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Knossos (Κνωσσός) is an important archaeological site near the city of Heraklion, Crete. It was the most important center of Minoan civilization and the location of an incredible palace.
History of Knossos
Knossos was first settled around 7000 BC, making it the oldest settlement on Crete. The first palace was built on the site between the 19th and 17th centuries BC, followed by the second palace between the 16th and 14th centuries BC. According to Greek mythology the palace of Knossos was the home of the mythical King Minos.
The Mycenaeans, from mainland Greece, settled in the city around 1450 BC. The palace was destroyed around 1350 BC and never rebuilt, but the city flourished once again during the Hellenistic period. It became a Roman colony in 67 BC.
Knossos was rediscovered by Cretan businessman and amateur archaeologist Minos Kalokairinos (1843-1907). He excavated part of the West Wing during the winter of 1878/79. British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) continued and expanded excavations from 1900 to 1913 and again from 1922 to 1930. Busts of both men are located at the site.
Visiting Knossos
Knossos is the second most popular archaeological site in Greece. You can cover the site in about 90 minutes. It’s open daily and admission is 15€ from April through October and 8€ from November through March (as of March 2024). During summer, a 20€ ticket package includes entry to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum (as of March 2024). You can buy your ticket at the site but you’re better off buying it online to avoid the queues.
The best time to visit during the summer is in the late afternoon. Cruise ships and large groups tend to crowd the site in the morning. Facilities include a restaurant and café as well as a gift shop. Wooden walkways wind through the site but overall it’s not accessible. There’s a good amount of stairs along the path.
Tours of Knossos
Because information at the site is extremely limited, I highly recommend hiring a guide. We hired Panos from Visit Knossos for a private tour. He charges 180€ for up to 4 people and another 40€ for each additional person (as of March 2024). Panos is an excellent knowledgable guide that answered every question we had about Knossos. He also has a great sense of humor. Alternatively, licensed guides at the site and charge an extra fee. They begin when they have enough people to start a tour. Audio guides are available but they aren’t very helpful.
About the Reconstructions at Knossos
While visiting Knossos, keep in mind that Evans’ reconstruction of the site was and still is controversial. His use of modern building materials and reconstructing the palace in the form he imagined, with little archaeological evidence. Many of his visions contradict what modern archaeologists believe to be true.
My Experience at Knossos
Since we were short on time, we didn’t get a chance to cover the entire site. There were also some sections of the palace that seemed to be closed to the public, so lots of information is missing here. Our guide, Panos, took us to the most important sections of the palace and did a phenomenal job of explaining the difference between Evans’ work and modern interpretations. Sadly, I forgot most of the information he gave us. I’ll be back in the future and will update with more information on both sections I visited and other sections as well.
West Court of the Palace of Knossos
The first feature we visited was the West Court, which is an open space along the West Façade of the palace. The West Façade is made of limestone and gypsum and was built during the First Palace period, sometime between the 19th and 17th centuries BC.
The so-called Processional Causeways cross the West Court. They’re paved differently and intersect each other. Some archaeologists believe ceremonial processions followed the causeways. The remains of settlements dating between 6700 and 1900 BC have been found underneath the West Court.
Kouloures
The kouloures are three large pits with stone walls. They were built in the West Court during the First Palace period. Their function is unknown but there are two theories about their use. One claims they were used as dumps for garbage or leftover offerings, while another claims they were for storing grain. They functioned until the Second Palace period, sometime between 1700 and 1450 BC, and were named by the workers excavating them.
West Porch
The West Porch was a roofed area connected to the West Court. The gypsum base of its supporting column still remains. A small room believed to be a guard room was at the back and a double door on the porch opened to the Processional Causeway.
South House
Next, around the corner of the path we saw the back wall of the South House. The South House was excavated by Evans in 1908. He believed it to be a private residence of a wealthy individual and reconstructed it with three levels.
We looked further down the path from the South House to the southern section of the site, where we wouldn’t visit during the tour, and saw one of the resident peacocks.
South Propylaeum of the Palace of Knossos
The South Propylaeum was the southern entrance to the palace at Knossos. It was reconstructed according to Evans, who added a copy of the Cup-Bearer fresco. The fresco depicts a man holding a libation vase (rhyton).
A collection of pithoi, or large storage jars, sit on the east side of the South Propylaeum. They date to between 1450 and 1100 BC and “indicate that the area was later used for storage”.
Piano Nobile of the Palace of Knossos
A staircase leads up to the so-called Piano Nobile, which Evans believed functioned like the reception area of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. The staircase and upper floor were imagined by Evans. The rectangular building next to the stairs was built long after the palace was destroyed.
