur Evans, director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. However, they all had to abandon their efforts as they were unwilling to purchase the area at the extremely high prices that the owners asked for it. Eventually in 1898, when Crete became an independent state, all the antiquities of the island became state property and in 1900, excavations on the site started under the supervision of Arthur Evans. Legend of Knossos Legend has it that this palace was the source of the Labyrinth myth. It was a structure that was made by King Minos of Crete, to keep away the mythical creature Minotaur, who was half bull and half man. Eventually the creature was killed by Theseus. Structure of Knossos Palace The original layout of the palace cannot be seen anymore because of the subsequent modifications. There are about 1300 rooms connected to each other with corridors of different sizes. The palace had four wings arranged around a central court, each one with its own entrance.

The east wing houses, the residential quarters, the workshops and a shrine. At The west wing were the storerooms, shrines, and the repositories, when on the upper floors were the throne room and the banquet halls. The north wing consists of the Customs House with a lustral bin and a stone built theatrical area. At the south wing was the South Propylon which could be said that is the most imposing building. Liquid management The palace had three separate liquid management systems, one for supply, one for drainage of rain water and one for drainage of waste water. Aqueducts brought fresh water to Kephala hill which branched to the palace and to the town. Water was given to the palace by gravity feed through terra cotta pipes to fountains and spigots. Sanitation drainage was being done through a closed system leading to a sewer near the hill. Lighting and heating The palace was designed in such a way so it could take maximum advantage of natural lighting during the long days of summer. The rooms were built around courtyards in order to give more window openings. The doors of the rooms were polythyra or multi-door to provide more door opening area and the stairs were around light wells and corridors as open porticos wherever possible.

Thus the architectural style solved much of the lighting problems. However the ample open spaces must have posed quite a problem for the palace especially during winter. There is no evidence of central heating. It is assumed that each room must have had its own heating system. For heating, they used fixed and portable ceramic hearths as well as fires lit by charcoal. Red columns The palace distinguishes for its red columns. While most Greek columns are smaller at the top and wider at the bottom, the Minoan columns are the opposite with a smaller base and a wider top. The columns at the Palace were mounted on stone bases and had round pillow like tops. Frescoes The walls of the palace were decorated with many frescoes. The remains however were only fragments and needed reconstruction which was taken over by the artist Piet de Jong. Throne Room The Throne Room has an alabaster seat used as a throne and built into the north wall. There are gypsum benches on the three sides of the room with a tub area or lustral basin used for ceremonial purification opposite the throne. Share it! Knossos Crete | Knossos Palace Sir Arthur Evans devoted almost all his life as an archaeologist to the discovery of the Minoan civilization.

The Palace of Knossos Situated 5km SE of the city of Heraklion is the most important archaelogical site in Crete - Knossos, the most representative relic of the Minoan civilization which once flourished on the island. The palace is built on the slopes of Kefalas mountain with easy access to towards the sea and the interior of Crete.According to legend it was the seat of the wise King Minos. Enthralling legends abound in the area of the palace of Knossos relating to: the labyrinth, the minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus. According to the historical evidence the palace of Knossos was built around 1900 BC on the Kefala heights on top of a Neolithic settlement populated in 6.000BC. It encompasses an area of 22.000m2 wherein developed the most ancient city of Crete with a population reaching 80.000 people evidenced by the presence of cemeteries nearby. During the copper age there is no other building that surpasses in grandeur and luxury the palace of Knossos.

The palace of 22.000m2, boasts 1.500 rooms, five storeys at some points, two extensive cobbled courtyards, theatre, sanctuaries, workshops and storage rooms with exquisite clay gigantic jars (pytharia).The palace was architecturally designed, securing coolness in summer, warmth in winter and light radiating in all the spaces. Water emanated from as far as the areas of Kounavon and Archanon, was transported via clay pipes leading to the aquaduct of the city from where the water was distributed to the houses. This palace was destroyed around 1700 BC and in its place another one was built. The period from 1700-1450 BC is the most illustrious of the Minoan civilization and in particular Knossos. In 1600 BC the palace was subjected to heavy damages from an earthquake, soon to be repaired, while other new buildings are added. These new buildings together with pre-existing buildings form basically todays archaeological site of Knossos. The palace was completely destroyed by the Achaen invasion and was never used again.

