⭐ Travel Guide for Island Crete ⛵, Greece❗

Minos Palace in Knossos

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The Procession Fresco at Knossos The Procession FrescoKnossos was one of the most important centres of prehistoric and ancient Crete. Its imposing Minoan palace, closely associated with King Minos, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur, is today one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece.

The palatial centre of Knossos is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the serial property “Minoan Palatial Centres”, together with Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, Zominthos and Kydonia. The six sites illustrate the development, architecture, social organisation and lasting influence of the Minoan civilisation.

The palace stands about 5km south of Heraklion, on Kefala Hill, near the Kairatos River. An extensive city developed around the palace, and remains of its houses, cemeteries and other buildings have been discovered throughout the wider area.

The magazines of the Palace of Knossos The magazines and their large storage jarsIn ancient Greek tradition, Knossos was the seat of the legendary King Minos and the setting of some of the best-known Cretan myths, including the stories of Daedalus and Icarus, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur. The intricate arrangement of corridors, staircases and hundreds of rooms may have contributed to the development of the tradition of the Labyrinth.

According to mythology, Minos was the son of Zeus and Europa. Whether the name referred to a single historical ruler or was possibly used as a dynastic title remains uncertain.

History and excavations

Kefala Hill was already inhabited during the Neolithic period. The first great palatial complex was constructed at the beginning of the second millennium BC. After its destruction around 1700 BC, a larger and more elaborate palace was built on the same site. This second complex forms the main structure visible today.

The palace covered approximately 22,000 square metres and extended over several levels around a large central court. It included magazines, workshops, ceremonial spaces, residential areas, light wells, staircases and sophisticated water-supply and drainage systems.

The Bull-Leaping Fresco from Knossos The Bull-Leaping FrescoWhen many Minoan centres on Crete were destroyed around 1450 BC, Knossos continued to function and entered a period of strong Mycenaean presence. The Linear B tablets discovered in the palace belong to this later phase. The palatial complex was finally destroyed during the 14th century BC, although the precise events responsible for its destruction remain uncertain.

The city continued to be inhabited and remained important throughout the Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Its principal rivals included Gortyna and Lyttos. During the Lyttian War of 221–219 BC, the Knossians destroyed Lyttos while its warriors were away on campaign. Gortyna later increased its power and eventually became the leading city of Roman Crete.

The first archaeological excavations were carried out in 1878 by the Cretan antiquarian Minos Kalokairinos, who uncovered part of the magazines and several large storage jars. Large-scale excavations began in 1900 under the direction of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans.

Evans uncovered much of the palace and popularised the term “Minoan civilisation”. He also carried out extensive reconstructions using reinforced concrete. These interventions help visitors understand the original multi-storey form of the complex, but they have also been strongly criticised because several sections were based on Evans’s own interpretations. Visitors should therefore distinguish between the original Minoan remains and the early 20th-century reconstructions.

Coins issued by ancient Knossos depict the Minotaur, the Labyrinth and various deities. Two of the best-known symbols associated with Minoan Crete are the labrys, or double axe, and the so-called Horns of Consecration.

A short tour of the palace

The west wing contains ceremonial areas, magazines and the famous Throne Room. The east wing includes the multi-storey spaces that Evans interpreted as the “Royal Apartments”, together with workshops and service rooms. Many frescoes and objects displayed at the site are replicas, while the originals are mainly kept at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.

Map of the Palace of Knossos 1. West Court
2. West Entrance
3. Corridor of the Procession
4. South Propylaea
5. Staircase
6. Corridor of the Magazines
7. Magazines
8. Sanctuary
9. Throne Room
10. Lustral Basin
11. Theatral Area
12. North Entrance
13. Central Court
14. Storage Areas
15. East Bastion
16. Hall of the Double Axes
17. Queen’s Megaron
18. Grand Staircase
19. Shrine of the Double Axes
20. South Entrance
21. Corridor of the Draughtboard
22. Workshops
23–24. Buildings of the North Entrance
25. Royal Road

A visit usually begins at the West Court (1) and the West Entrance (2), which leads into the Corridor of the Procession (3). The Procession Fresco was discovered here, while the South Propylaea (4) lie farther south. A reconstructed pair of Horns of Consecration stands in this area.

The Central Court (13) formed the core of the palace. The principal wings containing administrative, ceremonial, storage and residential spaces were arranged around it.

The Throne Room at Knossos The Throne RoomThe Throne Room (9) lies in the west wing and takes its modern name from the stone seat preserved inside it. The room’s precise function and the identity of the person who used the seat remain matters of scholarly debate. Griffins are depicted on its walls, while a lustral basin stands opposite the throne.

West of the central court are the long magazines (7), arranged perpendicular to the Corridor of the Magazines (6). Large storage jars remain inside these rooms and were used to store commodities such as oil, wine and grain.

The so-called Queen’s MegaronThe east wing contains the impressive Grand Staircase (18), which connected the different levels of the palace. Nearby are the Hall of the Double Axes (16) and the so-called Queen’s Megaron (17), known for its reconstructed dolphin composition. These names were given by Evans and do not establish the original functions of the rooms with certainty.

To the north are the monumental North Entrance (12), a Lustral Basin (10) and the so-called Theatral Area (11). From here, the paved Royal Road (25) connected the central palace with other important buildings of the Minoan city.