Knossos Palace — Attraction in Municipality of Heraklion

A Journey into the Labyrinth of Time – The Palace of Knossos, Crete

Visiting the Palace of Knossos is not just a tourist excursion — it’s a plunge into the deep waters of ancient European civilization. Located just a few kilometers south of Heraklion, this archaeological site is the largest Bronze Age complex on Crete and is widely considered Europe’s oldest city.

🏛 Historical Significance

Knossos was the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization, which flourished between 2000 and 1400 BCE. The site was rediscovered in the early 20th century by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who controversially reconstructed large parts of the complex using concrete, guided more by imagination than hard evidence. While debated, these reconstructions offer a vivid — if speculative — window into a world that might otherwise remain only in shards and ruins.

The Minoans were a seafaring people, sophisticated in trade, art, and architecture. They had plumbing, multi-storey buildings, and vibrant frescoes depicting marine life, ceremonial processions, and religious iconography — all centuries before the Parthenon was even imagined.

Knossos is also steeped in mythology. This is the legendary labyrinth of King Minos, where the Minotaur — half-man, half-bull — was said to lurk. The story of Theseus, Ariadne, and the ball of thread is believed to be inspired by the complex and confusing layout of the palace itself.

🌟 Key Highlights of the Visit • The Throne Room: Home to the famous alabaster seat, this chamber is likely religious in nature, not monarchical. The Griffin frescoes and lustral basins create a mystical atmosphere. • The Grand Staircase: A marvel of ancient architecture, this leads to the upper floors of the palace and demonstrates Minoan understanding of verticality and multi-level design. • The Queen’s Megaron: A beautifully preserved space featuring the “Dolphin Fresco,” showcasing the elegance and artistic sensibility of Minoan life. • The Central Courtyard: Likely the hub of public or ceremonial life, this large open space reflects the importance of communal and possibly ritual gatherings. • Storage Magazines (West Wing): Long, narrow rooms used for storing large pithoi (jars) of oil, grain, and wine — a testament to the economic might of Knossos. • The Frescoes: Though many originals are in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, some reconstructions on-site (e.g. the Prince of the Lilies, the Bull-Leaping Fresco) are stunning and iconic representations of Minoan culture.

📝 Practical Tips • Timing: Visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds and summer heat. • Guide or Audio Tour: Strongly recommended — the significance of many areas is easily missed without context. • Pair with Museum Visit: The Heraklion Archaeological Museum houses most of the original artifacts and frescoes from Knossos. Visiting both offers a complete picture.

🎯 Final Thoughts

Knossos is not just ruins — it’s a myth made tangible, a place where history and legend intertwine. Walking its corridors, one can almost hear the footsteps of priestesses, the clamor of ancient rituals, or the echo of a bull’s roar deep within the labyrinth.

If you’re a lover of archaeology, mythology, or ancient civilizations, Knossos is unmissable. This isn’t just the heart of Minoan Crete — it’s one of the beating hearts of Western...

I have been to numerous museums in life. I have studied history even, so you can imagine how many I've seen in the world. This, I'm not even sure it can be sold as a museum.

First of, you are probably better off paying one of the random people outside before you enter to get them to give you a tour. They are in your fast and trying to get your money, but to be honest I think we needed it.

As you go in, it looks like an actual start to an open air museum. There is a cafe, gift shop and toilets.

The toilet queue was about 20 minutes plus for the women's, and there was a boy on a chair asking for money at the entrance and handing you paper towels on the way out. Payment was optional, it turned out. What that payment was for, I don't know. Certainly worse than the toilets, I have been in better portaloos. It was boiling hot, no toilet paper, one of the cubicles had the door burst in and it was just laying there broken on the toilet. Dirty, smelly, and you had to cram past the kid begging for money and everyone else in the queue to get out. I was so confused how this was on site.

Going into the museum, there is little direction. There is little anything, to be honest. The sign posts lack information, or information that is fun, eye catching or memorable. All I remember is that some guy guessed what everything was, but then historians think he was wrong anyway. Why bother telling us?

There is little to no shade, fyi, so bring an umbrella. No food/drinks whilst you're walking around either, so you have to make sure you get it before, otherwise you go through the turnstiles and you're stuck.

You walk around these piles of rocks, with no information of what was really going on or pictures of what it was supposed to look like. I'm not even sure who lived there after all that.

It takes about 2 hours or so, if you really want to see everything, because you have to double back on yourself multiple times (as I said, no direction). There was a queue to see a room with a seat in it, called the 'throne room', says that random guy who said it so. Apparently it wasn't even actually a throne room anyway. Thanks for that information.

So you walk on this uneven dirt path and look as some rocks and pots. There are hundreds of 'tour guides' plotted around, so to be honest you can find one who speaks your language and follow them about. Couldn't find any audio guides, so I'm not sure where people got them unless they were from those 'tour guides' as well.

To be honest, mostly brick walls everywhere. Once you got one photo you've got them all really.

The photo that's plastered everywhere is the only sort of remaining thing there. There are other small things (ie the 'throne room' and some room with some paintings in) but overall it's just brick walls and dust in 30° heat.

I'm happy I went, I can say I have gone, that's what one star is, and the other is for the map I purchased at the end that actually had a photo of what the place was supposed to have looked like. That was cool. Everything else in that gift shop (that isn't a postcard) is horrifically priced. Go if you want bragging rights,...

The Palace of Knossos (Μινωικό Ανάκτορο Κνωσού) is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on the island of Crete, Greece, and is considered Europe's oldest city. It is the most significant and best-known site of the Minoan civilization, which flourished between 2000 and 1400 BCE. The palace complex, located just outside the modern city of Heraklion, is a sprawling structure that served as the political, cultural, and ceremonial center of Minoan society.

Key Features of Knossos Palace:

Architecture: The palace is an intricate complex of over 1,000 interlinked rooms, including residential quarters, workshops, storage spaces, religious areas, and banquet halls. Its layout is so complex that it may have inspired the myth of the Labyrinth, associated with the legend of the Minotaur.

Frescoes and Art: Knossos is famous for its vibrant frescoes that adorn the walls of the palace. These artworks depict various aspects of Minoan life, including religious ceremonies, processions, and natural scenes. The "Bull-Leaping Fresco" is one of the most famous, depicting an athletic ritual where participants leap over bulls.

The Throne Room: This room is one of the most significant discoveries at Knossos. It features a stone throne flanked by benches, and a large basin, possibly used for ritual purification. The walls of the Throne Room are adorned with frescoes depicting griffins, mythical creatures that symbolized power and divinity.

The Central Courtyard: This large open space was likely the focal point of the palace, used for religious ceremonies, gatherings, and possibly even bull-leaping events. Surrounding the courtyard are various important rooms and corridors.

Storage Areas: The palace had extensive storage facilities, with large pithoi (storage jars) found in the west wing, indicating the importance of trade and the storage of surplus goods like olive oil, wine, and grain.

Restoration and Excavation: The site was excavated extensively in the early 20th century by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. He controversially reconstructed parts of the palace, using modern materials to restore what he believed the palace originally looked like. This has been both praised for bringing the ancient site to life and criticized for potentially distorting the original structure.

Mythological Significance: Knossos is deeply intertwined with Greek mythology. It is believed to be the home of King Minos, the legendary king of Crete. The myth of the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature that lived in the Labyrinth, is one of the most famous stories associated with Knossos. According to the myth, the hero Theseus eventually killed the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos.

Today, Knossos is one of Greece's most popular archaeological sites, attracting visitors from all over the world who come to explore the remains of this once-great Minoan palace and delve into the rich history and mythology of...