The Palace of Knossos is an archaeological site located in the city of Heraklion, on the island of Crete in Greece. It is believed to have been the seat of the Minoan civilization, one of Europe’s earliest advanced civilizations that flourished around 2600-1100 BC. The palace was built around 1900 BC and is considered one of the largest palaces of the ancient world.
Knossos was excavated by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans in the early 20th century and much of what remains today is the result of his reconstruction. The palace complex consisted of several buildings connected by a network of roads and passages and included areas for storage, workshops, and residential quarters for the ruling class.
The Palace of Knossos is also famous for its connection to the legendary King Minos and the myth of the Labyrinth, a maze-like structure said to have housed the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. While there is no evidence that a Labyrinth actually existed at Knossos, the palace remains a popular tourist destination and a symbol of the island’s rich history and cultural heritage.