During the Greek period Knossos started developing again and became the centre of attention in Crete. However in the 3rd century it was completely destroyed by neighbouring Gortynia. The name Knosssos is referred to as the cathedral of the bishops seat until the 5th century A.D. Later the bishops seat is transferred from Knossos to the ancient town of Rafko, todayï¿½s Agio Myrona and the name is never to be mentioned again. The area was to be renamed ï¿½makrytichosï¿½which stands until today, meaning merely long wall, and the grand name of Knossos was no more. In 1878 excavations are carried out by an Herakliote, Minos Kalokairinos in an effort to bring the findings to the surface. These first trial diggings brought to light a lot of clay gigantic jars (pytharia) and signifiacant artefacts. Soon after, these excavations ceased, for 1900 to come, when the English archaeologist Arthur Evans and his staff begin systematic excavations in the area which last for a full 35years.

Evans restored the palace of Knossos and was severely criticized for using in many of the buildings, an overdose of cement. As things turned out later, these buildings would not otherwise have been able to stand the test of time. Apart from the Minoan palace complex, todays visitor can enjoy the private ancient villas, richly decorated internally with mural paintings, public buildings and religious centres A luxury private villa still survives today, colonnaded externally with magnificent mosaic floor tiles dating from the Roman era. The numerous artefacts of exquisite art dug out from the palace , like various pots, vessels, utensils, idols, Linear B language tablets and original murals (wall paintings) are all housed in the Heraklion museum.

Knossos informations Full: ï¿½6, Reduced: ï¿½3 Special ticket package: Full: ï¿½10, Reduced: ï¿½5 Valid for: Herakleion Archaeological Museum, Knossos Free admission days Sundays in the period between 1 November and 31 March The first Sunday of every month, except for July, August and September (when the first Sunday is holiday, then the second is the free admission day.) 27 September, International Tourism Day. University students from Greece and the E.U.

Telephone: +30 2810 231940, +30 2810 226470, +30 2810 226092, +30 2810 224630 Fax: +30 2810 241515 Open hours: 14-30 of September 2009 daily until 19.30 1-31 of October 2009 daily until 18.00 Copyright ï¿½ ATG 2009 - Terms - Heraklion Crete The double horns, symbol of the Minoan religion Ceramic water pipe from Knossos Knossos Crete | Greece.com On a journey 4000 years in the past Show Map All destinations in Crete > General Information on Knossos Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site of Crete , probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture.

It is larger, more complex, and more flamboyant than any of the other palaces known to us, and it is located about twenty minutes south of the port town of Heraklion . According to tradition, Knossos was the seat of legendary king Minos. The palace is also connected to thrilling legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, and the story of Daidalus and Icarus. The ruins at Knossos were discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos, a Cretan merchant and antiquarian. He conducted the first excavations, and resurfaced part of the storage magazines in the west wing and a section of the west façade. After Kalokairinos, several people attempted to continue the excavations, but it was not until March 16, 1900 that archaeologist Arthur Evans, an English gentleman of independent means, was able to purchase the entire site and conduct massive excavations. Top Things to Do in Knossos Numerous rooms, corridors, dogleg passages, nooks and crannies, and staircases prohibit a detailed walk-through description of the palace.

However, the site, thanks to Evan’s reconstruction, is very easy to explore. The most significant parts of the complex are instantly recognisable. The Palace of Knossos : The great palace was built gradually between 1700 and 1400 BC, with periodic rebuilding after destruction. It is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centres. The palace has an interesting layout, but the original plan can no longer be seen because of subsequent modifications. Also, there are not several main hallways. Instead, 1300 rooms are connected to corridors of varying size and direction. Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, with royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories, throne room, and banquet halls. The storerooms contained pithoi (large clay vases) with oil, grains, dried fish, beans, and olives. Many of the items were created at the palace itself, which had grain mills, oil presses, and wine presses. Under the pithoi were stone cylinders used to store more valuable objects, such as gold. The palace was created using advanced architectural techniques; for example, part of it was built five levels high.

