Knossós

Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Gnossus, Greek Κνωσός), is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete, probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. It is a popular tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially, if imaginatively "rebuilt", making the site accessible to the casual visitor in a way that a field of unmarked ruins is not.
The city of Knossos remained important through the Classical and Roman periods, but its population shifted to the new Arab town of Ḫandaq (modern Heraklion) during the 9th century AD. By the 13th century, it was called Makryteikhos 'Long Wall'; the bishops of Gortyn continued to call themselves Bishops of Knossos until the 19th century. Today, the name is used only for the archaeological site situated in the suburbs of Heraklion. (...) more....