Patrick Comerford Walking through the ruins of the Minoan palace at Phaistos in the late evening


Phaestos Palace in Heraklion, Greece Greeka

Phaistos, or more correctly the Minoan Palace of Phaistos, is located in the Messara Plain in south-central Crete, 55 kilometres south of Heraklion and a short distance from the archaeological site of Agia Triada, the archaeological site of Gortys and Matala.


See Phaistos Minoan Palace in Heraklion Place Hangout on Holiday

Bronze Age Phaistos was inhabited by about 3600 BC, slightly later than other early sites such as Knossos. During the Early Minoan period, the site's hills were terraced and monumental buildings constructed on them. The first palace was built in the Middle Minoan IB period, around 1900 BC.


Visit Phaistos Palace Crete's LesserKnown Minoan Sight Travel Greece Travel Europe

Lonely and fascinating, the Minoan Palace of Phaistos is located on the southern coast of Heraklion, in Crete, and it is an imposing archaeological site, contemporary to Knossos Palace, on the northern coast of the same region. In this article, you can find all the info you need to prepare for your visit and know what to expect. Read on!


Visit Phaistos Palace Crete's LesserKnown Minoan Sight Travel Greece Travel Europe

It is the second-largest Cretan palace founded by the legendary King Minos of Knossos, but it does not face the Peloponnese mainland like Kydonia does, but rather southward and outward, toward the Mediterranean. The palatial fortress, located in a seismically active zone, was rebuilt twice after it was first constructed in the Late Bronze Age.


The Minoan Palace of Phaistos on Crete, Greece Stock Photo Image of monument, historical

the finest and most typical of all Minoan palaces. Phaistos (GR: Φαιστός - also spelled : Phaestos, Phaestus, Faistos, Festus and Festos) was one of the most important centres of Minoan civilization, and the most wealthy and powerful city in southern Crete.


Visit the Minoan Palace of Phaistos Creta Maris Blog

Minoan palaces were massive building complexes built on Crete during the Bronze Age.. The Palace at Phaistos provides the clearest evidence about the Protopalatial era. The first palaces are generally dated to MM IB (c. 1925-1875 BC). In this era, there were only three known palaces, namely those at Knossos, Phaistos, and Malia..


Ruins of the Minoan Palace of Phaistos. Crete, Greece Stock Photo Alamy

I was standing at Phaistos Palace, a complex built for Minoan royalty, located south of Heraklion. After visiting the famous - and crowded - site of Knossos Palace , which is the most popular ancient sight in all of Crete, I was curious about the lesser-visited Phaistos. Although second in line to Knossos, Phaistos was still a place of power.


Phaistos Minoan Palace on Crete

Two additional palaces were built during the Middle and Late Minoan periods. The older one looks like the palace at Knossos, although the Phaistos complex is smaller. On its ruins (probably destroyed by an earthquake around 1600 BCE), the Late-Minoan builders constructed a larger palace had several rooms separated by columns.


The Minoan Palace at Phaistos

In order for a tour of the Minoan Palace of and city of Phaistos to be complete, you first must make a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion in Crete's capital city. Containing artifacts from across the island, several exhibits include significant finds from the Phaistos site, including its most famous relic, the Phaistos Disc.


Phaistos, the most splendid representative of Minoan architecture

Phaistos was the home of Radamanthis, the brother of the legendary king of Minos. The palace continued to be used even after its destruction of 1400 BC, although it gradually lost its power until the emerging center of nearby Gortyn destroyed it finally in 200 BC. Phaistos Picture Highlights Next: Phaistos Pictures


Minoan Palace of Phaistos (Crete) Tips + Photos

The Minoan Palace at Phaistos The ruins at Phaistos show 2 palaces, an old one dating from 2,000 BC which was destroyed by earthquakes 3 times over 3 centuries, and a new palace built sometime later. Both palaces are made of ashlar blocks (large, dry-stacked cut stones), and, following the topography of the hilltop, form several terraces.


The Minoan Palace at Phaistos

The Minoan Palace at Phaistos Phaistos Get the most from this page Palace of Phaistos | The West Facade of the Old Palace Location The Phaistos Disc was found in this part of the Old Palace The Palace of Phaistos lies on the East end of Kastri hill at the end of the Mesara plain in Central Southern Crete.


The Minoan Palace at Phaistos

This large scale Minoan palace was built on a wide plateau on the lowest of three hills, 97m high. The palace, at its widest extent, occupied an area of 8,400 square metres and was second only to Knossos in size and importance.


Partial view of the Minoan palace in Phaistos (or "Festos") in South Stock Photo 83720794 Alamy

The Minoan Palace at Phaistos is felt by many to be a far more enjoyable site to visit than the better-known Knossos. It stands on a hill overlooking the fertile Messara Plain, and the fact that it has not been reconstructed like Knossos allows visitors to reconstruct the Palace in the best possible way: in the imagination..


Ruins of the Minoan Palace of Phaistos. Crete, Greece Stock Photo Alamy

The Minoan palatial centres stand out for their unique monumental architecture, with its complex internal organisation, which passed into ancient Greek memory as the "Labyrinth". They constituted the administrative, economic and religious centres of a wider geographical area and housed multiple activities.


Patrick Comerford Walking through the ruins of the Minoan palace at Phaistos in the late evening

The unique contribution of the Minoan civilization to European architecture is possibly most evident in the great palace structures of the major Minoan centres of Knossos, Phaistos, Malia and Zakros.Perhaps influenced by Egypt and the Near East and evolving through the monumental tombs of the preceding period, these magnificent buildings, constructed from c. 2000 BCE to c. 1500 BCE, were so.