Palace at Knossos (Minoan palace with a labyrinth). Knossos Palace, Crete, Greece: description, photo, where it is on the map, how to get

Probably, there is no such person who has not heard about the famous labyrinth of the Minotaur and the majestic Palace of Knossos! But it's one thing to read history books, and another to see it all in reality. Therefore, it was not in vain that we chose the route "" - "Knossos Palace" for our first excursion in Crete.

How to get to Knossos Palace

The palace is located in the city of the same name, a few kilometers from Heraklion. Therefore, there are many options for how to get there. This includes public transport, taxis, and hundreds of excursion tours. But we chose the option of an independent trip in a rented car.

Next to the palace is a large free parking. It was barely full when we arrived, but perhaps at peak tourist season parking may be difficult.

To get to the territory of the palace, you need to return to the main road and go along it a little further. Not everyone can get their bearings the first time, but it’s good that the locals will show you the direction without any problems.

Ticket office and cafe at the entrance to the palace

Immediately at the entrance there are ticket offices where you can buy tickets and book excursions. There were no tours in Russian. So, if you want a tour, then you need to take a tour somewhere in the agency.

Ticket price for the Palace of Knossos— 15 euros. And for 16 euros you will be given a ticket to the palace and museum. We, not immediately understanding, took just such an option. But it is only important to remember that the museum is located in Heraklion. You can use this ticket for the next three days, after which it "burns out".

History of the Minoan Civilization

The Minoan civilization was very highly developed, far ahead of its time. For example, back in the 2000s BC. Minoan palaces had running water and sewerage. Such goods appeared in Europe only in the Middle Ages. There is still debate about its origin, but it is believed that the Minoans are descendants of the ancient Sumerians.

The Minoan civilization itself was built around the so-called palaces. These were not the palaces that we are used to seeing at a later time, but were complex complexes that combined many functions.

The name of the Minoan civilization was in honor of the legendary king Minos, who is believed to have owned a palace with a famous labyrinth. This civilization was discovered only in the 19th century by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans. Before that, nothing was known about this civilization, since during the time of Turkish domination it was extremely difficult to excavate.

The palace that we can now observe is the second one. The first one was destroyed during a strong earthquake around 1700 BC. And the new one, built on the same place, marked the beginning of the “new palace” period, and lasted until about 1400 BC. During this period, the Minoan civilization is strongly influenced by other cultures and begins to decline. Also, around 1500-1600 BC. happened on the island of Santorini the strongest eruption volcano, covering all the nearby islands with ash. Previously, it was believed that this was the cause of the death of the Minoans. But the latest excavation evidence suggests that civilization lasted at least another hundred years after that. Therefore, the exact reasons for the final destruction of the palaces have not yet been found.

Tour of the Palace of Knossos

The main feature of the Knossos Palace, which causes a lot of controversy and criticism, is that some of the buildings were restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans in order to show the real appearance of various rooms. Adherents of the purity of history believe that this should not be done. But for tourists, in my opinion, it is much more interesting to observe the structures in reality than to try to imagine how it all looked 4 thousand years ago.

south house

The South House is the code name for one of the partially restored buildings. Presumably, it was the residence of the priest.

southern propylaea

The southern propylaea are part of the cult premises used for various ceremonies. Here is the famous fresco "Rhyton Bearer" - a young man holding a conical vessel for libations. Of course, all this is a reconstruction.

Southern borders of the palace, "Horns of Initiation"

If you go a little south, you can admire the buildings called the southern borders of the palace. And in the distance, to the left of the white column, you can see the sacred horns, which also still raise many questions.

Throne room

You can't enter the throne room. It is closed for restoration work. But it is quite possible to look from the side.

And of course, you can’t pass by, probably, the most famous and recognizable picture that adorns many books and guides - the famous Knossos bull!

Another famous fresco is the Prince with Lilies. Like many others, this is a reproduction. The restored original is in the archaeological museum of Heraklion.

Many who saw the Palace of Knossos with their own eyes claim that it is he who is the legendary labyrinth of the Minotaur, which came to life from myths. The similarity of the Knossos palace to a labyrinth has made it the most popular archaeological site among tourists. In all guidebooks, its second name is noted - “The Labyrinth of the Minotaur”.

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Ania Mendrek tedbassman Ania Mendrek JB TorresMedina Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal William Allen Inside the Palace of Knossos (Steve Jurvetson) Max Froumentin Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal) Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal) Grand Palace in Knossos, Crete (George Groutas) Fresco with dolphins (Ania Mendrek) Ania Mendrek Ania Mendrek Ania Mendrek Palace of Knossos - North Entrance (Nelo Hotsuma) Giant pithoi (Ania Mendrek)

The culture of ancient Crete is covered with numerous myths and secrets. So the ancient Greeks believed that the island was the birthplace of the supreme god Zeus. Then the Thunderer gave the land to his son Minos, one of the most powerful rulers of antiquity. Here, according to legend, there was a labyrinth built by the order of Minos by the mythical builder Daedalus.

Knossos Palace (William Allen)

ABOUT real history Crete was only talked about at the beginning of the 20th century, when sensational archaeological monuments and artifacts were discovered, as a result of which it became known about the existence of statehood that arose long before Ancient Greek.

In 1900, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavations near Knossos. The very first penetrations into the cultural layer of the soil opened the eyes of researchers to evidence of the existence of settlements on these lands. And two weeks later, the remains of buildings that occupied an area of ​​2.5 hectares appeared before the eyes of scientists. Their outlines resembled a labyrinth.

