Archaeological site of Phaistos

Phaistos is 62 kilometers on the southwest of Herakleion and is built 100 meters above the sea. It's the second most important archaeological site after Knossos.
It is surrounded by a number of mountains such as Psiloreitis and a little further the mountains of Lassithi. According to the myth, the dynasty of Rodamanthus occupied and ruled in Phaistos. It was one of the most important centers of the Minoan civilization, and the most rich and powerful city of the south Crete. It also printed its own coins. The occupancy in Phaistos begins from the Neolithic Ages and continues up to the founding and establishment of the Minoan palaces. The Minoan city is developed around the palace which was in the center. Even when the city was destroyed, it went on being occupied till the 8th c. BC.

The temple of Rea was built on the south of the old palace. The city during the Hellenistic period has been truly vigor. A sign of the houses of that period can be seen on the west yard of the palace. In the mid 2nd c. BC the city was entirely destroyed and captured by the neighboring Gortyna. The occupancy signs from the Venetians can be found throughout the area.

The most important monuments are the following:

The old and the new palace built with big carved rocks. Around the main yard, lie the royal rooms, the storage rooms, the workshops while the monumental entrance and the huge hall that are helpful for the transportations.

Parts of the Minoan city as well as parts of the next period have been located south and west of the palace and are directly neighboring with the location Chalara and Agia Foteini southeast and northeast of the palace.

A Venetian church of Agios Georgios lies in the west of the palace.

A Venetian church of Agios Georgios lies in the west of the palace.
The first palace was built in 1900 BC and covered an 18.500 m2 area. Just like Knossos, Phaistos in 1700 BC after the destructive earthquake, was entirely destroyed. After that a new and more impressive palace was built from where we find most of the ruins. However it seems that the second palace, according to the excavations, was also destroyed by an earthquake. Even after the continuing destructions, Phaistos managed to survive all the way to the Hellenistic period until it was entirely destroyed by its neighbor state Gortyna, in 200 BC.
The excavations in the archaeological site of Phaistos begun in 1884 from the Italian Archaeological School under Federico Halbherr and continued under the guidance of L. Pernier and D. Levi.

Zakros

The palace of Zakros is the fourth biggest palace of the Minoan Crete and is located on the north of Palaiokastro.
It covers an area larger than 8.000 m2 and it is estimated that in that there were 300 different rooms for multiple uses. The palace is according the design of all the other Minoan palaces, with the front entrance on the east side, while the second main entrance was on the northeast side entering from the port.

A path was going down the northeast entrance and went on to the central yard. The central yard was surrounded by outstanding facings columns that supported balconies and on its northwest angle laid an altar. On the east wing laid the royal rooms and the commanding center; the queen's room with numerous windows and the king's room while there was a number of windows leading from the central yard in the tank room. On the north wing there is a small group of workshops where perfumes and other small objects were manufactured.

On the south wing there is a huge hall that leads to the upper floor, the royal storage rooms, a bathroom and a big room that is interpreted as a kitchen which also served the dinner room that was on the upper floor. The city surrounded the palace.
It was in a really important and strategic point, in a secured gulf, and was the center of the commercial transactions with the Middle East.