Knossos: the beginning of everything

It is the pride of Crete and all of Greece, one of the oldest monuments in the entire world.

It is unthinkable to come to Crete and not pay a visit to Knossos. It is the experience of a lifetime.

The Minoan palace is the most important place to visit in Knossos; it was a very important city in antiquity, brimming with life from Neolithic years to the 5th century AD. It is built on the Kephala hill, and is easily accessible by sea as well as from the interior of Crete. According to tradition, it was the home of the wise king Minos. The events of the world-famous myths of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur and of Daedalus and Icarus are said to have taken place in the Minoan palace of Knossos.

The initial excavations of the site were carried out in 1878 by Minoas Kalokairinos from Heraklion. There followed excavations by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1900-1913 and 1922-1930) which revealed the entire palace.

A multitude of artefacts of exceptional artistry and design including vases, utensils, figurines etc. as well as an archive of Linear B writing tablets, and the original frescoes found at the palace, are all kept in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

More information: here

Photos by Marina Vernicos

Photos 3-8: incrediblecrete.gr