The abundance of rooms and halls with many doors and a complex scheme of corridors, even in a ruined state, could confuse anyone. All this led a number of researchers to the idea that the found Knossos palace once belonged to the semi-mythical king Minos, the father of Ariadne and the owner of the terrible creature of the Minotaur.

Thus, a civilization was discovered, which in modern history has received the name "Cretan-Mycenaean".

Knossos Palace: architecture and interior decoration

Many who saw the Palace of Knossos with their own eyes claim that it is he who is the legendary labyrinth of the Minotaur, which came to life from myths.

Eyewitnesses are not embarrassed by the fact that the labyrinth in Crete was built much later than the myth itself was born. And this is no coincidence, the impressive architecture and scale of the building suggest this idea.

Inside the Palace of Knossos (Steve Jurvetson)

The palace of Knossos was larger than the Vatican and Versailles. Built on a solid foundation, the building had a complex system of passages.

The palace was a kind of building-state with various multi-level buildings connected by countless stairs and passages.

There were several courtyards and buildings, a theater and the summer residence of the king, temples, warehouses and even internal gardens. With all this diversity, the Palace of Knossos was not a chaotic heap, but had a clearly conceived architectural plan, which has no other analogues in the world.

The palace of Knossos was distinguished by its magnificent decor with artistic painting and frescoes with a complex composition. Artifacts found during excavations testify to the luxury of the furnishings.

So fragments of furniture and elements of decoration have survived to our time: golden vases and lamps, gilded figurines of the gods. In the pantries were found armor inlaid precious stones. In the rooms - women's jewelry.

The surviving wall paintings give an idea of ​​the values ​​and ideals of a bygone civilization. Here you can find the ideas of the Minoans about the universe and the gods. In addition, wall scenes made it possible to establish the material culture of a bygone civilization: traditional clothes, household items, occupation, etc.

Fresco with dolphins (Ania Mendrek)

Why was the palace of Knossos destroyed?

There is no exact information about the "death" of the Palace of Knossos. There is a version that it was destroyed during an earthquake and was abandoned by people.

It is also possible that he was buried under the action of volcanic lava that covered him during a volcanic eruption, as evidenced by the corpses of people and animals found during excavations.

And a completely mythical version - the inhabitants of Knossos are representatives of Atlantis.

The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur

One of the famous ancient Greek myths says that once upon a time a terrible creature lived on the island of Crete - the minotaur - a monster with a human body and a bull's head.

It was the fruit of a vicious connection between the wife of the Cretan ruler Minos Pasiphae and a bull. To hide the traces of infidelity of his wife, Minos ordered Daedalus to build a labyrinth, in which he placed the monster.

After the son of Minos Androgey, the angry ruler of Crete, died at the competitions in Athens, he demanded a terrible tribute from the Athenians - every 9 years, 7 girls and 7 boys arrived on the island by ship. All of them, as a sign of punishment, went to the labyrinth, where they either died, unable to get out of the labyrinth, or were torn apart by a ferocious monster guarding the underground possessions.

The third terrible tribute from Athens was taken to the island of Crete and the son of the ruler of Athens - Theseus. The young man begged his father Aegeus to let him go along with the young people in the hope of defeating the monster and breaking the chain of terrible tribute. So, under black sails - a symbol of mourning - another group of terrible sacrifices set off. However, Theseus assured his father that he would return alive and announce his victory with white sails.

According to the myth, the beautiful Ariadne, the daughter of the ruler of Crete, fell in love with Theseus. To save her lover, she came up with a cunning plan - she secretly gave him a knife to kill the Minotaur and a ball of thread, through which the hero and his companions could get out of the labyrinth.

The plan was a success - the monster was defeated, and the young people went to their homeland. Ariadne followed her lover. However, Theseus was forced to abandon the girl, because she was destined to be the wife of the god Dionysus.

Saddened by separation, the young man forgot to change the sails, and the ship entered the harbor of Athens under a black banner. Seeing this, Aegeus, distraught with grief, thinking that his son was dead, threw himself off a cliff into the sea. Since then, it has become known as the Aegean.

Minotaur Labyrinth: Fiction and Truth

The emergence of the legend of the Minotaur has a historical basis. In Crete, the cult of the bull has been revered since ancient times. It was believed that he ruled underworld and in anger shook the firmament of the earth, causing it to tremble. This is how the islanders explained private earthquakes.

Knossos Palace - North Entrance (Nelo Hotsuma)

The island of Crete, which is of volcanic origin, was constantly subjected to earth tremors. Numerous finds of ceramics, images on walls and frescoes, where the main character is a bull, also speak in favor of this version. To appease the wrath of the underground god, the Cretans offered him human sacrifices. So there is information about the existence in the ancient Cretan cult ritual - a dance with bulls.

Tauropols - girls and boys who underwent special training - participated in this sacred ceremony. Their whole life was devoted to mastering the sacred dance, so that at the age of 14-15 they would be sacrificed to the underground god during the bloody "fun" with the bulls.

At the same time, the Cretans identified the labyrinth with the path of life - there is a beginning and an end, their own roads, choice of direction and dead ends. In addition, the labyrinth was a symbol of the struggle of light forces with dark principles.

Thus, the labyrinth was covered with a kind of sacred meaning. It is no coincidence that the Cretan builders equipped all the temples in the likeness of a labyrinth.

Frescoes in the Palace of Knossos

The frescoes of the Palace of Knossos with graceful drawings of the Minoan culture picturesquely decorate the walls. The main colors used by ancient decorative artists are turquoise, orange, black and bright red.

Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal)

Many frescoes with images of girls who jump over a bull, beautiful young men, the “Prince with a Lily”, “Rhyton Bearer” are skillfully and detailed.

Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to many rooms with beautiful images. The throne room is decorated with paintings in red and white shades, with painted graceful vultures guarding the throne of the ruler of Knossos. The walls of the rooms above the throne room are decorated with copies of found frescoes (the "Hall of Frescoes") with beautiful images of "Blue Bird", "Lady in Blue", "Blue Monkey", "Saffron Collector", "Playing with Bulls" and many others. The original frescoes are kept in the Heraklion Museum.

Of particular interest is the megaron of the Queen of Knossos. Parts of a clay bath were found in the bath. The image of a labros periodically appears on the walls of the palace - this is a sign of a labyrinth, which once again suggests that the Palace of Knossos is the secret labyrinth of the Minotaur from the myths of Ancient Greece.

Knossos Palace - the main tourist attraction of Crete

The similarity of the Knossos palace to a labyrinth has made it the most popular archaeological site among tourists. In all guidebooks, its second name is noted - “The Labyrinth of the Minotaur”.

There is also a legend that the real labyrinth built for the Minotaur is hidden under the mountains. He is extensive network bizarre caves and outlines. Locals claim that strange creatures still live in it to this day.

The attractiveness of the Palace of Knossos also lies in the fact that even during the excavations, work was carried out in parallel to restore it. Thus, not just ruins appear before tourists, but reconstructed premises of the “labyrinth”. But at the same time, the restoration work carried out does not allow ordinary tourist determine where the real remains of the palace are, and where is just an interpretation.

Where is the Palace of Knossos?

The Palace of Knossos is located near the Cretan capital of Heraklion. Buses run constantly towards the palace. Thus, the way to the main attraction of the island takes quite a bit of time.

Cost of visiting the Labyrinth of the Minotaur

A visit to the "maze" for adults will cost 6 euros, for children - 3 euros. The museum-palace is open all year round. During the tourist peak - from July to October - it is open from 8 to 19 hours. The rest of the time - from 8 to 15. Near the palace there are numerous souvenir shops where everyone can buy a memorable gift.

Tips: how to save money on excursions to the Palace of Knossos?

The palace of Knossos stands serenely, literally on the outskirts of the capital of Crete, Heraklion. Just 4 kilometers from magnificent beaches and a popular recreation area, so getting here is quite easy.

Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal

When purchasing a guided tour to the Palace of Knossos, you can overpay 3-5 times, the average price from a tour operator is 50 euros, from a street guide - 35 euros. Note that the entrance to the museum complex itself is not included in the price of the tour offer.

But there are also positive aspects here - a comfortable bus and a competent guide.

For those who want to visit the museum complex on their own and save money, they can use the public bus. Every 10-15 minutes buses leave from the Heraklion bus station and the Astoria hotel (bus number 2) to the Palace of Knossos. The trip does not last long - about 20 minutes.

There are differences between the buses: green buses are intercity buses, blue buses are city buses. For a trip to the Palace of Knossos blue bus, costing 1.5 euros one way ( Ending station). The bus ticket must be bought from the vending machine located at the bus stop.

For those who rented a car, there is free parking near the palace complex and many signs on how to get there, which, however, are not required, because. almost all rental cars in Crete are equipped with navigators with maps of the island's attractions.

Cost of visiting

The cost of visiting the palace complex is 6 euros, children under 5 years old - free of charge, preferential categories, children 5-12 years old - 3 euros. We advise you to purchase a "double ticket" at a price of 10 euros for an adult, which is also a ticket to the informative and interesting Heraklion Archaeological Museum (children under 5 years old also have free entry).

Best time to visit

A visit to the Palace of Knossos during the largest tourist months (from April to October) is possible from 8-00 to 19-00 on weekdays (on weekends entry until 15-00); and from March to November from 8:00 to 15:00. Crowds of tourists can be avoided if you visit the palace complex in the morning or closer to the closing of the museum. An hour or two to visit the museum complex is enough.

Free entry

Like many Greek museums and the Acropolis, Crete has special days for tourists, where the entrance to many museum complexes free. This also applies to visiting the Palace of Knossos. So, these are the days - May 18, June 5, August 15, September 27 and the last weekend of September.

Before the trip, it is advisable to prepare and study the map Palace complex. The palace of Knossos is located on a hilltop, so it is almost constantly blown by hot wind and open to the hot rays of the sun. You must wear hats and take drinking water. Souvenir products are still better to buy in Heraklion, where they will cost several times cheaper.

Crete is located in the center Eastern Mediterranean, due to its geographical location connected Europe, Asia and Africa. It was here that the ancients crossed sea ​​routes. And therefore it was the main center before the Greek culture.

This was proved by the English archaeologist Arthur Evans, who from 1898 for almost 30 years, carried out archaeological excavations on the northern coast of the island, near modern Heraklion. Here he found the remains of a palace - the residence of the supreme rulers of the early slave-owning state in the city of Knossos.

And it was no less important sensational discovery than the found tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen. According to Evans, this palace belonged to the legendary powerful king of Crete - Minos, whose state was 1000 years older than Ancient Greece.

According to ancient folk tales, King Minos founded (in addition to Knossos) the cities of Festus and Kedonia. Under his reign, Crete achieved maritime dominance in the Mediterranean, the dawn of Cretan culture and education, the introduction of the first legislation in Crete.

And Evans proposed to call the Cretan culture "Minoan" - after the name of King Minos. It was a highly developed culture of the Bronze Age in 3-2 millennia BC. e. In his monumental work The Palace of Minos at Knossos, which was published from 1921 to 1935, Evans divided the history of development Ancient Crete for three periods:

• Early Minoan (3000-220 BC);
• Middle Minoan (2200-1600);
• Late Minoan (1600-1100).

