The palace where, according to legend, the minotaur lived. The myth of the Minotaur: from birth to death of the monster. Theories of Philochorus and Eusebius

What do I remember about my trip to Crete? Tender azure sea, blue sky. And, of course, myths Ancient Greece:)

Crete is the largest greek islands, its area is about 8 thousand square meters. km. It is considered one of the most popular European island resorts, located 110 kilometers from continental Europe, 175 km from Asia and 300 km from Africa, at the intersection of many sea routes.

In ancient times, Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization, which flourished on the island from approximately 2600 to 1400 BC. e. and considered the oldest in Europe.

There are many interesting things on the island archaeological excavations, and the most famous of them is the Palace of Knossos - the place where, according to legend, the Minotaur lived.

The legend of the Minotaur is one of the most famous myths of Ancient Greece.

The god Poseidon, once angry with the king of Crete Minos, in order to punish him, forced his wife, queen Pasiphae, to fall in love with a bull. From this relationship between the queen and the bull, a monster was born with a bull's head and human body named Minotaur. Minos locked the monster in a labyrinth - an intricate dungeon in the dungeon of his palace, which Daedalus built.

In those days, the Athenian state paid a bloody tribute to Minos, sending seven noble youths and seven beautiful noble girls to be devoured by the Minotaur. Noble Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens, decided to free his homeland from this terrible tribute. He sailed to Crete to Minos with the intention of killing the monster. It was agreed with King Aegeus that if successful, instead of the black mourning sail of the ship, a white sail of triumph would be hoisted.

Ariadne, the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, fell in love with Theseus and helped him on the condition that the prince would marry her and take her with him to Athens. Ariadne gave him a ball of thread. Theseus entered the labyrinth and, unraveling the tangle, reached the place where the Minotaur was, killed him, and then, winding the “thread of Ariadne” into the tangle, found a way out. Together with Ariadne, Theseus set off on an Athenian trireme to the shores of his homeland.

However, there was so much joy from defeating the Minotaur that Theseus forgot to lower the black sail and raise the white one. King Aegeus anxiously awaited the ship's appearance on the rocks. Seeing a black sail in the distance, he decided that the Athenian youth had once again been sacrificed, and his beloved son had died along with them. Aegeus hung his head out of pity and threw himself into the sea named after him - the Aegean Sea. However, the love of Ariadne and Theseus was also not happy. There is a myth that Ariadne was taken by the god Dionysus, who was in love with her.

Now Knossos is ancient city, where according to legend the labyrinth of the Minotaur was located, is a most interesting archaeological site, visited by a huge number of tourists. It is located near modern Heraklion, the capital of Crete.

In the photo - a diagram of the museum under open air- excavations of the ancient Knossos palace.

As they write on Wikipedia, the first palace-temple in Knossos was built around 2000-1700 BC. e., “early palace period”, on the remains of a Neolithic settlement that was previously located here. This palace was destroyed by an earthquake ca. 1700 BC e. However, soon the necessary restoration work was carried out and another palace was built in its place, which has reached our time, the “new palace period”. This is the period 1700-1450. BC e. - the time of the highest flourishing of the Minoan civilization.

Systematic excavation of the area ancient palace were started in 1900 by the English archaeologist Arthur Evans, who bought the land on which the palace stood. Since the British were interested in the period before 1450 BC. e. (Novodvortsovy), all later layers were destroyed.

In parallel with the excavations, the reconstruction of the ruins was carried out in " original form"(as Evans himself imagined it). In this regard, at present it is not always easy to separate the remains of ancient buildings from what was completed by Evans.

There are crowds of tourists everywhere, everyone wants to go inside and take a closer look.

Among the ruins of the palace, ancient frescoes have been preserved; they are now being restored by restorers.

You can also see ancient amphorae.

And from this ancient clay bowl, as the guide told us, they almost fed the boys and girls themselves who were sacrificed to the Minotaur. Of course, how could it be otherwise...

Below is one of the picturesque fragments of the ruins of the Knossos Palace.

And here are the horns of the Minotaur themselves - a symbol of the palace.

The Knossos peacock is clearly an expert in archaeology. I still don’t understand what’s wrong with his tail.

