On our way to our last archaeological site, Knossus, we chose the song “Here Comes the Sun” in honor of our amazing tour guide Gabriella! Knossus is the largest Bronze Age civilization on Crete and the oldest city in Europe. The great palace is the center of Minoan civilization, which includes monumental stonework, beams, pillars, large clay pots in storerooms, and ancient depictions of people in various poses. We learned that Knossos is the very place King Minos dwelled in Greek mythology!
Afterwards, we traveled to the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. It houses numerous artifacts from all periods of Cretan history, covering the span of about five thousand years. The collections exhibited include Cretan art found in excavations. There was a large emphasis on objects from the prehistoric times and Minoan period. These objects were beautiful pottery, stone objects, small sculptures, metal objects, and wall paintings.
We also stopped by the Agios Titus Church. It was formerly a mosque built in
the 19th century and is now an important Greek orthodox church in the name of
St. Titus. At the end of the day, Gabriella conducted a walking tour around Heraklion. She spoiled us with delicious Bougatsa, a sweet (or salty) traditional pastry, at a nearby restaurant and called it a day.
By: Jamie Cha
Oles in Greece 2020 