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Knossos lies a few kilometres off the
island’s capital, Iraklio. It is the most important of all the island’s
archaeological sites, and has been world famous since its discovery at the end
of the 19th century. The costly excavations by Sir Arthur Evans at the beginning
of the 20th century even involved rebuilding areas of the palace - modern-day
archaeologists regard this as a monumental blunder, since the recreated areas of
the palace only reflect Sir Arthur Evans’ vision of Knossos. Many visitors to
Knossos find these recreated parts of the palace the most interesting to look
at. As a layman, there’s far more of interest at Knossos than in the other three
Minoan palaces (Phaistos, Malia and
Kato Zakros)
Knossos is easily reached from the Iraklio’s bus station. Simply take bus number
2 (which runs 3-5 times an hour) until it reaches its final stop: Knossos.
The
ticket counter is behind the station building, with the next bus to Knossos
usually waiting beside it. In 2008 the bus was €1.15 one-way. The entrance fee
for Knossos is €6 (free entrance for students and those under 16). The tavernas
and shops around the palace are expensive and low-quality. How many hours you
spend here depends on your interest in archaeology, your imagination and
knowledge of the history of this palace. In the summer of 2007 buses ran daily
from 8am through to 7pm; in winter this was scaled back to 8am to 5pm.
Because I am not an archaeological expert, I
refer readers to the following article from Wikipedia: Knossos
Wikipedia
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