MINOAN CRETE
General Views of Crete
Forthcoming
Knossos
Overview of Knossos from the west.
Central Court Facing East.
The place where bull-leaping contests took place. The palace is designed around
the central courtyard. All palace sites have this feature. The central area was open to the sky and paved
with stones. People observed the activities from bleachers or rooms around the perimeter of the courtyard. For
a view of a better preserved court, see the one at Phaistos
Rooms off central court.
Courtyard
View of
storerooms. Note the large pithoi (singular=pithos).
View
to east. Note Mt. Ida in the background. One myth about the mountain has it as the burial place of Zeus. If
you look closely enough you can make out what appears to be a reclining figure.
Image
of ivory goddess/priestess. From the Boston Museum of Fine arts. Found during Sir Arthur Evans excavations of
Knossos.
East
side of palace.
Portico with cupbearers.
North Pillar Court.
Bull Mural.
Bull
Mural.
Staircase.
'Horns of consecration'.
Window
with Minoan Column. Note how the column tapers down.
Links
Phaistos
General view of the palace complex of Phaistos
Central Courtyard. The central courtyard of Phaistos is better preserved than the one at Knossos.
Detail of the central courtyard
View of courtyard facing south
"Theatral area"
Ruins of lower city.
Detail of same image as above.
Pithos
Mallia
Central Courtyard
Cult Room ?.
Altar.
Bathros.
Pithos from Mallia and scale figure.
Links
Phaistos
Perseus Project
Gorytn
Gournia
Forthcoming
Kato Zakro
Forthcoming
Hagia Triadha
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