The collection of Minoan antiquities at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion is the most important in the world for the Minoan Civilization.
It is one of the largest and most distinguished museums in Greece and among the most significant archaeological museums in Europe. It is housed in a spacious building with 27 exhibition halls, on the site where the Church of Saint Francis once stood.
Its exhibits include representative samples from all periods of Cretan prehistory and history, covering approximately 5,500 years, from the Neolithic era to the Roman period.
The museum’s collections are dominated by the unique masterpieces of Minoan art, such as the Snake Goddess figurines, the bull’s head rhyton, Kamares ware, the famous frescoes of the Prince of the Lilies and the Bull-Leaping, the Phaistos Disc, the Ring of Minos, the double axes of Arkalochori, and more.
