Knossos, near Heraklion, may be the star of Minoan palaces, but Crete is full of archeological sites from the Minoan era, when it was at the center of the civilization of the Aegean Sea. One of the most important palaces is Zakros, found in the Siteia region in Lasithi. The Zakros Palace has not been restored, like in the case of Knossos, but you can see it exactly as it was brought to light by archeologists. The works started at the beginning of the twentieth century and go on until today. Most of them happened around the mid twentieth century, by the archeologist Nikolaos Platonas. It is a labyrinthine and complex palace, a specimen of its magnificence and luxury, since it is assumed that it used to be a significant financial, religious and administrative center of Crete, because of its strategic location at the east of the island. The palace’s treasury has been found, untouched by people looking to steal antiquities, since the volcano that destroyed the palace, also helped erase it from the memories of the people. Around the Zakros palace, a city was built. Some of the houses are really extravagant with a large number of rooms. They didn’t necessarily belong to the upper class of the era, since the archeologists believe that they used to house various functions and services of the palace. If you’re ever at Crete, it is definitely worth a trip to Zakros to get to know first hand the glorious history of the island. Crete Hotels – AKS Minoa Palace
