Greece: Fresco of a griffin in the throne room, Knossos, Crete, c. 1600-1450 BCE. Photo by Paginazero (CC BY-SA 3.0 License)

Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός), also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square.<br/><br/>The palace is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture. Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans.<br/><br/><br/>Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. The city of Knossos remained important through the Classical and Roman periods, but its population shifted to the new town of Chandax (modern Heraklion) during the 9th century AD. By the 13th century, it was called Makryteikhos or 'Long Wall'; the bishops of Gortyn continued to call themselves Bishops of Today, the name is used only for the archaeological site situated in the suburbs of Heraklion.