The Minoan Palace Phaistos

Got a beautiful sunny day to visit Phaistos or Festos/Faistos, the Minoan palace dated back in the 15th century B.C. The Palace of Phaistos with its superb architectural composition and its almost perfect construction, is considered to be the finest and most typical of all Minoan palaces.

Phaistos was one of the most important centres of Minoan civilization, and the most wealthy and powerful city in southern Crete. Materials used are trimmed blocks of limestone and alabaster, mud-brick, rubble and wood and there were also many ceramic old pottery work to see, interesting!

It is open all year around, in winter the opening time is 9-16 and it will not be crowded. Beside me, there were two other people walking around in the beginning of December. Like I said it was a nice sunny day, but it got so hot over there I guess due the stones getting warm. I can only imagine the heat in summer, mamma mia!
 

I spent the night already at the parking of Festos and was nice to see the sunrise from the mountains instead of sea for a change.

Church of Ayios Georgios with the sunrise and morning mist

Cretan winter is here!

In berber (Morocco) this symbol stands for freedom, I have no idea what it ment in Minoan times..Anyone??

Something old, something very new..

Theater area

Massive stairs to the palace

So this time it was a little bit of a culture for me and next time some hiking 

photos from the beautiful kourtaliotiko gorge! See you soon!