(Knossos, Crete, Greece)
My previous post set out some of the logistics and background of the Palace of Knossos.
I’m still struggling with the approach Arthur Evans took to “restoring” the Palace of Knossos. After all, he made extensive use of concrete, and I’m pretty sure concrete wasn’t really a thing in 1700 BC. As he started in 1900 and finished in 1930 (taking nine years off between 1913 and 1922), there was nothing like UNESCO to weigh in on what might be the best way to preserve the site.
Be that as it may, the Palace of Knossos remains impressive. It likely merits a visit just based on the fact that it is Europe’s oldest city. But just be aware that the complex was *destroyed* about 3400 years ago, and much of what you see has (rightly or wrongly) been shored up or even reconstructed based on what Arthur Evans thought was right at the time.
We ended up staying at Knossos for a few hours. By the end, we were practically the only people there. The joys of visiting during the off-season! Overall, it doesn’t have quite the same “wow” factor (or the same crowds) as the Acropolis. But it is still well worth a visit if you are in Crete, and it is definitely the most impressive sight in the Heraklion area.
For me, the essence of Knossos is standing on the edge of the large central square and appreciating the size and complexity of what was built there so many years ago. It isn’t quite as old as the pyramids of Egypt. But it is also not all that different from structures built thousands of years after Knossos was destroyed. It would have been a giant leap forward at the time.
I found some of the surrounding areas just as evocative. The road leading to the north entrance of the palace has also been restored, but it somehow seems more authentic. No multicoloured mileposts here! It looks to me like a “Roman” road, but of course it is far older than any Roman road.
While people haven’t lived at Knossos for a very long time, it is incorrect to say that it is completely uninhabited. Just like Lokrum Island, off the coast of Dubrovnik, Knossos is home to a number of…peacocks! After the relatively heavy task of historical interpretation, I tried to take the perfect peacock photo.
But these peacocks weren’t born yesterday. They remained elusive, and I ended up with a bunch of blurry, off-centre photos. And then finally, as we were leaving the complex, we walked right up to a peacock and peahen. I was able to take a much better photo, albeit one without the historic palace.
We headed back to town on a city bus, and found the journey a little jarring. The bustle of the city was so different from the quiet historical contemplation we enjoyed at Knossos. But we had a very interesting evening lined up: we were going to visit an award-winning restaurant!
Stay tuned for all the details on our culinary adventure!