The dawn of the Minoan culture falls on the Middle Minoan period (17th century BC). It was at this time that the Palace at Knossos was built.

The main aspects of the architecture of the Minoan culture

The architecture of this era is characterized by the following compositional techniques and main elements

1. A peculiar layout of the interior of the palace.
2. High level of amenities.
3. Creation of a type of two-column portico in "ants".
4. The rooms are plastered and decorated with frescoes, carved reliefs depicting games and harvest scenes.
5. Creation of the foundations of landscape architecture.
6. Development of new earthquake-resistant structures:

• columns mounted on a pedestal expand upwards, have a wide capital and a large, square abacus;
• ceilings are made of round beams;
• a wooden frame made of bundles and filled with mud and stone blocks.

All this was used in the construction of the palace at Knossos.

Construction of the Palace at Knossos

This amazing labyrinth palace was built by a talented architect, sculptor and artist of that time, Daedalus. He was also an outstanding inventor. He is credited with the creation of a planer, a drill, a plumb line, the invention of a sail for ships. In Greece, many wooden sculptures and wooden buildings were considered his creations.

The architectural wonder of the world, the Palace of Knossos, was located on a low plateau. This is a huge complex with a dungeon and a complex intricate plan. total area it was, according to one source, 16,000 m2; for others - 20,000 m2.

The center of the palace was a large, rectangular, so-called central courtyard. Its size is 50x28 m, hundreds of premises for various purposes, courtyards, a theater were located around. One-story complexes alternated with two-three-story ones, and were interconnected by numerous staircases, intricate corridors, and passages. But all this was united into a single whole and the building picturesquely fit into the surrounding landscape.

Complex in plan, the chaotic arrangement of rooms, with many doors, light shafts, countless turns, corridors leading to small courtyards with a colonnade, really resembled a labyrinth. And, apparently, served as a source for the creation of the myth of the labyrinth.

The inner chambers of the palace could be entered through two main entrances. One - from the South-West, had a portico with one column in the middle. The other is from the North of the central courtyard. According to the frescoes found, this entrance was decorated with 536 life-size figures. Apparently, they were participants in the festive procession.

The central courtyard divided the palace into Western and Eastern parts. In its turn, Western part The palace was separated by a long corridor. On one side were narrow storerooms. In them, in huge clay amphoras (pithoi), and in stone boxes, food was stored. And these are: grains, olive oil, dates, beans, wines. The height of the pithoi reached two meters, their capacity was up to 185 liters.

According to Evans' calculations, they could store up to 475,000 liters of products, including 80,000 liters of wine. All this would be enough to feed a city with a population of 100,000 people.

On the other side of the corridor, to the second floor, there was a large staircase with a column. To the south of it was the palace sanctuary. This can be assumed from the various cult objects found here and large square pillars, which were decorated with the symbol of a double ax.

To the north of the stairs was the majestic throne room - one of the famous attractions of the Knossos Palace.

A portico with three pillars led to it. And from it - a door with a column in the center, directly to the "throne room". In the center of the northern wall of the throne room, there was the Royal Throne with a wave-shaped back and a recess for sitting. This is where the kings sat. The legend even preserved their names - Minos with the brothers Sarpedon and Rhadamanth.

Light entered the throne room through a light shaft. Bright red stripes were applied to its walls. That is, part of the flat roof and ceiling, which was supported by columns, was removed. Thus, a span was created through which the hall was illuminated. Often, such a span passed through several floors. Since it was arranged near the internal staircase connecting the floors.

Under this flight, in the floor of the throne room, they found a square depression. Several steps led up to it. Until now, it has not been clarified how this throne room served Minos. It is assumed that it was intended for ceremonial receptions, and a square recess in the floor - as a pool for ritual sacred rites.

From the northwest, a wide staircase adjoined the Knossos Palace, connecting all three floors. It led to a large, spectacular platform - the oldest theater in Europe. Evans's colleagues called this arena "the court entertainment theater". She was surrounded by rows of spectator seats. Rising, they formed an amphitheater and accommodated about 500 spectators. This is where the king's bed was located.

The entire arena was cemented, with sidewalks slanting across it. Apparently, various kinds of processions were moving along it. This is where the bull games took place.

On the eastern side of the palace from the central courtyard were technical rooms. They were located:

• complex and perfect plumbing system for supplying drinking water to the palace;
• sewer system - drainage channels - stone gutters with a special device for cleaning;
• ventilation systems;
• great bathrooms.

It should be noted that such systems of water supply and sewerage were not known to the inhabitants of Greece, even during the period of the highest dawn of their culture in the 5th century BC. e.

There were also workshops of sculptors and potters. In one of the rooms there was an installation for the production of olive oil. The special rooms in this part of the palace, in terms of size and significance, included the “hall of the double ax”. It was named so according to the symbolic signs found here on the walls and pillars. This hall consisted of three spatial elements:

• an outdoor portico on columns overlooking an open terrace;
• main room;
• vestibule with two doors and two columns overlooking the light shaft.

From the vestibule of this hall, a narrow corridor led to the queen's quarters, the so-called "queen's megaron". The chambers got this name because of the closed, one might say intimate nature. Since they had neither an exit nor an open view of the surrounding landscape. But on both sides, the chambers were surrounded by light mines.

There were two doors in the western wall of the "Queen's Megaron": one led to the bathroom, the other to the bedroom. Here, on a square gypsum platform, stood a bed. From the bedroom the door led to the toilet room, which has all the conveniences of modern technology.

Underground rooms were found in the southern part of the Knossos Palace. They contained food storage, palace bedrooms, and bathrooms. Here, in hiding places, the treasures of the king and his family were kept. And this:

• swords decorated with elegant inlay;
• men's belts studded with precious stones;
• gold reserves.