To the west of the main palace lies the Little Palace. It has all the features of palatial architecture with scraped wall masonry, reception rooms, a prestyle hall, a double megaron with polythyra and a lustral basin- shrine. To the northeast of the grand palace lies the Royal Villa. This construction is strongly religious in character and might have been the residence of an aristocrat or a high priest. Its architectural form is distinguished by the polythyra, the pillar crypt and the double staircase, with two flights of stairs. To the northwest side of the grand palace is located the House of the Frescoes. It is a small urban mansion with rich decoration on the walls. To the south of the palace, visitors may see Caravanserai. This building was interpreted as a reception hall and hospice. Some of the rooms are equipped with baths and decorated with wall paintings. Another building, the “Unexplored Mansion”, is situated northwest of the palace. This building was probably private or had some industrial function. It is rectangular, with a central, four-pillared hall, corridors, storerooms and remains of a staircase.

The so-called House of the High Priest lies 300m south of Caravanserai and contains a stone altar with two columns, framed by the bases of double axes. Connected to this building –via a paved street– was the Temple Tomb, located 600m south of the palace. It seems that one of the latter kings of Knossos (17th – 14th centuries BC) was buried here. Typical features of its architecture are the hypostyle, two-pillar crypt, the entrance with the courtyard, the portico and the small anteroom. The centrepiece of the Mycenaean habitation of Knossos is the so-called Throne Room. This chamber has an alabaster seat identified by Evans as a “throne” built into the north wall. On three sides of the room are gypsum benches. An anteroom gave access to this one through two double doors. The anteroom in turn was connected to the central court, four broad steps up through four doors. Both rooms are located in the ceremonial complex west of the central court. The actual use of the room and the throne is unclear.

According to one theory the building was the seat of a priest-king or his consort, the queen. This is the older theory by Evans. The second main theory is that a room was reserved for the epiphany of a goddess, who would have sat in the throne, either in effigy, impersonated by a priestess, or in imagination only. Villa of Dionysos is another private, peristyle house that belongs to the Roman period. It is decorated with splendid mosaics by Apollinarius, depicting Dionysus. The house contains special rooms employed for the Dionysiac cult. How to Reach Knossos Regular buses operate from Heraklion . The No2 bus departs every 10min for Knossos from Bus Station A. Weather in Knossos The climate of Crete is the mildest of Greece and maybe of Europe. It is a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers moderated by northern winds, and mild rainy winters in the plains. In the mountains of Crete , winters are quite harsh and it snows during the period from January to the end of February.

Autumn is the mildest season in Crete, because temperatures are often higher than in spring and lower than in summer time. Because the island is very mountainous, the changes of weather can be sudden and the mountains, as a barrier, create different weather conditions in northern and southern Crete. Map of Knossos Knossos - Ancient History Encyclopedia Knossos by Joshua J. Mark published on 15 October 2010 Knossos (pronounced Kuh-nuh-SOS) is the ancient Minoan palace and surrounding city on the island of Crete , sung of by Homer in his Odyssey: “Among their cities is the great city of Cnosus, where Minos reigned when nine years old, he that held converse with great Zeus .” King Minos, famous for his wisdom and, later, one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld, would give his name to the people of Knossos and, by extension, the ancient civilization of Crete: Minoan. The settlement was established well before 2000 BCE and was destroyed, most likely by fire (though some claim a tsunami) c. 1700 BCE.

