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Phaistos(Festos) Minoan palace Phaistos was the second most important palace city of Minoan Crete. Of all the Minoan sites, Phaistos (fes-tos) has the most awe-inspiring location, with all-embracing views of the Mesara Plain and Mt Ida. The layout of the palace is identical to Knossos, with rooms arranged around a central court. In contrast to Knossos, Phaistos has yielded very few frescoes. It seems the palace walls were mostly covered with a layer of white gypsum; there has been no reconstruction. Like the other palatial period complexes, this one had an old palace that was destroyed at the end of the Middle Minoan period. Unlike the other sites, parts of this old palace have been excavated and its ruins are partially super-imposed upon the new palace. The entrance to the new palace is by the 15m/49ft-wide Grand Staircase. The stairs lead to the west side of the Central Court. The best-preserved parts of the palace complex are the reception rooms and private apartments to the north of the Central Court; excavations continue here. This section was entered by an imposing portal with half columns at either side, the lower parts of which are still in situ. Unlike the Minoan freestanding columns, these do not taper at the base. The celebrated Phaistos disc was found in a building to the north of the palace. The disc is in Iraklio's Archaeological Museum.  Heraklion city is in the middle of island Crete Iraklion is having some of the most interesting sightseeing places.Heraklion airport is only 4km far from the city centre,surrounded from many tourist resorts.Athenscars-Crete is having a car hire agency in the centre of Heraklion city.Car rental in Heraklion is necessary in order to visit all the beautiful places of Crete.Crete car hire is making car hire offers and special car rental deals in Crete .Athenscars-crete is having many branch offices , Hersonisos car rental , Malia car hire , Stalis car hire , Gouves car hire , Ammoudara car rental , Heraklion airport car rental etc. The Palace of Knossos is 7km far from the city centre ,one of the most attractive remains-ruins of Minoan civilization.The Knossos palace was found from the great English archaeologist Arthur Evans(leter knighted).He worked at the palace over a period of 35years,though by 1903 most of the site had been uncovered.Its location and its remains show the way of life 3500-4500years Before.among the 1300 rooms of the main palace were both the sacred and the commercial:lustral baths for holy ceremonies:store rooms for agricultural produsts:workshops for mettallurgy and stone cutting.Nearby are the Royal Villa and the Little Palace. The remains of Minoan civilization in Gortys ,40km far from Heraklion,the palace of Phaestos in South Crete are places you have to visit . The museum of Heraklion ,located in the centre of the city,freedom square is exhibiting the items founded in Knossos and other archaeological places in Crete. The venetian harbour Castle,built when the Venetians were on the island,is one of the most attractive castles in the Meditteranean . athenscars-Crete is making great car hire Crete low season offers,you can request for car rental in Crete via e-mail or telephone us in :00302810821424.00302810220680.
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