Snake goddesses, bull leapers and the Prince of the Lilies are among the intriguing characters you’ll encounter in the unmissable Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
This is the world's premier museum of the Minoan culture, which is widely considered to be the first civilization in Europe. Reaching a peak of development beginning in 2000 BCE, their art, architecture and culture are celebrated in this visitor-friendly museum.
Visitor-Friendly Treasures
The museum's 27 rooms show off the most beautiful and well-preserved pieces of art and artifacts unearthed on Crete – pottery to jewelry, sarcophagi to frescoes – spanning 7200 years from the Neolithic period (7000 BCE) to Roman times (200 CE). A two-hour spin around here will greatly enhance your understanding of Cretan history, help put any archaeological site on Crete in context and bring to life both aspects of daily life and the development of Cretan societies.
The two-story 1930s Bauhaus building makes a gleaming showcase for artifacts from Neolithic to Roman times, including a Minoan collection of unparalleled richness. The rooms are color-coded and displays are arranged both chronologically and by themes such as settlements, trade, death, religion and administration. Engaging descriptions provide context in English. While comprehensive, the exhibits are also selective so the scope is not overwhelming.
Items displayed in the remaining upstairs rooms and two more on the ground cover the period from the early Stone Age to the Roman period and would be the pride of every other museum, but here pale in comparison to the magnificence of the Minoan objects.
