Day 2 in Crete - Knossos Part One

Morning everyone!

On our second day in Crete we went on a day trip to see the Minoan sights - we visited the Palace of Knossos first. 

We travelled along the coast to Heraklion, before turning back inland to where the Palace of Knossos stood.

We had a guided tour (which I would highly recommend doing - it was brilliant!) which started in front of the palace, on what was once a vast stone courtyard.

Some of the palace had been restored to what the archaeologists thought it once looked like, like the red pillars and yellow beams.

As our guide kept proudly pointing out, the stone used to build most of the palace was Alabaster, the stone native to Knossos and Crete.

This room was also reconstructed - I can't remember exactly what this room used to be though!

The myth of the Minotaur is linked with the Palace of Knossos, with the labyrinth supposedly having been built below the palace, when the first palace was build around 2000 BC by King Minas, to imprison the Minotaur which was the result of King Minas' wife having an affair with a bull. After an earthquake, the palace fell, and when it was rebuilt only the palace was built again, with the labyrinth remaining in ruins beneath it. So, obviously you can't visit the labyrinth (which was rather disappointing!) but the palace itself is a labyrinth of rooms which you would have got very lost in when they were all still standing!

Stay tuned for the rest of the photos from Knossos, coming your way tomorrow!