Knossos has been identified with Plato ’s mythical Atlantis from his dialogues of the Timaeus and Critias and is also known in myth most famously through the story of Theseus and the Minotaur . It should be noted that King Minos’ character in the story, as the king who demands human sacrifice from Athens , is at odds with other accounts of him as a king of wisdom and justice who, further, built the first navy and rid the Aegean sea of pirates. The Myths According to the myths surrounding the early city, King Minos hired the Athenian architect, mathematician, and inventor Daedelus to design his palace and so cleverly was it constructed that no one who entered could find their way back out without a guide. In other versions of this same story it was not the palace itself which was designed in this way but the labyrinth within the palace which was built to house the half-man/half-bull the Minotaur. In order to keep Daedelus from telling the secrets of the palace, Minos locked him and his son Icarus in a high tower at Knossos and kept them prisoner.

Daedelus fashioned wings made of wax and bird's feathers for himself and his son, however, and escaped their prison but Icarus, flying too close to the sun, melted his wings and fell to his death. The Minotaur, the monster-child of Minos' wife, thrived on human sacrifice and Minos demanded the tribute of the noblest youth of Athens to keep the beast fed. Theseus of Athens, with the help of Minos' daughter Ariadne, killed the Minotaur, freed the young people, and returned triumphant to his home city. Both stories cast King Minos in a very unflattering light while emphasing Athenian heroes which is unsurprising as they are considered Athenian in origin. Remove Ads Advertisement Under Minos’ rule, Knossos flourished through maritime trade as well as overland commerce with the other great cities of Crete. The First & Second Palaces Under Minos’ rule, Knossos flourished through maritime trade as well as overland commerce with the other great cities of Crete, Kato Sakro (Phaestos) and Mallia. Knossos was destroyed and re-built at least twice.

The first palace identified in modern times was built c. 1900 BCE on the ruins of a much older settlement. Based upon excavations done at the site, the first palace seems to have been massive in size with very thick walls. Ancient pottery found throughout Crete, at various sites, indicate that the island was not unified under a central culture at this time and so the walls of the palace were most likely constructed to their size and thickness for defensive purposes. As the writing of this period, so-called `Cretan Heiroglyphs', has not been deciphered, nothing is known about this time save what can be discerned through archaeological evidence. This first palace was destroyed c. 1700 BCE and re-built on a grander, though less massive, scale. Great attention was paid to intricacy of architecture and design with less effort spent on defensive walls. As the pottery of this period shows a unity of culture throughout Crete, it has been determined that the culture of Knossos prevailed at this time and the island was a unified nation under a central government. This palace had four entrances, one from each direction, all leading to the central court.

As the corridors within were dark and circuitous, it is thought that this gave rise to the story of the labyrinth of Minos. The throne room was particularly impressive. According to The British School at Athens, “Two double doors led into the Throne Room with gypsum benches on three sides and the magnificent throne in the centre of the north wall flanked by the reconstructed Griffin fresco." The scholars of the British School have also speculated that the throne room was not intended for the ruler but, rather, as the seat for the goddess who would receive supplicants and sacrifices there. This theory is based upon wall paintings and other evidence found at the site which suggest the king's throne was most likely in the central court and the throne room was more ceremonial and religious in nature. The Snake Goddess of the Minoans was the supreme deity who may have been an early version of the Greek goddess Eurynome who danced with the serpent Ophion across the chaos of the primordial sea in the act of creation. Images and figures of the Snake Goddess (now at the Iraklion Museum) have been found at Knossos and elsewhere in Crete dating from this period.

Further evidence of the goddess is the repetition of the motif of the double axe, most notably in the Hall of the Double Axes in the palace. There is no doubt that the double axe symbolized an important goddess of the Minoans but it is not clear whether it was the Snake Goddess or another. The End of Knossos & Later Discovery The city of Knossos, and almost every other community centre on Crete, was destroyed by a combination of earthquake and the invading Mycenaeans c. 1450 BCE with only the palace spared. The eruption of the volcano on the nearby island of Thera (Santorini) in c.1600 or 1500 BCE has long been held a major factor in the destruction of the city and second palace. Recent scholarship, however, argues against this theory citing Mycenaean activity at the palace after 1450 BCE. The Mycenaen writing system, known as `Linear B', continues in Crete after the eruption of the Thera volcano and there is further evidence that the Mycenaens re-built the damaged palace.

