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The Palace of Phaistos

By the beginning of the second millennium BC, the island of Crete was the cradle of a civilisation known to us today as the ‘Minoans’ – the moniker being borrowed from king Minos, the mythical ruler of the island. The development of a highly sophisticated societal system on Crete would be based upon the successful growth of the island’s main urban “palace” centres, such as Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia and Zakros. Of these, the location of the Palace of Phaistos is, without doubt, the most spectacular. Occupying a prominent hillside position, the site commands panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. To the north are the colossal twin peaks of Mount Ida, whilst to the south the landscape drops away into the plain of Mesara, before receding towards the island’s southern coastline.

The spacious apartments of Phaistos, sumptuously appointed and decorated with beautiful frescoes, were primarily the living quarters for the local ruling dynasty. However, the so-called “palace” also served as a highly organized political and economic centre, part of an advanced network of trade that spanned the whole island. Equipped with extensive and diverse workshops, the palace would have been at the cutting-edge of technological developments and the production of luxury wares. The output of these home-grown industries quickly found a ready audience far beyond the shores of the island. And soon enough, the tendrils of the Minoan trade routes could be seen reaching out to far flung civilisations, such as territories in the Levant, as well as the rising might of the Egyptian empire. Phaistos would also have figured prominently in the religious affairs of the state. Equipped with discrete sacred shrines and sanctuaries, it became the main focus for the performance of the regular arcane ritual ceremonies.