As well as women's jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, rings, earrings.

The construction of underground rooms is explained by the fact that the ancient architects noticed that such rooms were the least destroyed even during very strong earthquakes. They were quite frequent in this region.

The walls of the palace were made of hollow bricks and plastered. The flat roofs supported the columns.

Decorations of the Palace of Knossos

The walls of the rooms and the interior of the palace were decorated with frescoes, reliefs, ornamental paintings. The walls of some rooms (including the throne room) were decorated with a kind of alabaster frieze. It consisted of a continuous alternation of vertical and horizontal elements. Vertical - decorated with spirals; horizontal - consisted of two halves touching circles filled with images of palm leaves.

Some scholars believed that this frieze resembled the so-called "triglyph-like" frieze of a Doric temple with triglyphs and metopes. But, the alabaster frieze did not perform any constructive functions. He didn't have permanent place on the wall. It could be seen both at the top and at the bottom of the wall. Therefore, to see in it the prototype of the Doric triglyph by scientists is a mistake.

Ornamental painting made in yellow, red, blue colors adorned the lower parts of the walls of the queen's megaron. The ornament in the form of an endless ribbon resembled either the contours of clouds or the stormy streams of water jets. And moving from one wall to another, as if denying the presence of corners, it creates the impression of an endless space in all directions.

The queen's Megaron was also decorated with frescoes, where he was depicted seascape with fish and dolphins.

The supreme deity and object of worship, Fr. Crete was a bull god. Therefore, the themes of many frescoes that adorned the walls, ceilings of the rooms and interiors of the palace are associated with the image of a bull and bull horns.

Frescoes of the Palace of Knossos were also found depicting a group of animatedly talking, elegantly dressed, with skillful hairstyles, women. Perhaps among them was Ariadne. Apparently, being in the amphitheater, they watched what was happening in the theater arena. They admired the acrobats, who either skillfully performed somersaults on a racing bull, or deftly jumped over the backs of angry animals.

A fresco depicting the king was also found. Long hair is visible from under the crown; on the hands - massive expensive bracelets; on the neck - jewelry made of precious stones.

The reliable support, protection and support of the king of Crete was the army. Images of Cretan warriors were also found on the frescoes. They were reliably protected by a shield in the shape of a figure eight. And the offensive weapon of the warrior was the spear.

Arthur Evans was struck by the beauty of stone vessels, golden vases, fragments of magnificent furniture, metal lamps, statuettes of gods found in the ruins of the Knossos Palace in Crete. The stone vessels depicted fights with bulls, processions of warriors, and fisticuffs.

On two golden vases - a relief image of fishing wild bulls among plants (apparently, the action took place in the forest). A round vase was also found, where an octopus is depicted with burning eyes.

Its tentacles cover the entire surface of the vase. And between them - corals and algae. And thus, the illusion of the marine environment is created.

All this, found during archaeological excavations, testifies to the former wealth and luxury of the mysterious labyrinth palace.

Features of the columns of the Palace of Knossos

Archaeological excavations confirm that one of the structural elements of the Palace of Knossos were columns. And they served as an internal support. That is, they supported either the ceiling next to the light shafts, or the marches of countless multi-story stairs.

The columns are atectonical, that is, they are, as it were, turned upside down. This is their shape, it is due to the fact that they were made of wood and installed with the rhizome up. It was on him that it was convenient to lay the floor beams. And, in addition, in the wide upper part, the bond and fastening are stronger.

The peculiar capital of the column was made in the form of a double shaft. And, apparently, it served to secure the fabric awning (curtain stretched between the columns). Some frescoes show that the capitals had light, original decorations on the sides. And, therefore, they were taken as a symbol of a double ax.

Another interesting detail. Columns tapering downwards were never installed at the corners of the palace. Since they are completely unsuitable for such an arrangement in the building. The columns were mounted on flat ring stone bases. This protected the wooden trunk from rotting.

Archaeological excavations have found many such round stone bases and charred remains of wooden columns. In addition, it was determined that the columns were white, the pilasters were blue, the bases and capitals were decorated with red stripes.

It is believed that the columns of the palace were of two types. One type is a twisted column intertwined with an ornament of spiral convex vertical flutes. Its wooden trunk is, as it were, entwined with plant stems. Another type is a ribbed column.

According to archaeologists, it was the use of columns that made it possible to visually increase the size of the numerous rooms of the palace.

Myths about the Palace of Knossos

About this amazing mysterious building and about the legendary personalities, somehow connected with him, the authors of antiquity composed myths, tales and legends. Many of them have survived to this day.

The myth of Minos and the Minotaur shows the fierce struggle of the oppressed peoples against the oppressors for their independence. Since for centuries Crete, as a powerful sea ​​power, controlled the entire Eastern Mediterranean. And Athens was completely dependent on Crete.

The myth of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur reflects the fierce struggle against the forces of evil (the Minotaur) for the freedom of the individual. In ancient beliefs, the minotaur monster was the personification of dark forces in the heavenly underworld and sea worlds.

The legend has also been preserved that, allegedly, Theseus took part in the Marathon battle (490 BC). In military armor (with a spear, shield, helmet), he led the battle formation of the Greeks. And the Greeks won a brilliant victory over the Persians. But in reality, according to historians, Theseus is a collective image of a hero-warrior. In fact, such a person never existed in life.

The myth of Minos and the Minotaur.

The legendary King Minos, according to Greek legends, was the son of the supreme God Zeus, and the beautiful daughter of the Phoenician king - Europe. One day, Zeus saw young Europe among the girls on the seashore. He turned into a huge beautiful bull with golden, curved horns and hair shining in the sun.

