Knossos is one of the oldest cities on the planet. Attractions of Knossos (photo)

The history of the land is extremely long. But not so many ancient fortresses remained until our time. One of the monuments that partially survived is Knossos. It is a city that strikes with legends that are hovering around it.

Unusual foundation

One of the oldest points in the world is located on the island of Crete, in the south of the modern administrative center of Heraklion. The proximity to the sea (4 kilometers) later allowed him to be the owner of two harbors.

The first settlements were established 7,000 years BC. E. Very favorable location of the island contributed to prosperity. He stood on the sea routes from Egypt, Asia and Europe. Among a dozen large settlements, the leading function was the city of Knossos, which became the center of the Minoan civilization.

In the period until 2000 BC. E. On the island were built magnificent palaces that served as residences for the local kings. Part was destroyed by earthquakes. In the place where the ruins of the old building lay, a new one was soon erected. It is this architectural structure that today is considered a visiting card of the city and pleases guests of the island.

The mistake of archaeologists

The palace in Knossos had a special purpose. It concentrated political, economic and social life. This is evidenced by many findings.

The first studies began in 1878. They were conducted by the Greek Minos Kalokerina. He was interested in a strange hilly terrain. The man started work and even found several weighty objects in support of the theory that the palace lies under the ground. But the excavations had to be stopped because of the prohibition of the then Turkish authorities.

Arthur Evans continued the business in 1900. The Englishman bought up the land on which, as he believed, there were wards. The goal was to learn as much as possible about the period from 1400 BC. E. Therefore, all subsequent layers that would tell about the further history of this part were destroyed. But this was not the only mistake of the archaeologist who discovered Knossos. This is a city that not only lost a few centuries, but did not preserve its original appearance. Evans during the excavations restored the found palace, guided by their ideas.

Mixture of Myths

The Englishman Sir Arthur is not the first to try to find the legendary castle. For many centuries before it, researchers conducted excavations in places where the ruins of the complex could lie. It attracted archaeologists not only the historical side and the value of the structure, but also the history with which it is enveloped.

The palace of Knossos is a whole series of myths connected with each other. Events start with the fact that in Athens lived Daedalus - a man of divine origin, who had no equal in engineering. But one day he, guided by pride, decided to get rid of his student-rival. For the fact that the man tried to commit murder, he was expelled from the city in disgrace. The genius was taken by King Minos. As a payment, Daedalus worked diligently. One of the first orders is a wooden cow for the king's wife. Pasiphaia is the name of a woman who secretly satisfied her passion for the sacred bull. Subsequently, she became pregnant and gave birth to the Minotaur - a man with an animal's head. It was for this dangerous creature that Daedalus built a labyrinth.

Heroic feat

The city of Knossos was only 350 km from Athens. These two items were combined by one story. According to popular beliefs, one of the sons of King Minus was killed by the Athenians. For this the ruler punished them. A terrible tribute was paid by the Greeks: every eight years they sent to the island the 14 most beautiful young people. This continued until the appearance of the hero Theseus.

The young man was the son of the god Poseidon and heir of the Athenian king Egeya. When the young man learned about the misfortune of his people, he agreed to help. Together with the captives, the guy went to a terrible monster.

The difficulty of the feat was not only that it was necessary to resist the strong-bull. The labyrinth itself became a problem. Everyone who entered there, did not return. I got the daughter of Minos, who gave Theseus a thread. The guy tied the beginning to the front door and later, when he defeated the monster, he easily found a way out.

The genius of architecture

In fact, the palace of Knossos is a lot of rooms, in which it is very easy to get lost. A huge multi-storey building with more than a thousand rooms for various purposes was stunning. Such a system, as scientists believe, arose, because with each year something was added to the chambers. The halls were connected by stairs and cunning corridors. The architects did not think about the aesthetics.

In addition to the amazing planning, the palace had high-tech characteristics. So, for example, in a complex there was a waterpipe and the water drain. With the help of some pipes, water entered the building, others filled the tubs, and third ditches were taken out. In the construction there were not only toilet rooms, but also toilets.

The total area is 24,000 square meters. This territory accommodated the theater, warehouses, workshops, rooms for worship and, of course, the luxurious chambers of the royal family.

Museum of the past

You can enter the territory through the West courtyard. From here begins the tour. There you can go to the main staircase, which connects four floors. The path along the perimeter passes in a circle. The first stop is the courtyard, which is divided by three roads. Once he served as a prayer book. The altars testify to this.

One of the most ancient rooms is the culres. These are large pits that could fulfill the roles of both a warehouse for grain and a place for the remains after the sacrifice. Popular among the guests is the throne room, where the stone throne of the ruler stands. Many walls of corridors and rooms were decorated with frescoes, pictures and expensive metals.

Very complex and confusing palace in Knossos. The labyrinth is the true purpose of the structure.

Fiction myth fans

Today the complex is one of the most visited places in Greece. Entrance to the ruins is open to all comers for a nominal fee. Open-air museum is open daily.

Business Card Attractions - red columns. Their difference from others is a strange construction, because they lack clear geometry and narrow or expand, forming the effect of irrationality. Their reconstruction, as well as much more, was made by Arthur Evans.

Despite the fact that from the millennial miracle there were only ruins, the palace is still impressive.

Many skeptics claim that in fact the inhabitants of the city of Knossos did not recognize symmetry and harmony. This involves a strange system of building planning.

Interestingly, for the ceremonies on the island of Crete used a two-sided ax Labrys. It was this word that the ancient Greeks subsequently associated with confusing corridors and secret rooms, which they called a "labyrinth." He also owns a legend about the mythical king Minos, the man of Minotaur and the hero of Theseus.

Wonder of the World

The first palace was crushed by an earthquake around 1700 BC. E. The ensemble, which the guests of the island observe today, was laid for the next several centuries. But the building was not destined to survive. At first it was partially destroyed by a tsunami caused by a volcano on a nearby island.

In 1450 BC. E. Another trouble has come to the city. A major fire not only destroyed the building, but laid the foundation for the end of the Minoan civilization. It is worth noting that the excavations did not find the remains of people. There is a version that after the eruption the inhabitants left the island and settled in other regions.

Many scientists are called Crete Atlantis, as an amazing, rich and successful city-state, which has gone under water.

Tens of years passed after the discovery of the ancient fortress, but many more secrets hides the island. Knossos is a city that was once the center of Crete, and today mankind is amazing.