Historic Site · Heraklion, Greece
Palace of Knossos
Knossos (; Ancient Greek: Κνωσσός, romanized: Knōssós; Greek: Κνωσός, romanized: Knōsós; Linear B: 𐀒𐀜𐀰 Ko-no-so) is an archaeological site and ancient urban centre in Crete, Greece. Built c. 7001 BC. It drew 855,663 visitors in 2018.
Photo: Stridersword via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Heraklion, Greece |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 7001 BC |
| Annual visitors (2018) | 855,663 |
| Coordinates | 35.2981° N, 25.1631° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Palace of Knossos is known for
Knossos (; Ancient Greek: Κνωσσός, romanized: Knōssós; Greek: Κνωσός, romanized: Knōsós; Linear B: 𐀒𐀜𐀰 Ko-no-so) is an archaeological site and ancient urban centre in Crete, Greece.
About Palace of Knossos
Knossos (; Ancient Greek: Κνωσσός, romanized: Knōssós; Greek: Κνωσός, romanized: Knōsós; Linear B: 𐀒𐀜𐀰 Ko-no-so) is an archaeological site and ancient urban centre in Crete, Greece. It is located within the southern periphery of Heraklion, about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city's historic centre. The site was occupied from the Neolithic period into the first millennium AD and became the largest and best-known centre of the Minoan civilisation.
History
The earliest known settlement at Knossos dates to about 7000 BC, during the early Neolithic period. This makes Knossos one of the earliest permanent settlements on Crete and one of the earliest long-lived settlements in the Aegean. The first community occupied the summit of Kephala hill, the later site of the palace.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Heraklion |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER) |
| Distance from the airport | 2.7 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER) · Heraklion, Greece · 3.0 miles away
- Chania International Airport (CHQ) · Souda, Greece · 59.2 miles away
- Santorini International Airport (JTR) · Santorini Island, Greece · 78.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Greece
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Palace of Knossos?
Knossos (; Ancient Greek: Κνωσσός, romanized: Knōssós; Greek: Κνωσός, romanized: Knōsós; Linear B: 𐀒𐀜𐀰 Ko-no-so) is an archaeological site and ancient urban centre in Crete, Greece.
Where is Palace of Knossos located?
Palace of Knossos is in Heraklion, Greece. Its coordinates are 35.2981° N, 25.1631° E.
How do I get to Palace of Knossos?
The nearest town is Heraklion, and the nearest airport is Heraklion International Nikos Kazantzakis Airport (HER), about 2.7 miles away (straight line).
When was Palace of Knossos built?
Palace of Knossos was built c. 7001 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knossos — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173527 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.