He approached the girls, and Europe, jokingly, sat on the back of a wonderful bull. Immediately the bull jumped up and rushed into the sea, and, like a dolphin, quickly, together with Europe, swam to the island of Crete.

Europa became the wife of Zeus, and since then has never left the island. Years passed, Minos became the King of Crete, married the daughter of the Sun - Pasiphae. One day, Minos, boasting to the sailors, declared that the God of the sea - Neptune, would fulfill his every desire. And he asked Neptune to send him a bull, which he would certainly sacrifice.

When a beautiful white bull came out of the sea, Minos sent him to his herd, and sacrificed another bull. Neptune could not forgive such a deception, and asked Venus to take revenge on Minos. Venus made Pasephae fall madly in love with a beautiful sea bull. From this connection, Pasefai had a monster son, incredibly fierce and strong, with the head of a bull and the body of a man. They called him the Minotaur, and he only ate human flesh.

Minos demanded that Athens, which at that time was completely dependent on Crete, pay a terrible tribute. Every nine years, Athens had to send seven boys and seven girls from the best Athenian families to Crete to feed the minotaur. The Athenians paid such a terrible tribute to Crete because it was in Athens that the marathon bull killed the son of Minos, Androgeus, at the competitions.

To hide this monster, Minos decided to build a labyrinth palace from which it would be difficult to get out. To do this, he invited a well-known architect at that time, who lived in Athens - Daedalus.

The myth of Daedalus and Icarus

The famous architect, sculptor and inventor, according to the Athenians, was the son of the King of Athens, Erechtheus. Daedalus' sister, Perdika, had a son Tal, whom Daedalus taught all the wisdom of his craft. The boy was much more talented than his teacher. He invented the potter's wheel and the saw. Envying his nephew, and realizing that he could surpass him in skill, Daedalus decided to kill him.

Once, when they were standing alone, at the very edge of the high Athenian Acropolis, and there was no one around, Daedalus pushed him down. Falling from a great height, Tal crashed to his death. Hastily descending from the Acropolis, Daedalus decided to secretly bury Tal. But when he was digging a grave, the Athenians saw him. For this murder, Daedalus was sentenced to death. Therefore, he gladly accepted the invitation of Minos and fled to about. Crete.

Daedalus created many masterpieces of art for Minos. In particular, he designed and built, at the request of Minos, the labyrinth palace at Knossos.

Daedalus lived in Crete for many years. His son, Icarus, was also born here (Icarus's mother is a slave of Minos - Navcrates). Minos did not want to let Daedalus leave Crete. He wanted to use his art alone. And when Minos found out that Daedalus helped Theseus safely get out of the labyrinth, after killing the minotaur, he, along with Icarus, was thrown into Prison.

It was simply impossible to escape from this prison, since it was located on a small sea reef. And all around was the sea. Watching the flight of birds, the resourceful Daedalus realized that the only way to leave the island was by air. Having collected the wings of birds, he fastened them with linen threads and filled them with wax. Made four of them. large wing, giving them, like birds, a curved shape.

When the wings were ready, Daedalus decided to test them. Putting them on, he ascended into the sky. And Icarus watched with delight as his father, like a huge bird, soared in the air. Everything was ready to run. Daedalus warned his son not to get close to the sun. For its rays will scorch the wings. It is also impossible to fly low over the sea, as sea salt spray can also damage the wings.

Putting on wings, Daedalus and Icarus climbed the tower and flew into the sky. At first, Icarus obediently followed his father. They safely flew over the islands of Samos Delos and Paros. But suddenly Icarus, carried away by flight, forgetting about his father's warning, flapping his wings, flew high into the sky. The sun instantly scorched his wings, the wax melted, and Icarus fell into the sea from a terrible height.

For a long time, Daedalus called his beloved son, until he saw his body thrown ashore, and feathers on the sea waves. Since then, in honor of the deceased Icarus, the sea began to be called Ikarian (this is part Aegean Sea between the islands of Paros, Samas, and the coast of Asia Minor).

Daedalus sank ashore, in deep sorrow buried his young son. Continuing the flight, he landed safely in Sicily. And the King of Sicily, Kokal, invited Daedalus to his palace.

When Minos learned that Daedalus was in Sicily, he went there with a large army and demanded that Daedalus be handed over. But, the daughters of King Kokal wanted this artist to stay with them. They persuaded their father to invite and receive Minos in the palace as a guest. And when Minos took a bath, they poured boiling water over his head.

Minos died in terrible agony, and Daedalus lived in Sicily for a long time, then returned to his homeland in Athens. And he became the ancestor of the dynasty of Athenian artists - the Daedalides.

The myth of Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur

Theseus was born in Troezen. It was the city of his mother Ephra. Shortly after the birth of his son, his father, the king of Athens, urgently needed to return to Athens. But leaving, he hid his sword and sandals under a huge rock. And he said to Ephra, when the son can push back the rock, he should take the sword and sandals and come to Athens. So Aegeus will be able to recognize his son.

Until the age of 16, Theseus was brought up in the house of his grandfather, King Trezin Pitfey. He surrounded his grandson with care, love, attention. By this time, no one could compare with Theseus in strength, dexterity, and possession of weapons.

He was a tall, slender and handsome young man with a clear look, beautiful eyes, and dark curls. His young muscular body spoke of mighty strength. Ephra led Theseus to a rock where the sword and sandals of Aegeus were hidden. Theseus easily moved the stone block, took the things left there and went to Athens.

At this time, a feast was going on in the palace. Theseus took out his sword from its scabbard, and the King of Athens, seeing his sword and sandals on the feet of a stranger, recognized and joyfully greeted his son.

