Buy property to immigrate to Greece and learn about Greek history: The Aegean civilization centered around Crete is the initial stage of ancient Greek civilization. In the early 20th century, British archaeologist Arthur Evans excavated the Knossos site on Crete, revealing the original appearance of a magnificent ancient palace from over 3000 years ago. The Palace of Knossos was first built around 2000 BC and was reconstructed around 1600 BC, serving as the political, economic, and cultural center of the Minoan Kingdom on Crete. The Minoan Kingdom suddenly disappeared in the 15th century BC, and the palace buildings became ruins. Some believe that the kingdom's disappearance was due to an earthquake, while others think it was destroyed by the Mycenaeans on the Greek mainland.
The Palace of Knossos was built against a hill and consists of many rooms, corridors, and light wells. The hallways are winding and varied in height, creating a complex structure often referred to as a "labyrinth" in Greek mythology. Although the palace's architectural structure is complex, its layout is not chaotic; it is centered around a large courtyard, with all rooms arranged around this center, clearly defining the functions of the buildings, including assembly halls, bedrooms, storerooms, workshops, baths, and toilets.
Crete enjoys abundant sunshine and a mild climate, reducing the need for winter heating considerations. Therefore, open architectural forms combining colonnades and light wells were widely used to ensure adequate lighting and ventilation. Numerous light wells and colonnades of varying widths and heights interweave, creating rich spatial variations. The architectural ideas of the Palace of Knossos profoundly influenced subsequent ancient Greek architecture, with classical Greek temples largely adopting this open colonnade structure.
It is hard to imagine that over 3000 years ago, the Minoans not only built a massive palace but also painted many exquisite murals on its walls. First, a layer of white lime was applied to the walls where murals were to be painted, then the main outlines of the mural subjects were carved with sharp tools, and finally, colored pigments were applied. The coloring had to be done while the lime was still wet, allowing the pigments to penetrate the lime layer, ensuring the murals could be preserved for a long time. The Minoans' mural techniques were extremely advanced, and even today, vibrant and imaginative patterns can still be seen among the ruins.