Knossos and the Heraklion Archeological Museum takes you to the roots of the first European civilization.  They comprise the largest Minoan archeological site and museum in the world.  Navigating this ancient history can be like walking the labyrinth that Knossos represents.  After visiting 3 times, I researched and created this Minoan Knossos sightseeing guide, including the museum.  So, read on to discover the background and points of interest for a more informed visit or lesson on Minoan history.    

About Knossos

The archeological site of Knossos was the center of the Minoan civilization near Heraklion, Crete.  It mainly features the Palace of Minos with a city labyrinth surrounding. This popular tourist destination may be the oldest city in Europe dating back to the Bronze Age around 7,000 BC. Minoans built the palace around 1900 BC.  After more than 5 centuries, it became destructed around 1350 BC by fire or earthquake. 

It first became excavated in 1877.  Later in 1900, Arther Evans undertook extensive excavations.  While Evans became known for discovering Knossos, this is controversial.  Many experts believe his reconstructions of architectural remains are inaccurate and distort history.  Minoan palaces were the religious and administrative centers of the civilization.  Evans unearthed many famous artifacts from Knossos, such as, Linear B Tablets, snake goddess figurines and frescos.  Many of these artifacts are housed in the Heraklion Archeological Museum.

This Minoan site is linked to the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur (half man/half bull).  King Minos lived in the Palace of Minos with a labyrinth to retain his son, the Minotaur.  Theseus slayed the minotaur, while betraying his love for King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne and rescuing captive Athenian boys. 

The Palace of Knossos was a Venue of Vibrant Colors

The palace at Knossos was a place of vibrant color, as were Greek buildings in the classical period. In the EM Period, the walls and pavements were coated with a pale red from red ochre.  Even more, the walls displayed fresco panel murals, entirely of red. Later, during the MM Period, with the development of the art, white and black were added, and then blue, green, and yellow. The pigments came from natural materials, such as ground hematite.

Minoan columns and Art

The Minoan column was constructed from the trunk of a cypress tree. The Minoan columns are smaller at the bottom and wider at the top, by inverting the cypress trunk to prevent sprouting.  Also, the columns at the Palace of Minos were plastered, painted red and mounted on stone bases.

The Minoan art elaborately decorated pottery, frescoes and figurines.  Minoan art often depicted nature and ritual with figures in motion.  At Knossos, many copies of frescoes exhibit throughout the site.  However, visitors can see the restored original frescos and figurines at the Heraklion Archeological Museum. 

The Symbolism of the Labyrinth is a metaphor for the trials we face in life on the journey to self-discovery. 

Check out my YouTube Video!

Minoan Knossos Sightseeing Guide and Ten Points of Interest

Palace of Knossos Layout and Entrances/Wings

The palace spreads out among 6 acres (24,000 m²), including a theater, main entrance on each of its four cardinal faces and extensive storerooms.  Buildings developed around the Central Court with more than 1,500 rooms.  The main entrance first takes you to the West Court with Kouloures.  The function of these 3 large pits remains unknown. 

The West Court includes shrines, official halls and extensive storage areas and snake goddesses. This wing is crossed by processional causeways.  The most formal entrances were the southwest and north. The south entrance is the corridor with copy of the Prince of the Lilies Fresco.  The East Wing holds the Royal Apartments and workshops.  Also, terra cotta pipes and drains interconnected underneath the entire site.

Ten Knossos Points of Interest

Central Court 

This court connects the 4 different wings with each other.  This is where the main rituals and festivals, such as, the bull-leaping ceremony took place. 

Little Palace with Copy of Bull Hunting Fresco

This iconic image shows the palace with 3 red columns and a copy of the famous Bull Hunting Fresco.  The restored original fresco is at the Heraklion Archeological Museum.

Throne Room

The longest queue is at the Throne Room, the centerpiece of the palace. The “throne” is an alabaster seat with gypsum benches on the other 3 sides of the room.  It’s located on the western side of the Central Court.  Griffin frescoes flank the throne.  Evans believed this room was used for anointing rituals.  Also, a tub lies opposite the throne, called the lustral basin. 

South Court, Corridor with the Prince of the Lilies

This corridor is part of the south wing of the palace.  It leads to the Central Court and displays the copy of the famous Prince of the Lilies fresco.  The original fresco is at the Heraklion Archeological Museum. 

South Propylaeum with Copy of Cup-bearer fresco & Procession Fresco
Minoan Knossos Sightseeing Guide

The south propylaeum is a formal entrance way.  A copy of a Cup-bearer man holding a libation vase (rhyton) fresco hangs here.  A pithoi on east side indicates the area was used for storage. 

Piano Nobile/West Magazines

The upper story of the west wing contained numerous large halls above the magazines that looked out on the west court.  The West Magazines have storerooms with containers made of clay (pithoi).  The pithoi store grains, beans, olives and oil.  Overall, 150 pithoi were found, however, there’s room for 400. 

Tri-Columnar Shrine (west wing) – Tripartite shrine-façade divides into 3 parts with columns. Inside the shrine, Evans found clay tablets with linear b script and clay seal impressions. Behind, in pillar scripts he also found valuables including snake goddesses.

Hall of the Fresco Copies

While it is nice to see the copies of frescos on site, it’s even better to see the original frescoes restored at the Heraklion Archeological Museum.  Many of the most famous frescoes’ copies hang in a hall at Knossos, such as, Ladies in Blue and Bull-Leaping.

Royal Road

The Royal Road is the last remains of a Minoan road that connected the port to the palace.  Some claim this is the first road in Europe. Today, the modern road, Leoforos Knosou, lays over it. 

Herklion Archeological Museum

The Heraklion Archeology Museum is the largest Minoan Museum in the world. The most famous artifacts are housed in this museum less than 10 miles from the Palace of Knossos.  For example, the Linear B tablets, inscribed in clay and found at Knossos reside at the museum.  Linear B is the earliest Greek language replacing the Linear A of the Minoans.  Overall, 4,000 Linear B tablets became recovered from Knossos.

Two famous Snake Goddess figurines also reside at the museum.  They are made of faience, a crushed quartz-paste making bright colors and a lustrous sheen. The snakes in her hands represent the underworld. The cat on the head shows her power over wildlife.  

The Hagia Triada Sarcophagus is a late Minoan limestone sarcophagus, dating back to 1400 BC. It held the body of a prince or important person from the town Hagia Triada near the Phaistos archeological site. The frescoes portray funereal rites and a bull being sacrificed.

Exhibits of Colorful Restored Frescoes

The Heraklion Archeological Museum houses numerous colorful frescoes from Knossos. For example, here are my favorites showcased at the museum:

Bull-Leaping Fresco
Ladies in Blue Fresco
Prince of the Lilies Fresco
Dolphin Fresco
Griffin High-relief Fresco
Bull Hunting Fresco

Enjoy Knossos!

Knossos is an archeological dream with ancient treasures telling us so much about Europe’s first civilization. This advanced culture left behind prolific artifacts of frescoes, pottery, figurines along with this labyrinth of Knossos. One of my greatest tips is to see both the archeological site and museum. If anyone is so lucky to visit these sites, please leave comments below on how best to enjoy Knossos and Heraklion Archeological Museum.

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