Crete, the largest Greek island, is packed full of things to do and see but the one place you absolutely cannot miss while visiting is the archaeological site of Knossos Palace.
Exploring the ancient ruins that are at the heart of the Minotaur myth makes for a fascinating experience, and this guide is here to help you make the most out of your visit.
A Brief History of the Knossos Palace
The origins of the ancient city
The very earliest evidence of people living in Knossos is from the Neolithic period (7000-6000 BC), when there was a small group of simple huts located in the area now called the central court. Over time the tiny community grew, with new, larger houses being built to accommodate the expanding village.
Archaeologists have found numerous items dating back to this period, including tools for cloth-making, knives, arrowheads, human and animal figurines and plenty more.
The Minoan civilization
In the Bronze age the Minoan culture began to develop, focused on Crete. They expanded rapidly, becoming famous for trading across the eastern Mediterranean and with ancient Greece. Around 2000 BC, known as the Middle Minoan period, the dramatic increase in population and influence led to the creation of large palaces at key locations, including the first palace at Knossos.
The Bronze age Minoan civilisation continued to thrive, developing their own writing systems and creating beautiful art, but the early palaces were destroyed before 1700 BC, most likely by earthquakes. The palace of Knossos and other Minoan palace settlements were all rebuilt to be bigger and better, but Minoan Knossos was by far the largest at its height, with the main building alone of the later palace covering three acres.
By the late Minoan period things had begun to change. The other Minoan palace locations were destroyed around 1450 BC, and then the palace of Knossos was also destroyed 100 years later, never to be rebuilt.
The Minoan civilization faded away, with the strong influence of the Mycenaean Greek’s from the mainland showing in language and culture, and while the town of Knossos was later repopulated, becoming an important port, the palace was left to disintegrate.
Rediscovery
Centuries went past without anyone taking much notice of the palace. The ancient Romans colonised Knossos in 36 BC, setting up some structures on the outskirts of the palace ruins, but they did not leave much of a mark.
The site was rediscovered in 1877 when Minos Kalokairinos, son of the landowner and amateur archaeologist, started excavating. In 1878 he uncovered proof that he had found the ruins of Knossos, and news of his findings rapidly spread.
Sadly he was forced to stop his excavations by the Ottoman authorities who were in charge at that time, but the discovery was widely reported on across Europe. English academic Sir Arthur Evans ended up visiting Heraklion and seeing the limited excavations in 1894, and was instantly captivated. He secured the rights to the land, but was unable to start excavations until 1900 because of the political upheaval and violence that resulted after the Ottomans withdrew from Crete.
Sir Arthur Evans and his excavations
He undertook two excavations, initially from 1900-1913 and then another long stretch from 1922-1930. The vast Minoan palace was uncovered along with countless precious finds, but some of the subsequent conclusions and actions taken by Arthur Evans remain controversial.
Firstly, he popularized the term ‘Minoan’, which was not what the people called themselves. The name was derived from the legendary King Minos, who appeared in ancient Greek mythology.
Secondly, he came to a number of conclusions about the use of rooms and different areas of the palace that do not hold up to modern interpretations. Normally these can be reexamined and finds reassessed, but Evans undertook various reconstructions which have made it difficult for modern archaeologists to attempt follow-up excavations.
He also appointed artists to recreate frescoes and designs, supposedly these were based on historical finds but there is little basis for where the designs actually came from.
Regardless of the controversies, without Evans’ dedication to the task of uncovering the Minoan palace we would likely not be able to see it for ourselves so openly today.
The legendary King Minos and the Minotaur
Knossos appears in Greek mythology, in the story of King Minos. After his son Androgeus was killed by the Athenians, Minos went to war on Athens. He offered the ancient Greek king Aegeus a peace deal that involved Aegeus sending Minos seven young men and seven virgin women regularly, to be sacrificed to the Minatour.
The Minatour was a half bull, half man who lived in the Labyrinth below Minos’ palace. The Labyrinth was supposed to be a twisted maze that prevented the Minatour or anyone else from escaping once inside.
Minos’ daughter Ariadne fell in love with the young hero Theseus, son of Aegeus and when he was forced to fight the Minatour she gave him a ball of thread to unravel as he walked through the maze. Theseus killed the Minatour and was able to find his way out before he and Ariadne escaped Minos and Knossos altogether.