As the saying goes, "not at a good hour" Theseus came to Athens. It was at this time that ambassadors from Crete arrived to once again receive tribute. The next 7 boys and 7 girls for the minotaur monster. The ship under black sails was already ready to sail as a token of deep sorrow for the young victims. And Theseus decided to go with them to kill this monster and forever free Athens from this cruel tribute.

Theseus turned to the goddess Aphrodite for help and, having sacrificed to her, went to Crete. The ship arrived safely on the island. When the doomed boys and girls were brought to Minos, he immediately drew attention to the slender, beautiful young man - it was Theseus. The king's daughter, the beautiful Ariadne, also noticed him. And the Goddess Aphrodite kindled love for Theseus in her heart. And Areadna decided to save Theseus.

She turned to Daedalus with a question about how Theseus could be saved. And Daedalus gave her a ball of thread, and Ariadne, secretly from her father, took a sharp sword. She gave Theseus a ball of thread and a sword, and he promised her that after defeating the minotaur and returning from the labyrinth, they would get married.

When Theseus and the captives were taken to the labyrinths of the Palace of Knossos, at the entrance he tied the tip of a ball of thread and went along the endless, intricate corridors and passages of the palace, gradually unwinding the ball. Finally, he approached the room where the sleepy growl of the minotaur could be heard. The enraged minotaur attacked Theseus, a fierce struggle ensued.

Several times the minotaur pounced on Theseus, but a sharp sword stopped him. Finally, having contrived, Theseus grabbed the Minotaur by the horn and plunged a sharp sword into his chest. Having killed the monster, Theseus, along the thread of the ball, safely exited the labyrinth along with young men and girls (hence the expression "Areadna's thread"). At the entrance, Ariadne was waiting for them and joyfully greeted them.

Now it was necessary to escape as quickly as possible, from the wrath of Minos. Theseus quickly equipped his ship, and the bottom of all the ships of the Cretans was broken so that they could not pursue them. And all the way with Areadna went to Athens. But, unexpectedly, a strong storm began at sea and Theseus' ship was forced to moor at the island of Naxos.

The tired travelers fell asleep, in a dream Theseus saw the God of winemaking Dionysus, and informed him that by the decision of the Gods, Areadne should become his (Dionysus') wife. And, therefore, she needs to stay on this island. Theseus woke up, he could not go against the will of the Gods, and, saddened by the loss of his beloved Areadna, quickly got ready to go. Theseus completely forgot to change the black sails to white ones, and his father, Aegeus, was waiting for his son. high rock by the sea.

Seeing black sails, and deciding that his son was dead, he rushed into the sea and sea ​​waves swallowed him up. Since then, the sea began to be called the Aegean. With great honors, Theseus buried his father. And after the funeral he became the ruler of Athens. But for a long time he mourned the death of his father, blaming himself for his departure from life.

Conclusion

Myths of antiquity ... What is the deep meaning hidden in them? And the legend is closely intertwined with reality. The myth of Daedalus and Icarus expresses, firstly, the desire for freedom. For many years, the King of Crete did not allow the talented Daedalus to leave the island with his son. And, secondly, since ancient times, the desire of man to rise into the sky and fly over the earth, like birds.

As for the Minoan culture. She caused an irreparable, irreparable loss in 1470 BC. e. earthquake. It was incredible strong eruption volcano on the Santorini, located in the Aegean Sea.

At the same time, part of the land sank, which caused a strong tsunami, and all the islands of the Eastern Mediterranean (including the island of Crete), which were located within a radius of 200 km from Centarina, were covered with ejected volcanic ash. Fires started. Minoan culture fell into complete decline, and the center of civilization moved to mainland Greece(Mycenae and Tiryns). The era of Mycenaean culture began.

And most importantly... Archaeological excavations palace at Knossos, Evans found a mysterious stone seal. Strange images were carved on stone tablets: the head of a wolf, a bird, a ram's head, the mistress of beasts with two lions, and others.

It was a pictorial letter of the ancient inhabitants of Crete. According to the nature of the writing, Evans divided them into two groups: Cretan Linear A; Cretan-linear writing B. Apparently, they contain the secret of a little-known, almost unexplored culture of Antiquity - the Minoan culture. But neither Evans, nor to date, has been able to decipher this letter.

This was perhaps the only failure of the archaeologist. Success has always accompanied him. In 1909 Arthur Evans became the chair of archeology at Oxford University. In 1916 he was elected President of the British Academy of Sciences. 1936 - was awarded the Copley medal by the Royal Society. In June 1941 he died, and a month before that, in June 1941, German paratroopers captured Crete.

During the bombing, on fire, the museum where the exhibits of the Cretan Palace were kept was destroyed. But the courtyard at Knossos was already known to the world. And information has been preserved that the architect Daedalus built this fabulous labyrinth palace in ancient times, and the archaeologist Evans restored it from oblivion, describing in his work “The Palace of Minos at Knossos”.

At present, the former labyrinth palace is just a local cave, the length of which is 3 km.

In Greece, on the island of Crete, we went on package tour, because at that time it turned out to be much cheaper independent travel. We stopped in the city of Hersonissos (Greek: Χερσόνησος). Before the trip, we set ourselves a goal: not to use the services of travel agencies, but to try to plan and visit local attractions on our own. And the most famous, on the island of Crete, is the Palace of Knossos. It is quite easy to visit the Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete on your own. We found out that the Palace of Knossos is located near the city of Heraklion (Greek: Ηράκλειο), the capital of the island of Crete. It turned out that buses run from Hersonissos to Heraklion. And in general on Crete between cities is very well developed bus service. And we must pay tribute to their work, buses run almost exactly on time, the schedule of routes can be viewed at any stop.

