Knossos is the site of the most important and better known
palace of Minoan civilization. According to tradition, it
was the seat of the legendary king Minos. The Palace is
also connected with thrilling legends, such as the myth
of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur, and the story of Daidalos
and Icaros. The most important monuments of the site are:
The Palace of Knossos.
It is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centres.
Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, containing
the royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories,
the throne room and banquet halls. Dated to 2000-1350 B.C.
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The Little Palace.
It lies to the west of the main palace and has all the features
of palatial architecture: scraped wall masonry, reception rooms,
a pristyle hall, a double megaron with polythyra and a lustral
basin-shrine. Dated to the 17th-15th centuries B.C.
The Royal Villa
The Royal Villa.
It lies to the NE of the palace and its architectural form is
distinguished by the polythyra, the pillar crypt and the double
staircase, with two flights of stairs. It is strongly religious
in character and might have been the residence of an aristocrat
or a high priest. Dated to the 14th century B.C.
House of the Frescoes.
It is located to the NW of the palace and is a small urban mansion
with rich decoration on the walls. Dated to the 15th, 14th-12th
centuries B.C.
Caravanserai. It lies to the south of the palace and was
interpreted as a reception hall and hospice. Some of the rooms
are equipped with baths and decorated with wall paintings.
Temple Tomb.
It is located almost 600 m. to the south of the palace and was
connected with the "House of the High Priest" by means
of a paved street. It seems that one of the last kings of Knossos
(17th-14th centuries B.C.) was buried here.
House of the High Priest. It lies 300 m. to the south
of Caravanserai and contains a stone altar with two columns, framed
by the bases of double axes.
The South Mansion.
Private civic house, located to the south of the palace. It is
a three-storeyed building with a lustral basin and a hypostyle
crypt, dating from the 17th-15th centuries B.C.
The "Bull-leaping" fresco
The exhibiton of the museum is organized in chronological order,
ranging from the Neolithic period to the Roman era (4th century
A.D.) and geographically, according to the provenance of the finds.
The most important items of the exhibition are:
The "Bull-leaping" fresco.
Fresco found at the Palace of Knossos, with a representation of
the bull-leaping, a kind of contest, probably religious in character,
in which both men and women took part. A man is shown jumping
over the back of a bull with a female figure on each side.
Rock-crystal rhyton.
Exquisite small rhyton (libation vessel) from the Palace of Zakros.
The body is carved from a large block of rock-crystal and the
handle is made of crystal beads threaded on a bronze wire.
Gold ring from Isopata.
Gold signet ring found in a tomb at Isopata, in the vicinity of
Knossos. On the bezel is a representation of women in ecstatic
ritual dance, in a meadow with lilies. The smaller figure is considered
to be a goddess descending from the sky. On the ground, the signs
of an eye and snakes can also be seen. It is a true masterpiece
of Minoan goldwork
Fruitstand of the "Kamares Style".
Clay fruitstand from the Palace at Phaistos. It is decorated with
painted, multi-coloured, spiral patterns and the rim is adorned
with a toothed fringe. It is a wonderful example of the "Kamares
Style".
Rhyton in the shape of a bull's head
Rhyton in the shape of a bull's head.
Libation vessel carved from a block of black steatite in the shape
of a bull's head. The details of the head are incised, the eyes
are inlaid with rock-crystal and jasper, the muzzle is inlaid
with white shell (mother-of-pearl) and the horns, now restored,
were made of gilded wood.
The Phaistos Disk.
Clay disk found at the Palace of Phaistos. On both sides 242 signs
have been impressed with sealstones, running in a spiral form
starting from the edge towards the centre. The signs belong to
an ideographic and probably syllabic script, which has not yet
been deciphered despite the numerous attempts over the years.
The "Snake Goddesses".
Faience figurines of the so-called "Snake-Goddess",
from the Palace of Knossos. Typical features of these religious
figurines are the upraised or stretched arms wielding the crawling
snakes, the thin-waisted bodice which left the breasts bare, and
the characteristic, flounced skirt with the apron.
Clay model of a shrine from the Giamalakis Collection.
Unique terracotta model of a circular shrine, found at Archanes.
The opening was closed by a detachable door. Inside the shrine
there is a seated female figure with raised arms, possibly a goddess.
Bronze statuettes.
Three statuettes made of hammered bronze sheets (sphyrelata),
from the Temple of Apollo Delphinios at Dreros. They probably
depict Apollo, his sister Artemis and their mother, Leto.
Statue of Aphrodite.
Marble statue from Gortyn, representing goddess Aphrodite kneeling
in her bath. It is a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original by the
sculptor Doidalsas. Dated to the 1st century B.C.
