Our hotel, AKS Minoa Palace, built around one of the most beautiful beaches of Heraklion, has borrowed its name from the legendary king of Crete, Minos. How much do we really know, however, about Minos? Who is the man behind the myth? The palace of Knossos shows beyond any doubt that there reigned a glorious civilization, but the facts that Minos was the son of Zeus and that the fierce Minotaur resided within the labyrinth are of course figments of our imagination. Nevertheless, things are a bit more complicated than we think, especially since the archeological evidence are inadequate and scientists can’t say for sure what the truth is. They suspect though that the word Minos for the Cretans is equivalent to the word Pharaoh for the Egyptians; it indicates the title not the person. A different version says that Minos was the most celebrated among the leaders of the Minoan civilization, so his name was consequently a title for his successors. Finally, there is also an assumption that since the Minoan civilization was a matriarchal society, the husband of the queen became the war chief, also known as Minos. Crete is a blessed and beautiful island and it is no accident that this illustrious civilization flourished there so early. The vast seas, the fertile lands and the natural beauty took good care of its inhabitants then, just like they do now. Crete Hotels | AKS Minoa Palace
