Knossos - Treasure city of the mysterious Minoan civilization

Knossos is a grand and complex ancient palace in Crete. The Palace of Knossos was the center of the mighty Minoan civilization. The myth of the Minotaur and the myth of Daedalus and Icarus have their origin here.

Type	Ancient Site
Year	1600 BC
Other Names	Cnossus, Gnossus, and Knossus
Price Tickets	Full ticket: 15 Euro Reduced: 8 Euro Heraklion Archaeological Museum + Knossos Site: 16 Euro
Visiting Hours	Summer: 08.00-19.30 Winter: 08.30-15.00
Location	Knossos, Crete, Greece, Europe

The Palace of Knossos

The ancient site Palace of Knossos is located 5 km south of Heraklion.

Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe’s oldest city.

The site of Knossos has had a very long history of human habitation, beginning with the founding of the first Neolithic settlement (7000 BC).

The palace of Knossos was the political center of the Minoan civilization and culture.

The place was abandoned after its destruction in 1375 BC which marked the end of Minoan civilization.

In The Palace of Knossos, you can visit the mythical “Labyrinth of the Minotaur“.

Sir Arthur John Evans was the archaeologist that discovered the Palace of Knossos. We owe Sir Arthur John Evans the opportunity to admire the grandeur and complexity of this ancient palace.

The elegant wall frescoes which decorated the walls of the Palace depict people that enjoy life.

Knossos, Mallia, Phaestos, Zakro, Aghia Triada, Kommos, and Zominthos were the settlements established around the island by the Minoan civilization.

knossos-crete — Photo Source: egor-myznik-unsplash

Cult of the Bull

Bulls were sacred in Crete and symbolized power and fertility.

In Heraklion Archaeological Museum you can see different objects representing the bull.

The myth of the Minotaur

The myth of the Minotaur tells that Theseus, a prince from Athens, whose father is an ancient Greek king named Aegeus, the basis for the name of the Greek sea (the Aegean Sea), sailed to Crete, where he was forced to fight a terrible creature called the Minotaur.

The Minotaur was a half-man, half-bull, and was kept in a Labyrinth by King Minos, the ruler of Crete.

The king’s daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus.

Before he entered the Labyrinth to fight the Minotaur, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread allowing him to retrace his path.

Theseus killed the Minotaur, and then he and Ariadne fled from Crete, escaping her angry father.

The myth of Daedalus and Icarus

Daedalus is considered one of the greatest architectsand inventors of ancient Greece.

Legend has it that the famous architect Daedalus designed the palace of Knossos and the king Minos forbid him to leave the place.

Trapped on the island, Daedalus starts to plan his escape: he makes wings for himself and his son, Icarus, so that they can fly to freedom.

He tells his son to follow a certain path when he flies, but Icarus decides to fly higher and the wax that sticks the wings starts to melts and he falls from the sky and dies.