🏛️ A Journey Through Time
Now that Epiphany is over, is it finally possible to do some proper city sightseeing? (Although today is the last day… haha) Yesterday’s relaxed schedule served as a warm-up for today’s slightly more intense itinerary. The first stop is the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
🏺 Heraklion Archaeological Museum
| Item |
Details |
| 📍 Location |
Eleftherias Square, Heraklion, Crete |
| 🕒 Opening Hours |
Daily 08:00–20:00 (varies seasonally) |
| 🚫 Closed |
January 1, January 6 (Epiphany), Easter Sunday, May 1, December 25–26 |
| 💶 Admission Fee |
Standard €5 (winter), Combined ticket with Knossos Palace €16 (valid for 3 days) |
| 🎟️ Free Entry |
First Sunday of each month and certain public holidays |
| 📸 Tip |
Reviewing photos of Knossos Palace ruins before visiting helps with understanding |
💡 AI Curator Commentary: "Walking Through Layers of Time: The Aesthetics of Minoan Civilization"
The Heraklion Archaeological Museum is more than just a display of artifacts—it’s a map of Crete’s entire archaeological timeline condensed into one monumental narrative. The 27 exhibition halls display over 10,000 artifacts from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic periods, with a core focus on the art, religion, and social structures of the Minoan civilization (c. 3000–1100 BCE).
The museum is generally structured into Minoan-focused exhibits on the 1st floor and later periods, including early Christian artifacts, on the 2nd floor. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by the famous fresco “The Prince of the Lilies” excavated from Knossos Palace. This restored royal corridor mural showcases both the idealized human forms of the Minoans and their painterly sensibilities.
Deeper inside, one encounters the Malia Bee Pendant, where two bees face each other atop a honeycomb. This symbolizes the Minoans’ reverence for nature and fertility, illustrating how Crete’s art connected mythology and natural elements.
The Phaistos Disc remains a mysterious artifact, inscribed with undeciphered hieroglyphs impressed on clay, often considered an early concept of movable type printing.
Other notable displays include Larnakes (clay burial containers) and the Snake Goddess Figurine, whose gaze and posture symbolize life, rebirth, and femininity, offering a glimpse into Minoan spiritual beliefs.
The second floor features Roman-era mosaics, inscriptions, and domestic artifacts, though some exhibits may be temporarily closed—check the museum website before visiting.
📍 Tip: A recommended route for understanding the Minoan timeline is: Prince of the Lilies → Phaistos Disc → Malia Bee Pendant → Snake Goddess → Larnakes display.
🪶 Key Artifact: Larnakes (Clay Coffins)
Clay larnakes mimic wooden coffins used in earlier periods, with two main types: one resembling a wooden body with a lid, the other shaped like a bathtub. The deceased were placed in a fetal position, symbolizing a return to the start of life. The iconography connects to frescoes found in palaces, such as those in Agia Triada, decorated in a consistent style and technique.
The depictions reflect Minoan beliefs about the afterlife, drawing on plants, animals, and marine life. Themes were abstract and symbolic, representing Minoan paradises. Some images also evoke divine figures and thoughts of the final judgment, while chariots and ships illustrate journeys to distant lands. These richly symbolic, loosely arranged motifs influenced later folk artists on Crete.
The 2nd floor had some closed exhibition halls, so a full tour wasn’t possible. Now that we’ve explored the artifacts, it’s time to head to Knossos Palace, the very site where many of these treasures were found.
Buses to Knossos depart from Eleftherias Square near the museum. Blue Line Bus #2 costs €1.7 and runs every 20 minutes. Shops along the way remain mostly closed on Sundays, continuing the trend from Epiphany.
Tickets can be purchased at the nearby automated booth before boarding.
🏯 Palace of Knossos
| Item |
Details |
| 🕒 Opening Hours |
Daily 08:00–20:00 (seasonal variations) |
| 🚫 Closed |
January 1, January 6 (Epiphany), Easter Sunday, May 1, December 25–26 |
| 💶 Admission Fee |
€15, Combined ticket with Archaeological Museum €16 (3 days) |
| 🎟️ Free Entry |
First Sunday of each month and certain public holidays |
At the entrance, a peacock greets visitors, lounging naturally like a local bird. A cafe and gift shop at the start host those who either finished their visit or are taking a tea break—coffee at Knossos feels like a luxury indulgence.
I explored with the mindset of leaving no corner unseen. Knossos, the largest Minoan palace, collapsed during the Santorini volcanic eruption. While Bronze Age engineering is evident, some restored sections feel almost too new—but in time, they’ll blend with the ruins.
