Knossos, also called Knossus, or Gnossus, is a very appealing destination full of antique constructions and spots that can be very interesting for all those visitors who are fond of disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, and architecture among others. This city is famous by the Palace of Minos, an antique construction where many important archaeological discoveries were brought to light in the last centuries.
The person who discovered and was the first conducting excavations in the Palace of Minos was Minos Kalokairinos, after whom this place was named. Minos Kalokairinos, a merchant and antiques collector, discovered the archaeological richness of this palace around the year 1877, when he conducted several excavations, focusing on the west area of the building. After this event, Knossos increased its popularity not only in the region but in the entire Greece and the world as well, attracting people from a wide variety of origins.
During the first years of the 20th century, the excavations conducted in the Palace of Minos went through their most important moment, when Arthur Evans acquired the place and, with the help of many experts, finished uncovering the palace. These excavations marked an important historical moment in the past of Knossos as well as brought into light important information as well as many interesting facts that helped historians and anthropologists to learn how the every day life in that area was many centuries ago.
According to what could be learnt through the excavations, the Palace of Minos in Knossos was built between 1750 and 1250 BC. This palace counts with around 1300 rooms, being this way one of the biggest constructions discovered in Crete and the entire Greece. Besides this, the palace would also have a theatre and external large storage rooms which would be used to store wine, grains, oil, beans, and dried fish among others.
One of the most attractive characteristics of the Palace of Minos is the fact that it shows several modern structural and advanced elements. The palace counted with a very efficient ventilation structure that would allow to maximize the advantages of the fresh sea air in summer as well as it would strategically conduct sun light to the lower rooms. Besides this, the palace counted with a very efficient plumbing system, through which most rooms and bathrooms would receive running water.