Travel from Hersonissos to Heraklion costs 3 euros per person one way. We did not pay for our daughter, as we took it in our arms, but if there were free places, she occupied one place and no one was indignant. Each bus has a conductor, but this is by no means an aunt with a bag, as we are used to seeing in our country. They are mostly young people, dressed in uniform, with mobile cash registers. In total, the journey takes about forty minutes. Need to get to end point bus - Heraklion bus station. From the same bus station there are buses to the Palace of Knossos, the fare is 1.5 euros one way per person. Ticket offices for buying tickets to Knossos and the buses themselves stand separately on the left side if you look at main entrance bus station. The journey takes no more than 30 minutes. Be prepared for a long queue waiting for you at the entrance to the Knossos Palace, but it moves quite quickly.

Entrance costs 6 euros per person (they didn’t require a ticket for my daughter).

And now a little life hack. To make it interesting to see the ruins of the Knossos Palace, you need to know the history of this place, and for this, join a Russian-speaking group of tourists with a guide, and you will learn many interesting things. historical facts. What we actually did 🙂 And if you know English or Greek well enough, then these things will help you.

Be sure to bring sunscreen and a hat, the sun is merciless.

These are "pithoi", clay barrels in which the ancient Greeks stored food. They were collected from found shards.

Excavations are still ongoing.

Found pieces of frescoes are being restored and painted, fragments of the originals are visible in the photo.

This is the queue in front of the entrance to the labyrinth of the legendary Minotaur. We honestly defended it, hoping to see something unusual, we thought we would go down into the labyrinth. But alas and ah!

We only saw this...

As a child, I enjoyed reading the book "Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece." Something remained in the memory, but still it was necessary to refresh the information before the trip. Anyway, I came to the conclusion that if you go to watch historical monuments, you should read about them first. And somehow the meaning of visiting such places is lost.

On the way back from the Palace of Knossos, ask the driver or local passengers to suggest a stop closer to Heraklion's other attraction - the gypsy market. There you can eat mini kebabs for 0.5 euros and buy some clothes from the 80s for a few euro cents.

Services that we use in our independent travels:

Finding and booking accommodation

1. - a world-famous search engine where you can find and book accommodation from guesthouses to luxury villas. Have used many times and highly recommend.
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Crete, the legendary island according to the myths of Ancient Greece. Location of famous heroes and gods. But the legend of the Minotaur, imprisoned in a labyrinth and slain by the brave Theseus, owes more popularity to this island. Studies have shown that it is the palace in Knossos that fully corresponds to the description of the Labyrinth embedded in the myths.

History and description of the Palace of Knossos

According to legend, the gods sent King Minos the son of the half-man, half-bull Minotaur. The Minotaur was settled in a huge palace with a complex structure - the Labyrinth, which was created by the famous architect Daedalus. Anyone who got into the palace could not get out and became a victim of the Minotaur. Once every nine years, the inhabitants of Crete sent seven boys and seven girls as sacrifices. And so it continued until the brave Theseus killed the Minotaur. Theseus got out of the labyrinth thanks to a ball of thread donated by Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos.

The legend remained a legend until, in 1900, Arthur John Evans began excavations on the island of Crete. At that time, he was still an unknown scientist, and no one knew that it was he who would be destined to become the discoverer of the ancient Cretan-Minoan civilization.

On March 23, 1900, Arthur Evans took over the excavation. Just a few hours later, the first contours began to emerge. ancient buildings. A couple of weeks later, before his eyes opened huge area unknown buildings. For forty years, work continued, and the front of excavations only grew. Evans sincerely believed and declared this that the structure he found was nothing but the remains of the Labyrinth famous to the world.

Huge size, intricate passages, rooms, courtyards, light wells - with every day of excavation, scientists were surprised by new elements. The layout of the rooms and internal passages really made even skeptics believe in the existence of a labyrinth. For a thousand years of the existence of civilization, the Palace of Knossos in Crete was constantly being completed, overgrown with new passages and streets. All this was cunningly intertwined with external buildings, which in the end made up a whole single complex.

Here, an interesting system was organized to keep the rooms cool. The rooms were made without windows, and a system of light wells was used to illuminate them. Also, through special channels, ventilation was carried out. The presence of a drainage structure is also interesting. In a word, in the palace of Minos at Knossos, everything was aimed at maintaining comfortable living conditions.

The excavations also unearthed the throne room of King Minos, which Evans later restored. A throne convenient for a person, towered on stems carved from stone. The back of the throne, decorated with waves, was attached to the wall. Pictures of griffins froze on the wall. A mesmerizing sight by the standards of an ancient civilization.

But painting and frescoes are recognized as the main asset of the Knossos Palace. Their main plot is the ordinary civilized life of people of that time. Bright colors, ordinary plots, everything is simple and mesmerizing. There is something French about them, even Evans called one of the discovered images of a young woman "Parisian". Any other theme of the Knossos creators is the sea. The fish and dolphins reflect the value of marine resources to the inhabitants of the island. There is another mysterious theme surrounding the past life of Knossos - images of a bull. The bull is everywhere and on everything. Maybe the Minotaur could not have done here?

Fresco "Parisian"

Fresco "Dolphins"

Crete lived and actively developed until in 1400 BC. something did not happen, after which civilization fell into decay. Scientists suggest that the cause is an earthquake that triggered a large tsunami. The tsunami destroyed the defense of the state and allowed it to be plundered by the inhabitants of the mainland.

In any case, Crete left an important mark on history, became the cradle of all later major civilizations, including the Greek one.

Plan of the Palace of Knossos