In fact, it appears that Knossos became an important base of operations and capital of the Mycenaeans until it was destroyed by fire and finally abandoned c. 1375 BCE. The date which traditionally marks the final end of the Minoan civilization is 1200 BCE after which there is no evidence for the culture. Some scholars cite the final date as 1450 BCE with the Mycenaean invasion and others claim c.1375 or c.1300 BCE on account of the fire which destroyed both palace and city. However long the Minoans may have continued on the island, following the fire the ruins of the great metropolis were abandoned and left to decay. The Palace of Minos at Knossos in Ancient Crete Throne Room, Palace of Knossos, Crete, Greece. Ed Freeman / Getty Images Updated June 27, 2016. The Palace of Minos at Knossos is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world.

Located on Kephala Hill on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece, Knossos palace was the political, social and cultural center of the Minoan culture during the Early and Middle Bronze Age. Founded at least as early as 2400 BC, its power was greatly diminished, but not completely dissipated, by the eruption of Santorini about 1625 BC. What's perhaps more important, perhaps, is that the ruins of Knossos Palace are the cultural heart of the Greek myths Theseus fighting the Minotaur , Ariadne and her ball of string, Daedalus the architect and doomed Icarus of the wax wings ; all reported by Greek and Roman sources but almost certainly much older. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge The earliest representation of Theseus fighting the minotaur is illustrated on an amphora from the Greek island of Tinos dated 670-660 BC Palaces of the Aegean Culture The Aegean culture known as Minoan is the Bronze Age civilization that flourished on the island of Crete during the second and third millennia BC.

The city of Knossos was one of its main cities--and it contained its largest palace after the shattering earthquake that marks the beginning of the New Palace period in Greek archaeology, ca. 1700 BC . Palaces of the Minoan culture were likely not simply residences of a ruler, or even a ruler and his family, but rather held a public function, where others could enter and use (some of) the palace facilities where staged performances took place. The palace at Knossos, according to legend the palace of King Minos, was the largest of the Minoan palaces, and the longest-lived building of its type, remaining throughout the Middle and Late Bronze Ages as the focal point of the settlment.

Knossos Chronology In the early 20th century, Knossos excavator Arthur Evans pegged the rise of Knossos to the Middle Minoan I period, or about 1900 BC; archaeological evidence since then has found the first public feature on Kephala Hill--a deliberately leveled rectangular plaza or court--was constructed as early as the Final Neolithic (ca 2400 BC, and the first building by Early Minoan I-IIA (ca 2200 BC). This chronology is based in part on that of John Younger's plain-jane Aegean chronology , which I highly recommend.

Late Helladic (Final Palatial) 1470-1400, Greek take over of Crete Late Minoan/Late Helladic 1600-1470 BC Middle Minoan (Neo-Palatial) 1700-1600 BC (Linear A, eruption of Santorini, ca 1625 BC) Middle Minoan (Proto-Palatial) 1900-1700 BC (peripheral courts established, heyday of the Minoan culture) Early Minoan (Pre-Palatial), 2200-1900 BC, court complex started by EM I-IIA including the first Court building Final Neolithic or Pre-Palatial 2600-2200 BC (first central courtyard of what would become the palace at Knossos begun in FN IV) The stratigraphy is difficult to parse because there were several major episodes of earth-moving and terrace building, so much so that earth moving must be considered a nearly constant process that began on Kephala hill at least as early as EM IIA, and probably starts with the very end of the Neolithic FN IV.

