5 km East of Heraklion are the ruins of the Palace of Knossos. The first Palace was built around 1900 BC, 200 years later it was destroyed by an earthquake and it was rebuilt again, becoming more majestic and luxurious. In the XV century BC, the Palace was finally destroyed due to another earthquake and fire. The Palace was not only a Royal residence but also a religious and administrative centre.

In 1878, a merchant, an Amateur archaeologist from Heraklion Minos Kalokerinos began excavations of one of the warehouses. In the result, we found the huge ruins of the Palace of Knossos.

The Palace is a complex of buildings grouped around a large courtyard. They are located on different levels are connected by stairs and corridors, some of which are deep underground. Corridors led into dead ends, transitions between floors made in the most unexpected places, the room layout defies common sense. The Palace is not a monolithic structure, in its center there is a fairly extensive yard.

The floors of the Palace are based on the columns and are connected by stairs. Historians suggest that life in the Palace was the most lush and diverse. This is confirmed by the countless surviving fragments and shards, found among the ruins of Knossos. Hundreds of halls and rooms intended for receptions, served as the residence for the king and Queen, dignitaries and ladies, servants and slaves. Here was located and spacious Royal workshops of artisans. In the Palace was found a huge pantries, theatre, can accommodate up to 550 people, places for ritual performances bullfighting, well-thought-out system of sewage and water, and even the first in the history of toilets with flush. From the Palace began the oldest road in Europe, used by pedestrians only.

In the throne room of the Palace of Knossos on the walls depict the Griffin — a mythical creature with a lion's body, eagle's wings and head. Tales of the monstrous bull emerged, it seems no accident. The walls of the Palace of Knossos covered with numerous frescoes that are well preserved. And on a stone and gold vessels constantly meet image bull: sometimes peacefully grazing, sometimes angry, flying gallop. The cult of the sacred bull was circulated on the island, but still it is not clear, what there was religion.

Among the drawings in many rooms of the Palace we often find images of bilateral hatchet. It is a symbolic character associated with the religious cult of Cretan residents. Double axe with a spike in Greek is called "Labrys". Scientists say that it is hence the word "labyrinth", which was called "house of the double axe the Palace of king Minos.