West Magazines
From the Piano Nobile, you can peer into the West Magazines. They’re made up of 18 narrow storerooms covering an area of 1,300 square meters. The storerooms and corridors contain 93 rectangular chambers believed to have held valuable equipment and vases. Other chambers may have held liquids.
The West Magazines have enough space to hold 400 large pithoi, and around 150 were found during excavations. They likely held oil or wine. Clay seals and tablets in Cretan hieroglyphics were also discovered.
Central Court of the Palace of Knossos
Another staircase leads down to the central court, which is a large open area surrounded by several features. An original section of the stone staircase has been cut away from the modern wooden one covering it.
Tripartite Shrine
The area to the left of the staircase was identified by Evans as the Tripartite Shrine. It was divided into three parts and had a colonnaded façade. The areas behind the shrine may have been connected with the sanctuaries of the palace.
Two small rooms at the back, known as the Pillar Crypts, were likely used for libations. Another room, interpreted as the Temple Repositories, contained clay vases and valuables, including statuettes representing the Snake Goddess.
Throne Room
North of the staircase is the Throne Room, which is a complex of rooms named by Evans for a stone seat discovered in the main room. It’s one of the most popular sections of the palace but its actual function is unknown.
The first room is an antechamber with stone benches lining the wall. Traces of burnt wood were found between them. A wooden replica of the stone seat in the main room can be found in the antechamber.
The main room features the stone seat discovered by Evans. The seat is flanked by stone benches, and fragments of a fresco depicting plants and griffin were found on the wall. The original fresco is in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Evans had a copy painted in its place. The stone basin in the center of the room was found in a corridor nearby and relocated there at a later time.
On the left side of the main room are three columns with a sunken floor behind them. Evans believed it was used for purification ceremonies and called it a lustral basin. The door at the back of the main room connects to smaller rooms lit by lamps.
East Wing of the Palace of Knossos
The East Wing, which was mostly closed to the public during my visit, is one of the most impressive and interesting parts of the palace of Knossos. It sits below the level of the Central Court to the east. Evans believed the East Wing contained the residential quarters of the royal family. In addition to residential rooms, it contained storage rooms, food preparation areas, reception halls, and shrines. Much of it has been reconstructed using concrete.
Grand Staircase
Rooms of the East Wing are connected by a system of stairs named the Grand Staircase. It was found in its original position and contains four flights of stairs. The two lower flights are preserved in situ. The Grand Staircase was surrounded by wooden columns and lit by a large skylight.
North Wing of the Palace of Knossos
The North Wing is the last section of the palace you’ll visit. It consists of more rooms as well as another entrance to the palace.
North Insula
First, just north of the Central Court is the North Insula. It was a stone building with several rooms that may have guarded the North Entrance. Only the basement, which was used for storage, survives today. Some of the rooms included important frescoes, one similar to those found at Akrotiri on the island of Thera (Santorini).
North Passage
The North Passage is one of the most photographed parts of the palace. It was a narrow passage connecting the Central Court to the North Pillar Hall, sloping 25 meters down from the court. Two colonnades, referred to as bastions, sat on either side.
Evans reconstructed the West Bastion of the North Passage. He added a copy of a relief fresco of a bull, which may have formed part of a hunting scene.
North Pillar Hall
The North Pillar Hall consists of ten square pillars and two columns. They likely supported another large hall above. Evans named it the Customs House because he believed goods were inspected there when they arrived at the palace. The actual function may have been as a banquet hall because it’s near storerooms and pantries.
It was also around the North Pillar Hall where Panos pointed out a carving of a Minoan double axe, which was a sacred symbol of goddesses.
North Lustral Basin
The North Lustral Basin has a sunken floor surrounded by columns. It was reconstructed by Evans, who believed it was used for purification ceremonies before visitors entered the palace. The true function is unknown because there’s no evidence of drainage, although it appears liquids were poured into the basin.
One of the important discoveries in the courtyard of the North Lustral Basin was the lid of an Egyptian bowl. It contained the cartouche of Khyan, the Hyksos ruler of Egypt in the 17th century BC. This indicated diplomatic relations between the ancient Egyptians and Minoans.
Theatral Area
Before exiting the archaeological complex, visitors pass by what Evans believed to be a small Theatral Area. It consists of 2 flights of steps, one to the east and one to the south, and a 20 square meter court between them. There are 18 steps about 10 meters wide on the east side while on the south side there are 6 steps about 15.5 meters wide. Evans imagined the court hosting ceremonies while attendees stood on the steps. He estimated it could accommodate about 500 people.
The paved Theatral Area extends to the Royal Road, which today passes under the modern road to Heraklion. It was lined with two-story structures with workshops on the ground floor and homes on the upper floor.
