Tourist Attraction in Heraklion:
Knossos

Knossos, is the most important archaeological site of the Bronze Age of Crete. It is located in the central part of the island of Crete. It was an important center of Minoan civilization. The palace of Knossos is linked to ancient myths of classical Greece, such as Minos and the labyrinth built by Daedalus, and that of Theseus and the Minotaur. Already inhabited in the Neolithic, it became a thriving center of Minoan civilization around 2000 BC, the epoch of the construction of the great palace which, without defensive walls, was a symptom of the Cretan hegemony on the Aegean Sea. In this period the inhabitants of Knossos began to have economic and commercial relations with the Egyptian civilization and they even painted extraordinary frescoes produced with the traditional techniques of the inhabitants of the Nile. Around 1700 BC a cataclysm, perhaps an earthquake caused by the eruption of the volcano of the island of Thera, destroyed all the palaces of the island, including that of Knossos. During the neopalazial period, the palace was rebuilt even more sumptuous than that of the palatial era, once again without defensive walls, which bears witness to the total absence of invasion by other peoples. Around 1450 BC Christ Knossos was devastated by the Mycenaeans, population from the Peloponnese, as testified by the linear B texts found in the palace, until in the middle of the fourteenth century BC the city completely decayed. Finally, there are sources that indicate the presence of Cretan artisans in the Mycenaean cities where their high knowledge in the goldsmith's field was appreciated. It has been known for many years that in this area a city named Knossos was to be found. In fact, the inhabitants of the region, cultivating their fields, often found ancient objects. The first to undertake the excavations was Minos Kalokairinos, an antiquarian, dealer of Iraklion, who in 1878 discovered two of the building's warehouses. From the beginning the uncovered monuments needed restoration. Thus certain parts of the building have been restored and in these works the reinforced concrete was used in abundance. The parts that corresponded to wooden constructions were initially painted in yellow (today the yellow color is replaced). Moreover, copies of the wonderful frescoes found during the excavations have been placed at the original places. This method of restoration has been criticized by many because of the use of materials unrelated to Minoan architecture. Other scientists have questioned certain Evans results. The intuition, creative imagination and profound scientific knowledge of Evans have always been admired. In great part it is due to him the discovery of the splendor of the Minoan world, which until its time was only reflected in Greek mythology. The "second palace" was built at the beginning of the 16th century BC. The palace of Knossos was built around a courtyard in clay where they performed some gymnasts that circled the bulls, a sacred animal for the Cretans, defying death like the gladiators of the Colosseum. The building was so large and the plot was so complex that it was mentioned as a labyrinth in the myth of the Minotaur and the Arianna thread. In fact in the myth it is said that the building was designed by the Athenian architect Dedalo helped by his son Icaro. Particular of the palace are the famous baths of the apartments of the queen who, according to detailed studies, would be the most advanced of all antiquity, with underground pipes, sewers, drainage channels, always available hot water, a miracle of Cretan technique. In Knossos there was a flourishing culture of frescoes. The Cretans painted exceptional works on the walls of the Palace of Knossos with the classical profile view typical of Egyptian art. The Cretan religion in fact attributed divine characteristics to some animals, such as the bull and the serpent, which therefore constituted the privileged subject of the paintings.

Attractions in Heraklion