Many other legends of ancient Greek mythology are also associated with Crete - Crete is considered the birthplace of Zeus, and the legend of Daedalus and Icarus is also associated with Crete. In general, this is the place where you can touch eternity.

Well, a little more about Crete.

The administrative capital of Crete is the city of Heraklion. The population of Heraklion is about 275 thousand people, and the whole of Crete is about 620 thousand.

The island itself stretches for 260 km from west to east, the maximum width is 60 km. Crete is washed by three seas - the Cretan in the north, the Libyan in the south and the Ionian in the west.

Below in the photo is the Kules fortress - medieval sea ​​fortress city ​​of Heraklion.

Well, and of course, lastly - the sea. It will remain in memory forever.

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My other stories about recent trips.

It contains many exciting stories, instructive legends and touching stories. There was a place in it for terrible monsters, beautiful young men, and mysterious nymphs. One of the brightest and famous characters is the Minotaur.

Of course, most of us are familiar with this monster. But how well do you know the history of its appearance? Or maybe he didn’t exist at all?

Who is the Minotaur

The appearance of the Minotaur is truly terrible: a bloodthirsty monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.

Its diet consisted of people, and not green grass, like ordinary artiodactyls.

The Minotaur's place of residence was a labyrinth created to hide the monster from human eyes. But where did such a terrible creature come from?

Appearance of the Minotaur

In most cases, the appearance unusual creature connected with the history of the ancient Gods. The man with the head of a bull was no exception.

At that time, Asterion was the king of the island of Crete. His wife, Europa, had 3 sons from a previous union with Zeus. Their names were Minos, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus.

After some time, Asterion passed away, but did not have time to bequeath his throne. Of course, a fight began between the brothers. The winner was to take the throne.

Minos, who had an advantage in the fateful struggle, called on all the gods for help, promising to make a generous sacrifice to them.

One day Poseidon sent Minos a magnificent bull that came out of the sea. It was he who had to sacrifice, fulfilling his promise. There was no doubt: it was Minos who would win, taking the throne of the king of Crete. Therefore, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus were expelled from the island.

But, as it turned out, it was hasty. Minos did not keep his oath. Poseidon's bull seemed too beautiful to him, and the self-confident young man decided to deceive. He replaced the donated bull with an ordinary one and sacrificed it.

However, everyone knows that the gods cannot be fooled. Poseidon, having learned about everything, became furious and decided to punish the deceiver.

Punishment of Poseidon

The cruelty of the punishment was in the spirit of the ancient Greek gods.

The Lord of the Seas inspired Minos' wife, Pasiphae, with an unnatural, sinful love for the bull.

Pasiphae and the cow built by Daedalus

Pasiphae went crazy with irresistible passion, but could not find a way to reunite with the desired bull. Daedalus and Icarus became her assistants in this matter.

They built a wooden frame in the shape of a cow, covering it with real hide.

Climbing inside, Pasiphae seduced the divine bull, and after the due date gave birth to a child.

The boy, named Asterius, was absolutely unusual. With age, his head turned into a bull's, and horns and a tail grew.

The terrible monster that appeared as a result of a vicious relationship was bloodthirsty: ordinary food did not give him pleasure, he needed human blood and meat.

Legendary labyrinth

To everyone’s surprise, Minos did not condemn his wife, because it was he who was to blame for what happened. But he was not going to put up with the monster either.

Daedalus and Icarus, again called to help, built the most complex labyrinth of Knossos, where the bull-man, called the Minotaur, was subsequently imprisoned.

Knowing his bloodthirstiness, Minos sent people into the labyrinth for food. As a rule, these were criminals sentenced to death.

But the king of Crete also had his own son, Androgeus. However, the young man did not have a long and happy life; he was killed by the Athenians.

Wanting to avenge the death of his heir, Minos demanded an annual payment from the Athenians: seven girls and seven boys who went into the labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur.

A daredevil named Theseus

Several times Athenian boys and girls disappeared without a trace in a labyrinth with a terrible monster. And only Theseus, who arrived in the next batch, was able to defeat the Minotaur. But how did he do it?

Ariadne, the half-sister of the bull man, fell in love with Theseus. She understood that if she did not do anything to save the young handsome man, he would be doomed to death.

