Knossos, five kilometres south-east of Heraklion, is, along with Phaistos, the most famous Minoan archaeological site on Crete. As it is very popular with tourists, the site can attract half a million visitors a year, and it is advisable to visit early in the morning to avoid the crowds.

Linked to the legend of King Minos, the site has been inhabited since 7000 BC and was probably the capital of Crete during the Minoan period. It was discovered in 1878 by the Cretan antiquarian Minos Kalokairinos, who led the first excavations and attributed the palace to the legendary King Minos, son of Zeus and Europa.

These excavations were quickly halted by the Ottoman authorities, but they aroused the curiosity of figures such as Heinrich Schliemann, the discoverer of Troy. The site was eventually sold to the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, who began large-scale excavations in 1900 and undertook controversial restoration work, combining reconstructions involving heavy use of concrete with historical inaccuracies.

Despite these controversies, the site is fascinating. Overrun with countless peacocks roaming freely, it is very easy to get to and the perfect place for lovers of ancient ruins to lose themselves in reverie… provided they can ignore the groups of visitors crowding around the most interesting spots!

The Minoan civilisation, which flourished on Crete, Santorini and other islands in the Aegean Sea from 2700 to 1200 BC, remains shrouded in mystery. In fact, its real name is still unknown, and it was Arthur Evans who named it on the basis of ancient legends.

It is not known, actuallyy, how it disappeared. Mycenaean and then Dorian invasions? Natural disasters? Depletion of resources? Tsunamis caused by the eruption of the Santorini volcano? There are many theories, but the mystery remains, and Knossos continues to capture the imagination of researchers and visitors alike.

Useful links

Incredible Crete (The official tourism website of Crete) - Wikipedia