If you’re going to visit Crete, you have to visit Knossos, the capital of Minoan Crete – reserve at least four hours for it! This remarkable city, with its palace complex, was built between 2100BC and 1500BC by the ancient Minoan civilisation, an advanced people who migrated to the island and brought with them unprecedented skills of metallurgy, art and engineering. Theirs was a civilised culture.
The celebrated frescoes at Knossos depict graceful men and women playing board games, performing bold acrobatic feats, boxing, wrestling, dancing. Lonely Planet says they communicate a clear message of a society “that was powerful, wealthy, joyful and optimistic Some holidaymakers go round the ancient city every single time they visit the island. It comprises a huge palace, homes for priests and officials, ordinary houses, burial grounds, shrines, workshops and treasuries, all built round a central court.
Like all Minoan palaces, Knossos doubled as a city hall, with all the offices and the staff ready to deal withthe red tape of the time. There’s so much to see – from the epic details such as mighty columns, to clever small touches such as intelligent drainage, carefully placed balconies and ‘ light wells’–verandas built where cool air would be funnelled in. But to the first timer, the turbulent three mile bus journey from Heraklion city centre to Knossos isn’t terribly impressive.The assault course of traffic our bus barges through is a noisy, bumper to bumper affair, and our driver seems to be economising on his brakes. Unofficial tour guides bombard us as we squeeze out of the vehicle at our destination.
But once the throng of morning tourists has fed its way through the entrance, a magical, buzzing atmosphere pervades the grounds where once there were 1,500 rooms, go through the purpose built walkway to the palace’s arterial network of labyrinthine pathways.
These frescoes arc an inspiration to artists today, depicting beautiful, healthy, slim women (always dressed in white) and athletic, bronzed males (in red). The exception is the Prince of the Lilies fresco.The prince was permitted to dress in white, creatina an icon so famous that Minoan Lines made him its company logo. Look out for it the next time you sail. Further iconic Knossos finds, now housed in the Archaeological Museum, are the Snake Goddess figurines, which are still seen on Greek wedding cakes; Cretans decorate them with snakes to wish the couple fertility. Many creative minds have had their passions ignited here. The cult of Knossos was revived vvhen distinguished novelist Nikos Kazantzakis, author of Zorba The Greek, penned At the Palaces of Knossos. His beautifully crafted narrative was designed to introduce the magic of the viinoan civilisation to a young readership and is a mustread for Knossos pilgrims.
Other authors have found a place for Knossos in their stories. Patricia Highsmith uses the Minoan paiace in her psychological thriller, The Two Foces of January. The Disney-like feel of the reconstructed buildings at Knossos attract both criticism and appreciation. But its architecture, coupled with the flamboyant myths associated with its mysterious interiors, stimulates our imagination. On a visit her you can journey back to the era of the Minoans and get a glimpse of how they lived as well as how they thought. There are plans to further restrict public access to the site because years of trampling feet have damaged the grounds. So make your trip soon, while you can still enjoy this remarkable glimpse of an ancient, long-lost world.