Crete: Knossos Palace

The Palace of Knossos, a venerated UNESCO World Heritage site, looks rather like a combination of ruins then a grand palace. That is until you realize that what you see was built in 1450 BC and these rocks are 2.5 millennia old! At the height of the very sophisticated Minoan civilization more then 100,000 people lived in and around the palace, which had ceremonial spaces, lavish living areas, elaborate decorations, and. sophisticated drainage and water supply systems. This is the place where according to Greek mythology King Minos built a complex labyrinth to keep the half-man half-bull creature Minotaur confined. In Cretan language Minotaur was known as Asterion, and you could see the painting in one of the palace rooms. Overall, it is an interesting place historically, but quite hectic and touristy.