Visitors are guided from the western temples to the eastern royal quarters.
💡 AI Guide: Knossos Palace Overview
Knossos Palace (Κνωσός / Knōsós) is the largest and most famous Bronze Age site on Crete, serving as the center of Minoan civilization. Located a few kilometers southeast of modern Heraklion, it functioned as a political, religious, and economic hub. The complex includes multiple buildings, storage rooms, religious spaces, sophisticated drainage, light shafts, and vivid frescoes. Legend connects it with the Minotaur and the Labyrinth.
Timeline:
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Neolithic–Prepalatial (c. 7000–1900 BCE): Early settlement traces.
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Protopalatial (c. 1900–1700 BCE): Initial palace structures appear.
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Neopalatial (c. 1700–1450 BCE): Palace reaches its height; iconic frescoes and architectural refinement.
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Destruction & Modification (c. 1450 BCE onward): Partial destruction due to earthquakes, revolts, and Santorini eruption; reused and modified.
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Postpalatial & Later Use: Used by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians for various purposes.
Functions:
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Administration & Storage: Large pithoi for grain, wine, olive oil.
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Religion & Rituals: Altars, ceremonial pools, ritual spaces.
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Workshops: Pottery, metalwork, textiles.
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Public Squares: Spaces for events and ceremonies.
Structure & Key Features:
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Central Court: Open space for ceremonies and gatherings.
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Throne Room: Stone throne, benches, lustral basin for rituals.
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Storage Rooms: Long corridors with partitioned areas for managed goods.
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Royal and Processional Paths: Connecting residential, ceremonial, and reception areas.
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Light & Ventilation Shafts: Vertical shafts and chimneys for illumination and airflow.
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Drainage & Sanitation: Sophisticated clay pipes and drains.
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Frescoes & Decorations: Swirls, marine life, flora, humans; symbolic of religion and power.
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Red Columns: Minoan columns taper downward; restored in red paint.
Representative Frescoes & Artifacts:
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Bull-leaping frescoes
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Processions, priest/youth depictions
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Marine and botanical motifs
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Prince of Lilies-style frescoes
Excavation & Restoration:
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Excavated by Sir Arthur Evans starting 1900, introducing Minoan civilization to Europe.
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Some sections reconstructed for visitor understanding; authenticity debated.
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Modern preservation emphasizes minimal intervention, distinguishing original and restored areas.
Visitors can explore central court, throne room, storage areas, and fresco zones. Visiting both the museum and palace before or after is recommended for full context.
Bus tickets back to the city are sold at a small kiosk near the Knossos bus stop. Though communication in English was limited, I managed to purchase them through friendly interaction.
⛪ Agios Minas Cathedral
The largest cathedral on Crete and among the largest in Greece, built in the 1800s, giving it a relatively modern appearance.
🕊️ A Small Incident at the Bus Stop
On the way to the City Wall, a flock of pigeons was pecking at scattered grains on the street. Cars were passing, creating a tense scene. Most pigeons narrowly escaped, but one was struck. An elderly man retrieved the still-moving pigeon and placed it safely in a nearby trash bin. A vivid reminder of life’s fragility—how existence and death can flip in an instant.
🏰 City Wall
he city wall surrounding central Heraklion is a historic defensive structure, primarily built during the Venetian period (13th–17th centuries). It was designed to protect the city from external attacks and to regulate access to the harbor and trade activities.
Parts of the wall are now open as walking paths and viewing platforms, offering panoramic views of the city and the harbor. The stairs and elevated sections make for a good walking exercise, and during sunset, the combination of the cityscape and the evening light creates a particularly beautiful scene.
Nikos Kazantzakis’ tomb is here as well:
Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957)
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Greek novelist and philosopher from Crete
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Famous works: Zorba the Greek, The Last Temptation, The Passion of Christ
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Explored human existence, freedom, religion, life, and death
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His tomb near Heraklion offers literary and cultural insight for visitors
🌳 Georgiadis Park
🗽 Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos
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Key Greek politician, born in Crete
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Played a central role in Crete’s union with Greece from Ottoman rule
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Served multiple terms as Prime Minister, expanding territory, reforming the constitution, and leading economic and foreign policies
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The statue commemorates his impact on modern Greek politics and Crete
🍽️ Λίγο Κρασί Λίγο Θάλασσα (Little Wine, Little Sea)
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A local restaurant near the waterfront, frequented on previous day’s walk
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Ordered lobster, octopus, and Greek beer FIX Hellas; lobster was outstanding
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Staff curiously treated my companion as the “main customer” despite me paying; not offensive but felt odd
The final night on Crete. This journey is drawing to a close.
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