Overview

Phaestos was the second most important Minoan city after Knossos. Situated just 63 km from Heraklion, the palace of Phaestos stands spectacularly on a hill overlooking the fertile Kato Messara Plain and Mount Ida.

In Minoan times Phaestos was one of the oldest cities in Crete and one of the most important centers of Minoan civilization. According to mythology Rhadamanthys, son of Zeus and brother of Minos founded and ruled the city. The site was inhabited since the Neolithic era. Foundations of Neolithic houses as well as tools, axes and clay figurines were unearthed below the palace';s storerooms. Phaestos was the birthplace of Epimenides, one of the Seven Sages of ancient Greece. It minted its own coins and remained independent until Hellenistic Times. In Minoan times Phaestos was a significant financial, religious and administrative center. The city-state dominated the whole Messara plain and its ports were Matala and Kommos.  A Minoan city of more than 50.000 inhabitants covered an extensive area below the archeological site. 

Excavations led by the Italian Frederico Halbherr, in 1900 revealed two palaces built in two different times. The first palace was built around 1900 BC and destroyed possibly by an earthquake in 1700 BC. A second more impressive palace was soon rebuilt on top of the first, which was again destroyed around 1450 BC. Remains of the first palace are still visible, however most of the ruins are of the second palace. Gortys finally destroyed the city-state in the 2nd century BC.

Halbherr, Pernier and Banti firstly excavated the area in 1900 in association with the Italian Archeological School. Later, in 1950 the archeologist D. Levi unearthed quarters of the ancient city of Phaestos.

The focal point of the site is its central court around which the rooms are arranged: the storerooms and shrines on the west side, the royal apartments and the lustral basin on the north and the workshops on the east. To the west of the storerooms is the theatre area and in a lower level, the storage pits of the Old Palace period (first palace). The monumental Grand Staircase and the imposing Great Propylon form the entrance to the palace. Although there are no traces of frescos in the palace, it was built of luxurious materials, such as alabaster, gypsum or marble. It had a sophisticated drainage system similar to that of Knossos.  

There is a Tourist Pavilion at the entrance of the archaeological site serving food and drinks. Books, postcards and souvenirs are also available.