Quarter M


Impressive Quarter M is a residential area a bit further west of the palace. Though fenced off, it's still possible to appreciate its size and complexity. These outer buildings date back to the First Palace period.


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1. Crypt

0.08 MILES

The palace was surrounded by an entire city whose excavation is still ongoing. The canopied structure just west of the compound is described as the crypt.

2. Exhibition Hall

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This small exhibition hall near the entrance to the ruins features photographs of the excavation work begun in 1915 by Iosef Chatzidakis and continued by…

3. Palace of Malia

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The Palace of Malia, 3km east of Malia, was built at about the same time as the great Minoan palaces of Phaestos and Knossos. The First Palace dates back…

4. Lustral Basin

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Called the lustral basin partly because of historical translations into English, this was where 'symbolic cleansing' took place as part of religious…

5. Royal Apartments

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These apartments are referred to as the king's and queen's megarons, or royal halls.

6. West Magazines

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The west magazines were the palace's storerooms for agricultural products. It was believed that if there was a bad harvest, these reserves were…

7. Grain Silos

0.12 MILES

These eight well-preserved circular pits are believed to have been grain silos.

8. Pillar Crypt

0.12 MILES

Located behind a stone-paved vestibule within the west wing of the palace, the pillar crypt is believed to have harboured the most important rooms.