Iraklion
Archaeological Museum The Museum was founded in 1883 by the "Philekpaideutikos Syllogos of the Friends of Education", under the presidency of Joseph Chatzidakis. Initially, when it was still simply a collection of antiquities, it was housed in two rooms near Agios Minas. This space, however soon proved to be too restricted to hold the precious objects, that daily grew in number especially after the proclamation of the independence of Crete in 1898. The collection therefore had to be moved to a large sector of the old Turkish barracks. At the same time attempts began to be made to build a proper Museum and to find a suitable plot of land for the purpose. Eventually, preference was given to the area formerly occupied by the monastery of Agios Frangiskos. The building that was erected was demolished in 1937, however, since it was not proof against earthquakes, and its place was taken by the present Museum The rooms were opened to the public after the Second World War, with the material classified chronologically. The building has recently been extended The Museum houses ancient objects discovered at the most important archaeological sites in Crete: Knossos, Phaestos, Malia, Tylissos, Gortys, Agia Triada, Mohlos, Gournia, Zakros, in a great number of tombs, in the caves of Kamares, the Idaean cave, the Diktaean cave, the cave of Eileithyia and so on. The most interesting and best preserved of the finds are exhibited in the 20 rooms of the Museum. Minoan art is nowhere better represented, and this makes the Museum unique and has made it known the whole world over The exhibits are classified into the following main categories:
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Vases. - Belonging to the Vasilike style,
the polychrome vases from the Kamares Caves, the vases of plant and marine style and those
of the palace style are especially notable.
Sarcophagi. - The clay
sarcofagi were widely used during the post-palatial period. The dead were laid inside them
in contracted position. They are of two types: those in the shape of a chest or a box with
four feet and a lid, and those in the shape of a bath. The motifs painted on them are
decorative or are taken from nature (schematised flowers, fish, octopuses) or have
religious significance (double axes, sacred horns etc). The ship depicted on one of them
may symbolize the journey of the deceased to the other world. The one from Agia Triada,
made of stone, is unique.
Goldsmith’s work. - Gold and ivory
jewellery and ornaments in general. Miniature magic pendant with representations of an
open palm, a snake, a snail, a scorpion and a spider, perhaps to ward off the dangerous
serpents and insects. Bull's heads and small lions from Agia Triada. The famous piece of
gold jewellery showing hornets or wasps sucking at a drop of honey from the honeycomb, a
gold pin with a flower at the end of it, gold leaves and earrings from the cemetery of
Chryssolakkos near Malia. Gold rings with religious scenes etc.
