Archaeological sights in Crete
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Hania Old Town
An exotic mix of Venetian and Ottoman architecture makes Hania Crete's most evocative town. The Venetian lighthouse and former mosque frame the picturesque harbour lined with restored Venetian mansions that house boutique hotels, pensions and restaurants. Remnants of the Venetian city walls border a web of atmospheric streets, where you'll see artisans at work and find the island's most eclectic shopping.
Roofless Venetian mansions house ambient restaurants and elegant bars. The archaeological museum and the naval museum are small but worthwhile museums. The Firkas fortress near the harbour runs off the best-preserved section of the massive fortifications which were built…
reviewed
-
A
Central Court
The Central Court is the centrepiece of the palace, affording spectacular views of the surrounding area. It is extremely well preserved and gives a good sense of the magnificence of the palace. Porticoes with columns and pillars once lined the long sides of the Central Court. Notice the Neolithic hut at the southwestern corner of the Central Court.
The best-preserved parts of the palace complex are the reception rooms and private apartments to the north of the Central Court, where excavations continue. Enter through the Formal Doorway with half columns at either side, the lower parts of which are still in situ. The corridor leads to the north court; the Peristyle Court, w…
reviewed
-
Knossos
This palace, in a beautiful site just southeast of Iraklio, is the most magnificent, intricate and evocative of Crete's Minoan sites. In order to give visitors an idea of what the palace looked like, its discoverer, Sir Arthur Evans, had parts of it reconstructed.
Thanks to Evans' controversial reconstruction, the most significant parts of the complex are instantly recognisable (if not instantly found). On your wanders you will come across many of Evans' reconstructed columns, most painted deep brown-red with gold-trimmed black capitals. Like all Minoan columns, they taper at the bottom.
It is not only the vibrant frescoes and mighty columns which impress at Knossos; keep…
reviewed
-
B
Propylon
From the Theatral Area, the 15m-wide grand stairway leads to the Propylon, which was a porch. Below the Propylon are the storerooms that still contain pithoi (storage urns). The square hall next to the storerooms is thought to have been an office, where tablets containing Linear A script were found beneath the floor in 1955. South of the storeroom a corridor led to the west side of the Central Court. South of the corridor is a lustral basin, rooms with benches and a pillar crypt similar to that at Knossos.
reviewed
-
theatral area
An alternative way to enter is to have a look at the Corridor of the Procession Fresco, then walk straight ahead to enter the site from the northern end. If you do this you will come to the theatral area, a series of steps whose function remains unknown. It could have been a theatre where spectators watched acrobatic and dance performances, or the place where people gathered to welcome important visitors arriving by the Royal Road.
reviewed
-
Karfi
North of Tzermiado, perched on a dramatic rocky hill, is the Minoan settlement of Karfi, a crude refuge for Minoans fleeing the Dorians. You can drive the bulk of the way and walk for about 40 minutes up to the site. Otherwise it takes about two hours to do the 6km climb. Take plenty of water. Follow the signs to the Timios Stavros church (where you need to leave the car) to the well-marked path up to the ruins.
reviewed
-
queen's megaron
A passage leads from the Hall of the Double Axes to the queen's megaron. Above the door is a copy of the Dolphin Fresco, one of the most exquisite Minoan artworks. A blue floral design decorates the portal. Next to this room is the queen's bathroom, complete with terracotta bathtub and a water closet, touted as the first ever to work on the flush principle; water was poured down by hand.
reviewed
-
Piano Nobile
On the 1st floor of the west side of the palace is the section Evans called the Piano Nobile, for he believed the reception and staterooms were here. A room at the northern end of this floor displays copies of some of the frescoes found at Knossos.
reviewed
-
Petras
About 2km southeast of town is the interesting Minoan archaeological site of Petras on a low hill overlooking the sea. You can see the remains of the settlement, including two houses from the New Palace period. The site is open to the public.
reviewed
-
C
Theatral Area
A stairway leads down from the Upper Court to the Theatral Area that was once the staging ground for performances. The seats are at the northern end, and the southern end contains the west facade of the Old Palace.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
giant pithoi
Worth seeking out in the northern section of the palace are the giant pithoi, ceramic jars used for storing olive oil, wine and grain. Evans found over 100 of them at Knossos (some were 2m high).
reviewed
-
Royal Road
The Royal Road leads off to the west of the theatral area. The road, Europe's first (Knossos has lots of firsts), was flanked by workshops and the houses of ordinary people.
reviewed
-
Lustral Basin
The Lustral Basin is in the area of the Royal Road. Evans speculated that this was where the Minoans performed a ritual cleansing with water before religious ceremonies.
reviewed
-
D
Upper Court
Past the ticket booth, the Upper Court that was used in both the Old and New Palaces contains the remains of buildings from the Hellenistic era.
reviewed