A way of salvation was finally found. Before Theseus entered the labyrinth, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread.

A smart guy figured out to tie one end near the entrance. Moreover, the ball was magical: having touched the ground, it rolled by itself, and Theseus followed him like an experienced guide.

The ball led him to the Minotaur's lair, where he slept peacefully.

How exactly Theseus defeated the monster, no one knows. But there are several versions of what happened.

• The first source claims that Theseus killed the Minotaur with a blow of his fist.
• Others believe that he used the sword of his father, Aegeus.
• And still others believe that the Minotaur was strangled.

Be that as it may, the monster was defeated. And the magic ball of the resourceful Ariadne helped Theseus and the surviving captives escape from the labyrinth.

Unfortunately, myths involving gods rarely have a happy ending.

Theseus, in love, realizing that he could not live without Ariadne, kidnapped her and went to his homeland.

On the way, the girl drowned. Most likely, Poseidon contributed to this, as revenge for the murdered Minotaur.

Saddened Theseus fell into mourning, forgetting about everything. This is what caused others tragic events.

After the victory, the flag on the ship had to be changed to white so that Theseus' people could see the approaching hero.

However, the death of Ariadne did not allow him to do this. Noticing the black flag of the approaching ship, which was a symbol of bad news, King Aegeus regarded this as news of the death of his son, Theseus. Unable to bear the loss, Aegeus threw himself into the sea, which was later named after him.

Rationalistic version of the legend

Some ancient historians who studied myths described one non-standard, but very interesting version.

In their works, the Minotaur, like a monster with the head of a bull, is just an allegory. In fact, he was a man named Taurus.

Taurus was Minos' teacher when he was very young.

Legends say that Taurus was an extremely cruel man, and therefore Minos decided to establish a competition, during which his teacher would fight with the Athenian youths sent.

Athens at that time was indeed under the rule of Crete, and was obliged to pay tribute by the people. Having defeated 9 Athenians, Taurus met with Theseus, who was able to win.

The image of the Minotaur in culture

Ancient Greek myths often form the basis of literary works, and their colorful characters are a source of inspiration for many authors. The Minotaur was no exception.

Knossos labyrinth palace of King Minos Greece 1700 BC.

In literature, the image of a bull man can be found:

1. The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
2. "House of Asteria", Jorge Luis Borges
3. Theseus, Mary Renault
4. "Labyrinth of the Minotaur", Robert Sheckley
5. "Minotaur", Friedrich Durrenmatt
6. "Helm of Terror. Creatiff about Theseus and the Minotaur”, Victor Pelevin

Of course, the authenticity of the legend of the Minotaur and Theseus has not been confirmed.

It can be treated as a fairy tale, an allegorical story, and an instructive story.

However, the Minotaur's palace has survived, albeit in a dilapidated state, despite its venerable age of 4 thousand years.

The main characters were depicted on paintings, on the surfaces of vases, and in the form of sculptures. Theseus and Ariadne, lovers and brave, will forever remain in the memory of people as the saviors of humanity from a terrible monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man.

Address: Greece, Crete island, near Heraklion
Date of construction: 1700 BC e.
Coordinates: 35°17"52.7"N 25°09"46.5"E

Content:

Short description

Not far from modern city Heraklion, spread over legendary island Crete, there are the ruins of the most famous and popular among tourists monument of ancient Greek architecture, the Palace of Knossos.

Despite the inexorable passage of time, numerous earthquakes, robberies and wars, through the efforts of archaeologists, the ruins of a gigantic building appeared, which is often mentioned in myths and legends. Excavations of the Knossos Palace and restoration work began at the dawn of the twentieth century, led by the then famous archaeologist Arthur Evans.

It is thanks to this man that modern travelers can see the place where, with the help of Ariadne’s thread, the great Greek hero and ruler of Athens, Theseus, was able to defeat the Minotaur and not get lost in a huge labyrinth.

Knossos Palace - history

According to historians, a huge temple in the city of Knossos was built two thousand years before our era. Archaeological excavations show that a settlement of ancient people previously existed in its place. By the way, the temple, built thanks to enormous efforts, lasted only about three hundred years.

