The palace of Knossos

Knossos, the famous Minoan Palace lies 5 kilometres southeast of Heraklion, in the valley of the river Kairatos.

The palace of Knossos covers an area of about 20,000 square meters.

It is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centres. Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, containing the royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories, the throne room and banquet halls. The palace had many storeys, it was built of ashlar blocks and its walls were decorated with splendid frescoes, possibly representing religious ceremonies.

The old building (the first) was built around 2000 BC but it was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1700 BC.
The new building (the second), more complex, that looked like a labyrinth, It was built immediately after the destruction of the first.
The palace was again destroyed this time by fire in the mid-fourteenth century BC and it ceased to function as a central palace. Some researchers believe that this second destruction was due to the catastrophic volcanic eruption of Thera (now called Santorini).
When the volcano sank into the sea cities were hit by a violent tsunami.