Knossos Palace Construction and History The palace complex at Knossos was begun in the PrePalatial period, perhaps as long ago as 2000 BC, and by 1900 BC, it was fairly close to its final form. That form is the same as other Minoan palaces such as Phaistos, Mallia and Zakros: a large single building with a central courtyard surrounding by a set of rooms for various purposes. The palace had perhaps as many as ten separate entrances: those on the north and west served as the main entry ways. Around 1600 BC, one theory goes, a tremendous earthquake shook the Aegean Sea, devastating Crete as well as the Mycenaean cities on the Greek mainland. Knossos' palace was destroyed; but the Minoan civilization rebuilt almost immediately on top of the ruins of the past, and indeed the culture reached its pinnacle only after the devastation. During the Neo-Palatial period [1700-1450 BC], the Palace of Minos covered nearly 22,000 square meters (~5.4 acres) and contained storage rooms, living quarters, religious areas, and banquet rooms.

What appears today to be a jumble of rooms connected by narrow passageways may well have given rise to the myth of the Labyrinth; the structure itself was built of a complex of dressed masonry and clay-packed rubble, and then half-timbered. Columns were many and varied in the Minoan tradition, and the walls were vividly decorated with frescoes. Architectural Elements The palace at Knossos was renowned for its unique light emanating from its surfaces, the results of the liberal use of gypsum (selenite) from a local quarry as a building material and ornamental element. Evans' reconstruction used a grey cement, which made a huge difference to the way its seen. Restoration efforts are underway to remove the cement and restore the gypsum surface, but they have moved slowly, because removing the greyish cement mechanically is detrimental to the underlying gypsum. Laser removal has been attempted and may prove a reasonable answer. The main source of water at Knossos initially was at the spring of Mavrokolymbos, about 10 kilometers away from the palace and conveyed by way of a system of terracotta pipes. Six wells in the near vicinity of the palace served potable water beginning ca.

1900-1700 BC. A sewer system, which connected toilets flushed with rainwater to large (79x38 cm) drains, had secondary pipelines, lightwells and drains and in total exceeds 150 meters in length. It has also been suggested as the inspiration for the labyrinth myth. Prev THE PALACE OF KNOSSOS AND THE HERAKLION ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM | CRETE (AGIOS NIKOLAOS) GREECE | EUROPE- MEDITERRANEAN | ShoreTrips.com THE PALACE OF KNOSSOS AND THE HERAKLION ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM CRETE (AGIOS NIKOLAOS) GREECE Explore the famous labyrinth home to the Minataur of Greek legend! On this tour you will see/visit: • Air conditioned vehicle and driver and licensed English-speaking guide • Panoramic drive from Agios Nikolaos to Heraklion • Guided tour of the Knossos Palace • Visit to the Heraklion Archeological Museum Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion.

It is the most upscale of all locations on this island and a beautiful entry to Crete. Your departure from the city is a lovely one. And the ride to Heraklion of about one hour will be an interesting one. Mythology's birthplace is Greece. Crete’s fertile soil and towering peaks witnessed the development of one of the earliest recorded civilizations on earth, the Minoan. Knossos was the court of the legendary King Minos, whose wife Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur, half-bull, half-man. The excavations on the site were begun by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans and his team in 1893 and lasted 35 years. Entering the Great Palace through the West Court, one can easily understand why the legend of the labyrinth grew up here. It takes about one hour and a half to walk around the site and explore all the parts of the Palace. During this walking tour you may admire in the superb Royal Quarters the Throne room with an Antechamber and main throne and the Queen’s Quarters whose wall above the entrance door is decorated with a copy of the famous dolphin frescos.

Apart from the Royal Palace there are also other buildings included in the site such as the Small Palace, the House of the High Priest and the Caravanserai. We shall continue our tour with a visit to the very interesting Heraklion Archeological Museum. It is one of the greatest museums in Greece and the best in the world for Minoan art, as it contains the most notable and complete collection of artifacts of the Minoan civilization of Crete. The structure that houses the collection has its own interesting story and the artifacts inside will deepen your understanding of Greece's history. Your timely return to the pier should give you some independent time to explore this lovely resort town on your own. loading reviews...

Question: The Palace of Knossos is on which Greek island?
Answer: Crete