The cause of its destruction was a strong earthquake, which, except for the “early” Knossos Palace, erased almost all buildings from the island. Immediately after the natural disaster, the ancient Greeks got to work again and built a new, simply gigantic palace, the ruins of which were discovered by Arthur Evans at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The construction of the new palace coincided with the heyday of the city of Knossos and the Minoan civilization. The Minoan civilization is perhaps one of the most mysterious and little-studied. Even in our time, scientists cannot reliably say what the word “minos” itself means. Some say that this is the “royal throne” and “power” in Crete, while others say that this is the name of the man who ruled the city of Knossos during its heyday, and who built the Palace of Knossos. Alas, the city of Knossos and its luxurious palace were again destroyed by another earthquake, which most likely caused the tsunami that covered the whole of Crete. A detailed study of the ruins of the Knossos Palace led to the conclusion that the main cause of the death of the city was a fire that spread to all buildings. Interestingly, the cause of the fire is unknown.

A more likely version is that the inhabitants of Knossos themselves burned hometown or knew about the approaching disaster. This version, which is found in modern history textbooks, is supported by the fact that no skeletons of people or domestic animals were found during excavations on the territory of ancient Knossos. The townspeople probably knew about the fire and moved to the coast in advance. Some historians, based on artifacts found in Palestine, similar in shape to artifacts discovered in Crete, make a rather bold statement: the first inhabitants of Knossos were Atlanteans. This version is quite controversial, although the very construction of a huge palace, which is about the same age as the Egyptian pyramids, speaks in favor of it. Most likely, this historical mystery will not be solved in the near future, only with the advent of new technologies that make it possible to study in more detail depths of the sea and what is hidden under centuries-old layers, historians will finally give affirmative answers to the questions: “Did Atlantis exist?” and “Where did the ancient Atlanteans live?”

Palace of Knossos in ancient Greek mythology

The Palace of Knossos is inextricably linked with one of the most popular ancient Greek myths, which tells the story of a giant bloodthirsty bull man - the Minotaur. This monster, which devoured seven beautiful girls and boys every nine years, lived in a huge labyrinth. To be fair, it is worth noting that this myth appeared when the ruins of the Knossos Palace were already buried under a layer of earth. Theseus, who ruled Athens, was able to kill the Minotaur in a fierce battle, and since then the inhabitants of nearby islands and cities stopped sending their young inhabitants to Crete.

The famous thread of Ariadne helped Theseus find his way out of the labyrinth, which was supposedly located near the Palace of Knossos (or directly below it). From what sources did the ancient Greeks, who passed on the myth of Theseus, the Minotaur and Ariadne from generation to generation, know about the existence of the Knossos Palace and the Minoan civilization, still remains a mystery. Before the excavations, Arthur Evans relied solely on the reliability of this myth and, as time has shown, he turned out to be absolutely right, and maybe there is some truth in the myth of the monster...

Queen's Hall

The Palace of Knossos is the greatest architectural monument

It is safe to say that the Palace of Knossos, near which even today you can find numerous groups archaeologists, is one of the most interesting attractions of modern Greece. Tourists wandering among the ruins often have the feeling that they have encountered something fantastic and inexplicable. Perhaps it appears after reading the myth of the Minotaur, or perhaps the very atmosphere, which is characteristic of the mysterious Crete, puts a person into a state somewhat similar to meditation. Crete and the ruins of the Palace of Knossos are often mentioned in tourist brochures. Not visiting this building, which was once one of the most majestic and, according to enthusiasts, was the palace of the Atlanteans, is an unforgivable mistake.

Nowadays, the palace is great amount buildings located near the courtyard. Of particular interest is that they were all designed by ancient architects at different levels. Each level was connected to each other by an impressive staircase or corridor. Some rooms are located deep underground; it is not possible to explain the meaning of such a construction and the purpose of the building. Why not the legendary labyrinth of Daedalus? Columns were used as supports for the floors of the palace. Archaeologists say that The palace of Knossos was the home of the ancient king, his wife and retinue. In addition, in the Knossos Palace there was a theater in which about six hundred people could watch the fight of two angry bulls (!).