What to see at Knossos Palace
While the whole archaeological site is an interesting place, there are some specific things to see while you explore the Minoan palace of Knossos:
Central Court
The Central Court is at the heart of the palace of Knossos, as it is in other examples of Minoan palaces. The courtyard provided light and air to the other rooms, as well as easy access to the important areas like the throne room and royal residential quarters.
Today you can walk around the large central courtyard and get a sense of how huge the palace was. Don’t miss the original paving stones still in place in one corner – they’ve been here for thousands of years.
Throne room
At the north end of the Central Court is the Throne Room, although it’s more accurate to call it a suite than a room. When you first walk in there is an antechamber, from which you can go through into the throne room itself. There are also other rooms further back into the palace such as the Lustral Basin, which historians theorize were related to the religious use of the rooms.
The walls are covered in beautiful frescoes featuring mythical griffins. This was carefully restored, some was found still on the walls but most had fallen to the floor. Around the room are stone benches and the throne itself.
West Court
Next to the throne room is the central staircase which leads up the west wing of the palace of Knossos. Up here there is a shrine, crypts and other rooms which appear to have been related to religious ceremonies and the Minoan religion (of which we sadly know little). Arthur Evans reconstructed various parts of the upper level, based on his reasoning rather than archaeological evidence on site however.
Past the West Wing is the West Court, a large open area where artifacts discovered showed a long history of use when the site was excavated. There are deep storage pits in the ground and the Corridor of Procession was named for the surviving frescoes showing a stream of figures engaged in various activities.
Royal Apartments
On the opposite side of the central court are the Royal Apartments, found by going up the Grand staircase. This part of the palace of Knossos Arthur Evans thought was the private residence of the royal family, today called the Hall of the Double Axes (due to the axes carved into the wall) and the Queen’s Megaron.
Excellent examples of Minoan art were found in the Queen’s Megaron set of rooms, with charming dolphins, colorful patterns and a depiction of a woman with long hair found in great condition.
East Wing
The East Wing is home to more of the practical areas of the palace. You’ll see cellars and other storage areas, as well as the remains of workshops. This area demonstrates how the palace of Knossos was not simply a home for the ruling families in ancient times, it was much more than that.
You’ll also see the remains of the sophisticated drainage and water supply systems that were in the palace.
Where is the Knossos Palace and how to get there?
The Minoan Palace of Knossos is 3 miles south from the modern city of Heraklion. When you visit Crete, it’s very likely you’ll transit through Heraklion’s airport or port, so you should be familiar with the city.
From Heraklion you can drive to the palace, either yourself in a rental car or in a taxi, or you can take the #2 bus from the central bus station (across the road from the Heraklion Archaeological museum) which takes you directly to the site entrance. Buses run multiple times an hour and take around 30 minutes.
Visit information for Knossos Palace
Tickets for the palace of Knossos
Given the popularity of the Knossos Palace site, it’s important to book your tickets in advance before visiting. Booking in advance online also means you will be able to walk past the queue of people waiting to purchase their ticket on site – at busy times of year, this queue is extensive.
Online tickets are only released a couple of months in advance however, so if they’re not yet available to buy for your trip dates, keep checking back.
Opening hours
The palace site opens at 8AM daily in the summer and 8:30AM in the winter, but closing times vary according to when the sunsets so check in advance. The archaeological site is also closed on various holidays, such as Easter and Christmas.
Try and avoid visiting mid-morning, around 10AM, as this is when most groups arrive at the Knossos Palace. Get there early in the summer to avoid the worst of the heat (there is very little shade around), or try an afternoon visit.
Plan to spend between 1-3 hours exploring the ruins and their fascinating history. You can pick up a map at the entrance but there isn’t much information inside the ruins so a good audio guide or joining a tour is a good way to get the most out of your visit.
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Extending your visit
Want to know more about the ancient world and Minoan Crete? A trip to Knossos Palace is not fully complete in our view unless you also visit the Heraklion archaeological museum.
A lot of the findings from the palace site are on display here, as well as other important pieces from other parts of ancient Crete such as the Phaistos Disc with it’s unknown script. Seeing the palace complex and then the individual items from the long history of the Minoan civilization really brings history to life.
As well as the archaeological museum, Heraklion is home to many other museums, a Venetian fortress in the old port from the 16th century, a huge market, magnificent cathedral and lots more, so there’s plenty of things to do after you’ve seen the Knossos Palace.
The Knossos Palace is a must-see site if you’re planning a trip to Crete, especially when combined with the nearby museum. Contact us today to see how we can help you include it on a custom itinerary exploring Crete and other Greek islands.
