Material evidence of ancient Greek myths is the labyrinth of the Minotaur

On the Greek island of Crete, Russian tourists mostly go for the sun and the sea. A fertile subtropical climate gives it in abundance. But there is one point of interest, which one must simply look at when visiting Crete, - the labyrinth of the Minotaur. An excursion to this mysterious place will immerse you in the world of ancient Greek myths. Passing through the endless enfilades of rooms, passageways, stairs and patios, you will feel that it is here that reality is closely intertwined with legends, and one is already inseparable from the other.

What is the labyrinth of the Minotaur in Crete? Photos of this landmark are so replicated that probably everyone saw it. It is often called Knossos palace of King Minos, which is located five kilometers from the city of Heraklion. In addition to organized tours, you can get there yourself: from Lviv Square and from the bus station shuttle buses run. Come by minibus and get for six euros at the very heart of the ancient myth - is not it a miracle?

Let's try to figure out what the Knossos Palace is: a perfect example of the palace architecture of the Crete-Mycenaean civilization or the sinister and eerie labyrinth of the Minotaur? Far from any poetics, archaeological excavations conducted in the early 20th century by Sir Arthur John Evans showed the following.

Back in 2000 BC. E. On this site stood a palace - much less and more modestly restored by a British researcher. In the year 1700 BC. E. It was destroyed by an earthquake. On its ruins, a huge (180 x 130 meters) architectural ensemble was built, which included the private chambers of King Minos, halls for meetings of dignitaries and governmental and religious ceremonies of the inhabitants of Knossos. This masterpiece existed until 1450 BC. E. Then there was an eruption of the volcano, which destroyed both the labyrinth of the Minotaur and the whole of the Mycenaean civilization.

Myth tells the story of this. King Minos had two children. It's a beautiful Ariadne and a son with a human body and a bull's head. To hide the ugliness of the Minotaur, the father built for him an extremely intricate labyrinth. The Athenians, who at that time were enslaved by Crete, had to send every 14 years the 14 most beautiful young men and women to be eaten by a monster. Brave hero Theseus went to Crete to save young people. Fortunately, the daughter of Minos fell in love with the daredevil and came up with a way for Theseus to get out of the tangled interlacing of rooms and transitions into the sunlight. She gave him a ball of thread, tied one end to the entrance to the labyrinth of the Minotaur. Killing the monster, Theseus safely climbed to the surface.

The palace of Knossos really looks like an intricate labyrinth. Its symbolic image, labros, is often present in the wall paintings of the rooms. Moving from the hall to the hall, one can observe that in the Mycenaean civilization the cult of the god-bull was professed. Numerous murals depict girls and boys jumping over the head of this animal, fighting each other. All these pictures involuntarily make us remember the myth about the Athenian youth, sent as a tribute to the monster, and believe in the labyrinth of the Minotaur.