Throne room

Surprisingly, among the ruins, experts found perhaps the oldest sewerage system on our planet, as well as a water supply system. Due to the fact that the Knossos Palace was buried underground for a long time and was inaccessible to robbers, it preserved unique frescoes, which depict mythical creatures. Among the ruins, priceless exhibits made of gold and expensive stones were recovered from the ground. It is also interesting that almost all artifacts found on the territory of ancient Knossos depict a bull. By the way, another image that is quite often found on the walls of the building, shards and vessels is a double axe. In Greek this weapon sounds like “labrys”. Most linguists believe that the word “labyrinth” comes from this name. Isn't this another confirmation of the veracity of the myth of the Minotaur?

Palace frescoes

Despite numerous discoveries, scientists have still not been able to explain which religion was the main one in the ancient and once influential city, and the Palace of Knossos is a kind of labyrinth, one might even say a rebus, which is impossible to solve even in our age of technological progress .

A traveler who decides to see with his own eyes the Palace of Knossos, a place with which so many legends, myths and secrets are associated, should know that entrance to its territory is paid. Price entrance ticket by the standards of the European Union it is symbolic and amounts to only 6 euros. The open-air palace museum is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. On days recognized as national holidays in Greece, access to the Palace of Knossos is absolutely free.

Knossos Palace on the map

Crete can truly be considered fabulous island. Many people are associated with him ancient greek legends and myths. After visiting it, you should definitely see the local attractions. The most popular of them is the Minotaur Labyrinth on the island of Crete. Despite the fact that the story of the Minotaur is more legend than truth, this place is very interesting. Here you can see numerous corridors and completely immerse yourself in the Greek legend.

From history - the legend of the Minotaur

The legend begins with the king who once ruled the island of Crete, Minos. In honor of the god Poseidon, he had to sacrifice the sacred animal of the bull. However, he did not want to do this and kept the bull for himself. Poseidon, in turn, was so angry that he bewitched Minos' wife. Under the influence of a spell, she committed adultery with this bull and gave birth to a half-bull. He had the shape of a man and a bull, and they called him the Minotaur.

The Minotaur was scary and ferocious, so King Minos commissioned the architect Daedalus to build a large labyrinth from which it was impossible to escape. The Minotaur was placed there and guarded the labyrinth. To feed him, 14 girls and boys were supplied to him every year. They were delivered from Athens because they had offended the king of Crete. Athens did not want war, so they obeyed and sent a ship with black sails every year.

One day Theseus, the son of the king of Athens, found out about this. He went to Crete with the doomed youths in order to kill the Minotaur. He promised his father that if he succeeded in doing this, then white sails would be installed on the ship upon his return. Minos' daughter Ariadne helped Theseus in this matter. She fell in love with the Greek hero and gave him a ball of thread before he went into the labyrinth of the Minotaur. Theseus defeated the ferocious animal, and with the help of threads he was able to find his way back. He took Ariadne with him and they went to Athens together. However, Theseus forgot to change the black sails to white ones and his father, seeing the ship from afar, threw himself off a cliff into the sea. Such a legendary story with a sad ending is remembered in Crete to this day. This is what attracts many travelers and tourists.

Description of the attraction

The Minotaur's Labyrinth is actually known as the Palace of Knossos. It is of impressive size and is of great interest. To this day, the building has not been preserved in its original form, but was a destroyed building. The palace gained its wide popularity after it was partially reconstructed and restored to the appearance of Minoan architecture. Even the smallest details were taken into account. Now tourists can see what palaces were like at that time and walk through its destroyed territory. They say that it was here that Daedalus built the famous labyrinth.

The Palace of Knossos consisted of a large number of rooms. They were connected to each other through complex transitions. Thus, the layout is very confusing and resembles a labyrinth. Even today, a sign depicting a labyrinth can be seen on the destroyed walls. All rooms of the palace are decorated with interesting frescoes and paintings of that time.

There are many versions as to whether the labyrinth is located in the palace itself and its surroundings or whether it was built in some other place. Despite this, the territory of the Knossos Palace is very large. The buildings here are not symmetrical and therefore very interesting. When traveling to the island of Crete, you must see this famous place, about which there are legends. Locals and the guides can tell a lot of legends that are associated with the appearance of the palace and the Minotaur’s labyrinth itself.

