Phaistos: The Palatial Mountain Fortress of Minoan Crete
By
Patricia Claus
April 27, 2025
Archaeological site of Minoan Phaistos, Crete. Credit: Jerzy Strzelecki , CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikipedia Commons
The magnificent archaeological site of Phaistos—dating back to the Minoan civilization— where an imposing palace stood overlooking the Mediterranean for thousands of years is perhaps not as well known as the palace of Knossos, but it was a focal point in the long and illustrious history of Crete.
It is the second-largest Cretan palace founded by the legendary King Minos of Knossos, but it does not face the Peloponnese mainland like Kydonia does, but rather southward and outward, toward the Mediterranean.
The palatial fortress, located in a seismically active zone, was rebuilt twice after it was first constructed in the Late Bronze Age. Later, the palatial city, which archaeologists believe was a dependency of Knossos, was tragically destroyed for the third time.
Phaistos site of Minoan-era palace with rooms made of alabaster
Located 62 km (38 miles) from Heraklion, Crete, the Bronze Age site lies on the outskirts of the modern-day city of Faistos.
Unlike the more well-known and visited site of Knossos, which sees many thousands of visitors every year, Phaistos is more difficult to reach, accessed by grand stairs; but its mountain fastness, with its commanding views over the Mediterranean, is especially impressive because of its location.
More:
https://greekreporter.com/2025/04/27/phaistos-crete/
Adding slightly longer view:
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