Knossos is the site of the most important and well-known palace of the Minoan civilization and is a must-see during your holidays in Crete. According to tradition, it was the seat of the legendary king Minos. The Palace is also associated with fascinating legends, such as the legend of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur and the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The area was continuously inhabited from the Neolithic era (7000-3000 BC) until Roman times.
After its partial destruction in 1450 BC, Knossos was settled by the Mycenaeans from mainland Greece. The city flourished again during the Hellenistic period in 67 BC. It was occupied by the Roman Quintus Caecilius Metelus Creticus. Knossos was discovered in 1878 by Minoas Kalokairinos.
Arthur Evans carried out systematic excavations at the site from 1900 to 1931, bringing to light the palace, a large part of the Minoan city and the cemeteries, and the restoration of the palace to its present form was carried out by Arthur Evans.
The city of Heraklion and the archaeological museum of Crete
History is very much alive in the old town of Heraklion, as in most Greek cities. From the old Venetian port, 25th August street leads to the center of the old town. The central square, while surrounded by cafes, shops and restaurants, is dominated by the fountain of Lions, built by Morozini, the Venetian governor of Crete, in 1628. The City Hall is housed today in the Venetian Loggia, a building of the same era and next to it is the Cathedral of Agios Titos, an outstanding monument of the Byzantine era. From the central square, the street of the “Central Market” ends at “Plateia Kornarou” with the café, housed in the “Kumbe” a Turkish fountain and next to it the “Bembo Fountain” built by a Venetian nobleman. On the left, Averof Street leads to “Eleftherias Square”.
The central square of Heraklion where the Archaeological Museum is located and on the right Kyrillou Loukareu Street leads to the Cathedral of Agios Minas and the Museum of Agia Ekaterini. The archaeological museum is considered one of the most famous museums in all of Europe and is definitely worth a visit. The museum gathers archaeological finds from all over Crete, covering over 5500 years of the island’s history. A point of interest are undoubtedly the treasures of the Minoan civilization, the entire historical course of which can thus be appreciated. It is rightly considered the home of the Minoan civilization. Above all, the museum houses the most important collection of Minoan antiquities in the entire world.
Throughout the old part of the city, visitors can walk following the Venetian walls that meet at the old port and the “Koule”, the fortress that dominates the old port of the city.