Independent visit

Labyrinth of the Minotaur (Knossos Palace) on the map:

Getting to the Palace of Knossos will not be difficult, because... it is located in the suburbs of the capital of Crete, Heraklion. There are regular buses in the direction of the palace, the schedule of which you can find out at the reception of your hotel.

Working hours: from June to October from 8 am to 19:00 (on weekends and holidays until 15:00);
from November to May the palace is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Entrance fee: 6 euros, but it is possible to go for free. Entrance to the palace is free on days national holidays and every Sunday from November to March.

Good afternoon friends! The Palace of Knossos in Crete is called the 8th wonder of the world. More than a dozen attractions around the world are vying for this title. It is undeniable that the Palace of Knossos is a monument to the Minoan civilization. Twice it was rebuilt by the ancient inhabitants of Crete and twice it was destroyed by a terrible natural disaster. Centuries passed before archaeologists discovered palace complex. The Knossos Palace is associated with a myth about a labyrinth and the terrible Minotaur living in it. Today we will tell you what the condition of the palace is and whether it is possible to get lost in its corridors.

Greece. Crete. Among the 4 palaces found by archaeologists Minoan era(Knossos, Phaistos, Mali and Zakros) Knossos Palace is the largest and most significant.

Scientists are sure that at least 2 more similar buildings are hidden on the island, and there are not 4 palaces, but 6 or even 7. Research is yet to come. What is known for certain about the Knossos Palace is that it is the main object of the Minoan culture that disappeared from the face of the earth.

Lost civilization

When in books we come across stories about once great but disappeared ancient civilizations, such as the civilization of the Atlanteans, Aztecs, Mayans, two thoughts come to mind:

• who we would be and how we would live if these cultures had not died
• and the second thought: why did they die and how can we avoid their fate?

The contribution of archaeologists to these studies is invaluable. Thanks to them, we learned that the Minoan civilization was destroyed as a result powerful earthquake and the accompanying tsunami.

In the history of Minoan culture in Crete there were 2 periods of prosperity and decline.

The first heyday of the Palace of Knossos from 2000 to 1700 BC. Then an earthquake occurred and the palace was destroyed.

Then, quite quickly it was rebuilt new palace at the same place. Now it's time for scientists to be surprised. It turns out that the Minoans had highly developed engineering technologies.

The second period of prosperity took approximately the next 2 centuries. It ended quickly and tragically. A volcanic eruption occurred on the island of Santorini; it dates back to 1628 - 1500 BC.

It is believed that part of the land went under water, and giant tsunamis swept over Crete, destroying all the palaces and settlements, and with them the entire Minoan civilization.

Archaeological excavations

The world saw the Knossos palace complex thanks to Arthur Evans, a learned archaeologist. In 1900, he decided to explore the mounds in this area. Evans gave 40 years of his life to his find. He wrote 6 volumes about how the excavations took place and what was found as a result. detailed descriptions research.

The find turned out to be even more valuable than he could have imagined. The life of the palace was eventful and eventful.

There were halls for celebrations, ritual rooms, workshops and even a theater. There was even a fighting arena that could accommodate up to 500 spectators at a time. And, of course, the royal chambers, dining rooms and storage rooms.

Architecture is certainly interesting. But the layout of the sewerage and water supply systems is especially respectful.

The Mycenaean civilization in its development was significantly ahead of the achievements of the Achaean Greeks. When the former were building water pipelines, the latter were still herding goats.

By the way, we call this building a palace, but archaeologists and scientists are not yet completely sure that it really was a palace.

There is an opinion that this is, after all, a complex of religious buildings.

Archaeological site

Fantasy pictures a giant palace, streets, labyrinths, but what will we see on the spot?

Archaeological site similar to other excavation sites in Greece: sacred grove and the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, on the Parthenon in Athens, on the national health resort of the Peloponnese - Asklepion in Epidaurus, only more complete.

The Palace of Knossos is called the second main attraction of Greece after the Parthenon of Athens. This is debatable, but the fact that the palace is impressive and causes the effect of “Wow!” undoubtedly.

Today we can walk through the archaeological complex and see how it once was here. The Greeks treat their culture very respectfully, so don’t expect any spectacularly painted remakes. Only history and archaeology. And this is enough, because some fragments of the palace are well preserved.

