Steps Through the Mythical Labyrinth of King Minos
On a sunny afternoon, we enjoyed exploring the secrets of the Minoan Palace of Knossos dating back to the Bronze Age and finding some testimonies of Crete's glorious past. For us, the history of Crete is an archive of true tales and lessons in life.
Covering an area of 20.000 square meters, at about 6 km south of Heraklion city, the Archaeological site of Knossos Palace is the largest and most spectacular of all the Minoan palatial centers found in Crete, among which to note Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, and Kydonia. The settlement of Knossos was the heart of the refined Minoan civilization, who reached its peak in the period 2000 BC-1450 BC, laying the foundations of Ancient Greek and further Western European civilization as we know it today.
After the first findings at the end of the 19th century, the English archaeologist and researcher Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1941), spent more than 30 years in excavations, study, and restoration. The Archaeological site currently illustrates his vision of the place that was once the socio-economic and religious center of Crete. Today, in addition to the exceptional testimonies over time that can be admired "in situ" at Knossos, many of the frescoes, vessels, artifacts, and objects of worship discovered here are on display at the Museum of Archeology in Heraklion.
The beautiful complex architecture and robust structure with many floors, the labyrinthine arrangement of corridors, rooms, and stairs, the ingenious water supply distribution system and lighting wells, the variety of halls, from those for religious rituals to underground storages, the size and the splendor of frescos and the labeled artifacts, all these have led Evans to the assumption that Knossos was the mythic Palace of King Minos, the first king of Crete, son of Zeus and princess Europe.
There is a lot we can learn about the transitory nature of human achievements like wealth, success, and power by looking back in time. At the scale of the Universe, the fate of cities, kingdoms, and empires is no different from that of humans. Just as death is a reminder to live, these impressive ruins are our ancestors’ “message in the bottle” to aware that nothing lasts forever: "Thus passes worldly glory"…
Follow our photographic journey through the ruins of Knossos Palace, the realm of one of the most interesting myths of Ancient Greece, King Minos, and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur!
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