Palace of Phaistos
Palace of Phaistos features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Heraklion. Give it roughly ~90 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Heraklion Heraklion guide
About Palace of Phaistos
The quieter Minoan palace, left much as excavated above the Messara plain, and the find-spot of the Phaistos Disc, a stamped clay riddle no one has ever read.
The Palace of Phaistos is a major Minoan palace on a hill above the Messara plain in south-central Crete, about 62 kilometres south of Heraklion and a few kilometres inland from the sea. The first palace was built around 2000 BC and, after being destroyed, was rebuilt more than once over roughly three centuries. Along with Knossos and Malia it was one of the three great centres of Minoan Crete, at about two-thirds the size of the palace at Knossos.
Excavations began in 1900 under the Italian School of Archaeology. Far less reconstructed than Knossos, the site preserves its central court and rows of storage magazines much as they were excavated. In 1908 the Phaistos Disc, a stamped clay disc covered in undeciphered signs, was found in a basement room on the north side of the palace; it is now displayed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum rather than at the site itself.
Did you know? Each sign on the Phaistos Disc was pressed into wet clay with its own reusable stamp, which makes the disc, found here in 1908, arguably the earliest known example of movable-type printing.
How long is a visit to Palace of Phaistos?
Set aside roughly ~90 min for Palace of Phaistos. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Palace of Phaistos worth your time?
Palace of Phaistos is among the 20 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Heraklion, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Heraklion
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Palace of Phaistos and read more:
Day 2 of the Heraklion in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Palace of Phaistos
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