• In the center there is a courtyard. This is typical for all buildings of this period. The system of rooms and buildings can seem very confusing and sometimes completely illogical.

• Premises on at different levels, corridors and stairs, unexpected secret rooms. It will be difficult to figure out the layout of the structures on your own; we recommend joining a tour.
• The columns are of interest: black and red, they taper towards the base. They are called "Minoan" because of this special shape.
• The frescoes inside are well preserved. They depict scenes from the life of the city, artisans, kings and gods, mythical animals, and natural ornaments. Many wall paintings contain images of a scary bull with a human body.

Labyrinth of the Minotaur

In the history of Ancient Greece, mythology and historical reality are so closely connected that even scientists have difficulty understanding them. It is this palace that is associated with the history of King Minos, the son of Zeus the Thunderer and the Phoenician princess Europa.

And also with the labyrinth of the Minotaur. This monster has the body of a man, and the head of a bull.

The Minotaur lived in a dark labyrinth, which Daedalus built by order of the king. According to bloodthirsty tradition, criminals and those who tried to enter the palace without permission were released into the labyrinth. The monster brutally dealt with them.

It all ended with the well-known legend about the hero Theseus. In order not to get lost in the labyrinth, he used Ariadne's thread, entered the labyrinth and defeated the Minotaur.

This legend has another, more plausible historical version: the son of King Minos Androgeus was killed, and Aegeus (the father of Theseus, the king of the Athenians) was involved in his death. As punishment, the Athenians had to send young men and women to Minos. These captives became slaves in the palace of Knossos.

But the terrible Minotaur did not exist at all - there was a teacher of King Minos, distinguished by his cruel disposition and strength. He held gymnastic competitions (maybe they were fist fights) and won, until Theseus arrived and defeated him with a blow to the forehead.

Myths are myths, but the palace with all its intricate corridors and dead-end rooms is very similar to a labyrinth. The sign "labros", or double axe, is often found on the walls.

Therefore, some scientists believe that the palace is a labyrinth. Another is sure that the labyrinth is located in the mountains and is a series of interconnected caves.

As long as scientists present evidence for their point of view, we can choose the one we like best.

You can get lost in the numerous passages, especially when looking for the starting point for exploring the castle, but you are unlikely to get lost.

Interesting fact: Minoan palaces did not have any defense system. Which leads scientists to the conclusion: there was a telassocracy on Crete. Those. The Minoan state lived off the sea, the fleet and controlled the coastal metropolitan cities.

You can purchase a comprehensive ticket that includes other attractions. For example, the Heraklion Museum, where the original paintings of the Knossos Palace and finds from other palaces are located.

Attractions nearby

• Hill of Cephala

Located near the palace. This is the site of important archaeological excavations. Tombs from the Roman period have been discovered here. It was from here that Evans began his excavations. It seemed to him that this was where the ancient city was located. Heinrich Schliemann also worked here for some time, looking for his Troy.

• Heraklion

Very close to Knossos is the city of Heraklion. Many people say that there is absolutely nothing to see here, but this is not true. Here is the Archaeological Museum of Crete, where exhibits archaeological finds Minoan palaces, the old fort of Koules, many interesting museums and cathedrals. From here it is easy to get to the palace ruins.

• Hersonissos

We recommend another town for those who want to have a lot of fun after the ruins. Hersonissos is the unofficial capital of the island. There are many nightclubs, dance parties and life is in full swing. Moreover, this old City, located between the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

Knossos Palace on video

Working hours

Daily

• From June to October: 8:00 – 19:00
• From November to May: 8:00 – 15:00
• On Saturday opening hours are from 9.00 to 15.00

What is the price

• for adults – 6 euros
• preferential 3 euros
• children under 3 years old free

Every first Sunday of the month, tickets are free for everyone.

How to get there

The easiest way to get there is from the city of Heraklion.

• A bus leaves from the main bus station to the ruins every 30 minutes.
• You can get on at the stop near the Lion Fountain.
• If you come by your own car, don’t worry about parking. It is free near the archaeological complex.

Address: Knossos Palace, Heraklion 71000

Knossos Palace on the map

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