Phaistos+Palace

= = = = = **PALACE OF PHAISTOS ** =

=Phaistos is an ancient city located in the island of Crete, inhabitated from about 4000BC.The first palace was built around 2000BC, which dates from the Middle Bronze Age. The palace was destroyed by a powerful earthquake during the Late Bronze Age. The site had several sttlements surrounding the area. Excavations have been made finding rich historical strata and ruins from te neolithic times. Just like the other palaces in Minoan Crete, was destroyed three times before it was rebuilt.Phaistos is recognize as one of the most spectacular palaces in Crete, it was built in a dramatic hill, in which yo have the entire messara plain in front. To the west the palace encounters the Messera gulf and 2456m tall solid body of Mt. Idi which is also knwn as Psiloritis.Phaistos´architecture is more simplified compared with the others, and is arrangement refers to a single architecture. = During the rebuilding some of the rooms from the old one were preserved,Archeologists have excavated some of the areas of the palace and have revealed older structures below.the pavement and few bottom steps of the staircase were exposed during modern excavations. They were buried 1m deep when tehy were about to built the new palace.

In the following video you will be able to see: **ENJOY!**
 * The Main Court
 * The spectacular view
 * Several artifacts
 * Room of the sealings at the west wing
 * Gate of the north wing and corridor
 * North court
 * Staircase of the peristyle court
 * Lustrl basin
 * artifacts with several decorations
 * interna staircase
 * rooms with benches
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">monumental staircse
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">among others

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="youtube" key="FS2x8Y5uPu4" width="425" height="350"

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDINGS** = <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**PHASITOS MYTHOLOGY** <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many inscriptions were found by the archeologists, they consist of a linear A code which is still undefined. According yo mythology, Phasitos had a king called Radamanthis, who was brother of king Minos. Also Epimeidis one of the seven wise men in ancient worls lived in this city. During the Minoan times Phaistos was very important city state.Phaistos controlled from cape lithinon to cape Psychion, which today is known as cape mellisa at Agios Pavlos, South of Rethymnon. The city participated to the Trojan war, and it became one of the most important cities of the Dorian Period.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** THE DISC OF P **** HAISTOS **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The most important example of hieroglyphic inscription from crete is the Disc of Phaistos, it was discovered around 1903 and 1905 ina small ro <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">om from the north-east apartments of the palace, they also found a linear A tablet with it. The disc of phaistos consist <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">s of to surfaces made of out of clay covered with hieroglyphics, it coveres the circumference of the center of the disc. Forty five different types of signs have been defined. The herioglyphics are still undetermined some archeologists believe that they are refrains, suggesting a religious hymn, others suggested that is a text list of soldiers and Davis the archeologist has interpretated it and bealives it is a document in the Hitic language in which the kinf is discussing of the expansion of the Palace of Phaistos.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**// The most important finding from the site was the disc of phaistos. Apart from this great discovery they are many others like the following: //**

<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **MONUMEN** ** TS ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** THE UPPER COURT ** <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The palace consisits of three different courts in its west wing, the upper court is the first of the three of them. Its south side is supported by a a strong retaining wall which seperates it from the west court. Seventeen circular recesses in the ground indicated the presence of a equal number of wooden columns. From the north to the south the court is crossed by a raised Processional Causeway, which as the other palaces in Minoan Crete have been used for sacred processions and many other rituals. This court <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">functioned, as a balcony from were you could watch the events taking place in the west court. The west and the upper court are linked by a majestic staircase. When the palaces had been already destroyed the buildings of the south side of the court were built, it contains a room with two columns. Its believed to be public building, it might be a Pytaneion or Andreion Early chritian tombs.

<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">PROPYLAEA **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Phaistos palace had an impressive staircase that started in the west court that led to the monumental Propylae,the most impressive entrance of the new palace. The floors of Propylaea complex were paved with plasterboards which gave a stunning appearance. The Propylaea counted with a colonnade that opened onto a large open air light in which rainwater drained away. It had two accesses from the Propylaea to different parts of the majestic palace. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The north part of the royal apartments has been identified as the kings megaron. It consists of a spacious hall with impressive polythyraoon the north and east. The east polythorn communicates with another room with two columns in it. It has a gypsum slab floor with plaster filling. Thee north part of both rooms leads to an impressive lustra basin. The whole apartment was decoratedwith colorful wall paintings.
 * <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">KINGS MEGARON **


 * <span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The palace of phaistos consists of manny more interesting and impressive monuments for example: **

**PRESENT** <span class="hps" style="background-color: #f5f5f5; color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Now this majestic palace is open to the public as anarcheological site and tourist <span style="background-color: #f5f5f5; color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">. <span class="hps" style="background-color: #f5f5f5; color: #333333; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">Even archaeologists are still takinginterest in the site and try to find more information about this palace.