The Minoan Palace of Zakros lies 45 kilometers southeast of Sitia town and 100 kilometers southeast of Agios Nikolaos, Lassithi. Excavations revealed that the floor layout of this palace was comparable to that of other Minoan palaces in Crete, and that it was constructed in the 19th century BC before being renovated about 1600 BC. The site was found by Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Platonas in 1961, but excavations had begun decades before.
The palace was encircled by a cluster of buildings with convoluted hallways and several chambers, with a central courtyard in the center. The palace’s primary entrance was on the eastern side, with a separate route connecting it to the bay. The throne chamber, the hall of ceremonies, the archive room, and the treasury were located in the western section of the palace, while the royal apartments and the bathing pools were located in the eastern section. In the northern wing of the palace, there were also storerooms and a kitchen, while the crafts area was on the southern side.
According to the findings, a small community encircled the Palace, which prospered mostly via agriculture. Cisterns, jewellery, sections of shrines, tools, and indications of ancient writing in the Linear A style have all been discovered in the region. All of these artifacts are housed in Heraklion’s Archaeological Museum. In 1,450 BC, fire destroyed the Palace of Zakros, and it was never occupied again.
