Archaeological sites of Crete
There are many noteworthy sites of ancient relics to be found on the island. The Minoan civilization was resident on the island more than four thousand years ago. The most important and of world fame is the Minoan settlement at Knossos.
Knossos
Lying 5 km south of Heraklion, this was the hub of Minoan civilization and its capital. The first excavation of the site was in 1878 by Minos Kalokerinos from Heraklion. This was followed by more extensive excavations (in 1900 - 1913 and 1922-30) by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. He uncovered the remains of the Palace and was responsible for its extensive reconstruction which typifies the full beauty of the Minoan Palace and its extensive array of supplemental buildings all forming a complex social structure.
The Palace was home to King Minos and was a hive of commercial development which brought forth wealth and power. The Palace of Knossos is the site for many myths and legends such as the Minotaur of the Labyrinth and stories of Daidalos and Ikaros. The Palace was a huge multi-storey building with architectural and structural features which were way ahead of their time. The high standard of technology utilised by the Minoans is evident in such features as its complex drainage and water supply systems not to mention the use of beams to reinforce the stonework. It is also renowned as having had the first flushing toilet! Basically, in the Queens Room it's just a hole in the ground with a system for running water to flow but it must have been a prestigious luxury all those centuries ago!
The Palace is comprised of numerous courtyards each with its own story to tell. Impressive frescoes adorn the walls. The Prince of Lilies, dancing dolphins and the bull hunt to name just a few. The Minoans were present on the island until between 1420 and 1375 BC. At this point nobody can truly say what their fate was but they vanished from the island. It could have been a tsunami caused by an earthquake from the relatively near island of Santorini or by a plague or famine which wiped out Europe's oldest civilisation.
Since the excavations carried out by Evans and the partial reconstruction Knossos has rightfully become one of the most famous archaeological sites worldwide. Wandering around the ruins may leave you at a loss to understand the full magnificence of the palace. For a fee there are licensed guides available to make sure your visit is as informative as possible
Directly outside the entrance on the main Knossos road there are a number of tavernas and souvenir shops. Knossos is easy to find. Travelling from either direction towards Heraklion on the national road the site is well sign-posted and is only about 10-15 minutes inland. If you do visit the Minoan Palace at Knossos don't forget to also visit the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion located near to Liberty Square in the city centre. Most of the relics found at the site are kept safely here. You can admire the exceptionally high quality art, items of pottery and figurines and the original wall-paintings.
For all archaeological buffs a visit to the ancient site of the Knossos Palace must surely be on their bucket list. For the rest of us, it's a walk back in history and perhaps an opportunity to put real pictures to those images formed by mythological creatures of the past. With Eurodriver you can easily reach this historic Minoan harbour and explore its unique treasures with a comfortable car.
Phaistos - south Crete
This is the second most important centre of Minoan civilization on the island. Its exact location was first discovered in mid 19th century by the British Admiral Spratt and in 1884 the archaeological excavations were led by the Italians F. Halbherr and A. Taramelli. Many inscriptions written in Linear A Code were found in the area. Unfortunately, to this day, they have yet to be deciphered and their writings still remain a mystery.
Accordingly to mythology, Phaistos was the seat of King Radamanthis (the brother of King Minos). During the height of the Minoan culture Phaistos was an important landmark with its settlement stretching from cape Lithinon to the nowadays Cape Melissa at Agios Pavlos. It even had two ports in its service at Matala and Kommos. The whole settlement is comprised of old and new Palaces (new constructions which were necessary when earthquakes destroyed the existing ones). Fortunately, remains of the previous palaces were built over and so the trained eye of an archaeologist will recognise these "renovations'. Courtyards, royal quarters, storage rooms for olive oil and wine and workshops including a stunning grand staircase all add up to the variety of sights to be seen. There are many terraces and it has to be said that the palace at Phaistos is considered by many to be far superior to its relative at Knosses, due to its magnificent landscape which stretches over hills and valleys down to the south coast. The Minoan culture was also fond of its entertainment and at Phaistos you can see their theatrical stage. What exactly was performed we don't know but one can guess at religious ceremonies and rites. An advantage of the Phaistos site is that it is seemingly more approachable. It is certainly less crowded than Knossos and does not have significant sections cordoned off. It is not difficult to find this site. From Heraklion follow the main road down to Mires (southwards) and you will soon find the Palace of Phaistos signposted. It should take you about an hour to get there.
Malia
The Palace of Malia can be found on the north coast of Crete to the east of Heraklion. Its correct name is not known and so it was named after the town of Malia which is just 3 km away. This is the third largest of the Minoan Palaces and is thought to have served under the general rule of the Knossos civilisation. According to legend it was ruled by the third son of Zeus and Europa, Sarpedon (also the brother of King Minos).
The site consists of an old palace which was then replaced by a new one in 1650 BC. The present day ruins belong to the second palace. Excavations began in 1915 by J. Chatzidakis and were continued by the French Archaeological School. Again most of the relics which were unearthed are to be found at the Museum in central Heraklion. A few are at the Museum at Agios Nikolaos.
The Palace consists of a central court, various side wings, pillars of wood and stone , an altar, residential and official quarters. It also has a grand staircase and many areas specifically used for storage. The famous Golden Bee Pendant now on display in the Heraklion museum was found here. There is an ancient cemetery where local farmers would find precious objects and thus it was called the "pit of gold".
Zakros Palace
This (to date) is the last of the Minoan civilizations to have been found on the island. It is located on the eastern coast of Crete in the region of Zakros and is the smallest of the four.
Excavations first started on the area in the early 1900s and were led by D.G. Hogarth an archaeologist who worked with the British School of Archaeology in Athens. His dig unearthed about 10 late Minoan houses and other precious artifacts such as pottery and bronze tools. The excavations were halted by the disturbance of the Second World War. In 1961 the work was resumed by the Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Platon and it was at this time that the ruins of Zakros Palace were discovered. Knowledge of the Palace at Zakros is largely due to the work of Platon. Although the site is considerably smaller than the others the relics unearthed are considered to be of greater importance. This is due to the fact that the site remained untouched for so long; undisturbed by robbers and more significantly, advanced methods in archaeology were utilized. Archaeologists support that the Zakros Palace was constructed at around 1900 BC (the same time as Knossos). This replaced an earlier palace from 1600 BC which was believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake. This second palace again faced doom in 1450 BC and was not rebuilt again. It is mainly the ruins of this palace which are evident today.
Because of its geographical location it was a vital Minoan harbour which connected Crete to the rest of Asia and Africa. To support this fact large quantities of materials only from the MIddle East and Egypt were found at the site.Today, apart from its archaeological significance, the route to Zakros is also ideal for a scenic motorbike ride, offering stunning views of Crete’s eastern coast.
The dominant section of the Palace is its Central Court which is flanked on either side by wings which constitute the whole Palace. You can observe a monumental staircase, workshops and other supporting buildings, even a kitchen. The eastern wing holds the royal apartments and the Cistern Room which has a circular pool with seven steps leading down to it. Sounds like some sort of ancient jacuzzi! The palace itself is surrounded by what seems to have been houses. Some of these contain as many as 30 rooms.
In its heyday, the Zakros Palace must have been a truly magnificent structure and an important key to Minoan civilization on the island due to its geographical location. Because of its more "recent" excavations the findings from Zakros Palace are thought to be vital indications concerning the Minoan race and today they can be found in the Archaeological Museum at Sitia.
The Minoan settlement at Zakros can be found travelling southwards from Sitia. The distance is 45 km and lasts about an hour. While you are there, take the opportunity to visit the Gorge at Zakros. In fact, walking the gorge is one way of reaching the site.