The Palace of Knossos as an Architectural Embodiment of Minoan Cosmology and Culture - Essay Example

? The Knossos Introduction The Minoan Palace known at Knossos is a marvel of architecture that was build in the Neolithic period. These structures were built near the present day modern town of Herakleion. Knossos was the seat of power for the King Minos and the capital city of Crete. The first palaces in Crete were built at around 1900 B.C. in the Middle Bronze Age era. The structures were visually appealing and had a high level of architectural sophistication during their rime. The design of the palaces may have borrowed from the construction of the well built and visually captivating monumental tombs that existed. The Palaces were built on the Kephala hill where it had easy access to the sea as well as the Cretan interior. The first palace was destroyed in 1700BC but it was rebuilt again. However, the second palace was destroyed by fire in 1350 never to be rebuilt again.1 The area around the palace was transformed into a sacred region with and it was not inhabited. The Palace of Knossos was magnificent and was a symbol of the civilization of the people of Minos. Its construction was massive and no other known architectural piece rivaled it in size during those times. The palace was architectural plans were equally sophisticated and there was remarkable use of luxurious materials. Advance techniques were used in building the Palaces which made them stand out in the entire Crete. The Minoans demonstrated their technological advancements in the design of the Palaces by incorporating features such as light wells, complex drainage and water systems. The Palace of Knossos was built to serve religious as well as administrative functions. Hence, its design was elaborate and it comprised of several sections to suit various functionalities. This paper aims to discuss the palace of Knossos as an architectural embodiment of Minoan cosmology and culture. Specifically, the relationship of the palace to nature as topography, orientation and temporality is evaluated. Also, the use of ornament and role of ritual are discussed in detail. Role of Ritual The extensive palaces of Knossos were concerned with practical pleasures and celebrations for the people. The palaces were designed to allow for social interactions and communicated the underlying social ideologies and order. It has been argued that the Palace of Knossos was designed as an architectural expression of the social concepts of the time.2 The West Wing was dedicated to public ceremonies and performances. The elaborate walkways in the West Wing create an impression that this was the focal point of movement. They served as procession ways leading to the inner parts of the palace. The elevation of the walkways indicates that there was a separation of the performers and the audience. One of the processional ways in the palace, known as the Royal Road, led to a large elevated area that was probably used for the theatrical performances.3 On the south side there was a square paved bastion built against it equipped with a platform. The platform was positioned in such a way that people could actually observe actual performances from there. It is evident that the theatrical area was arranged in such way that it could allow viewing in three levels. Arguably, the Knossos palace architectural environment created social hierarchy which had been translated into spatial order. If the paved bastion was indeed sectioned for the most prominent figures in Minoan society, then the two flights of steps could have functioned, as they stand, for the elite closest to the representatives of the community. However, the hierarchical positioning of people according to status could also function to realign the socio-political fabric of the Neo-palatial period during ceremonies ideological in nature. Hence, the theatrical area could be able to function in two ways depending on the occasion. The architecture of the palace was dynamic making it capable to serve various social functions. The other evidence that the palace of Knossos served as a ritual centre is its interior designs. The walls of the palace had decorations of the sea and its creatures in form of mosaics. There were some images that implied some kind of bull fighting rituals (Fig 1). Additional images show fluidity of young men and women dancing (Fig 2). Further proof that the palace was used for recreational purposes is found in the Toreador Fresco in the residential wing. This fresco shows a young man in a contest with a bull. This cements the fact that Minoans practiced the sport of bull leaping where participants could grasp the bull’s horns as they leapt over it. Fig 1: Wall painting of Bull’s head from the West Bastion of Knossos Palace ( Driessen & McDonald, 1997) Fig 2: Dancing girl fresco from the western wing (Source: McGillivray, 1998) The iconography in the palace further points out to the idea that indeed, there were processions in the palace. The layout points out that clearly, there was processional behavior inside the palace. The east wall of the Propylon was decorated with a life-size fresco of a galloping bull (Fig 3). According to Hallager, this type of fresco was placed on prominent places to express power and authority, as it symbolically guarded the access towards the Palace. Its location suggests that it was chosen in a manner that made the people symbolically compelled to overcome something strong and powerful before moving to the next stage.4 Figure 3: Bull Games from a room in the East Wing (Source: McDonald, 2002) Religious rituals were evidently conducted in the palace as well. The corridor of the procession depicted near life size figures of gift bearing figures to a female figure. This female figure would either be a god or queen. The proplylaeum served as the entrance to the sacred enclosure of the palace. There was a figure of a young cupbearer carrying a conical rhyton vase. It is imperative to note that the architectural design of the West Court was robustly done to suit its functionality as a religious and recreational centre. The access to the inside of the palace was restricted and this served to project the power and authority of the palace. Whenever people had to attend social events in the palace, they had to glimpse the raw authority by forming processions. These processions were also important in ensuring there was order and clear social selection. Use of ornament On first glance, the palaces of Knossos are visually striking and aesthetically imposing. The monumentality of the palaces is creates a polished and exquisite appearance which further makes the palace a great architectural masterpiece. The palaces incorporated cut stone masonry and a play of light and shade appearance which creates an impression of recessed facades.5 Some of the architectural decoration in the palace includes highly stylized stones that are carefully laid out in strategic places around the palace. There were also bull’s horns styled from clay or some soft stones. These horns are referred to as the “horns of consecration”. The masons who worked on the stones also engraved some marks that were not necessary of significant interpretation other that personal glorification.6 The walls of the palace were also decorated with wall paintings, painted stucco, and veneering. Additionally each of the buildings had certain distinguishing features that made it unique. A good example is the "Throne Room" that only occurs at Knossos. The round pool that was built of cut stone is also a unique design of ornamentation that appears only at Kato Zakro. The stairways and corridors of the buildings were also made in a way that gave each site a level of sophistication and individuality that eclipsed the outward similarities that the buildings seemed to portray on the outside parts. Fig. 4: Beautiful paintings on the walls of the Palace. (Source: Hersey, 1998) The Minoan Fresco patterns are also evident on the walls, ceilings and borders in the palace. Common Minoan patterns repetitively filled these surfaces hence creating appealing impressions. For instance, the residential quarters and landing areas were covered in spiral friezes. The friezes were reproductions of existing designs from other architectural pieces. In symbolic terms, monumental structures were used to communicate authority and status of the owners.7 It also implied high levels of planning and execution of ideas. This is due to the fact that the construction of such monumental architectural pieces required highly skilled craftsmen, organizational of various materials and massive labor. Only the richest in the society could afford to pull the resources required to put up such enormous structure. Hence, the exquisite ornamentation of the palace of Knossos served to show the social prominence of the King. The social ranking depicted by the high level of sophistication in ornamentation is clear evidence that the social hierarchy of Crete had the King at the peak. Perhaps the Central court provides a compelling outward show of exclusivity in the constructions and design of the palace of Knossos. The immediate surroundings of the Central court are full of monumental facades which create a captivating impression of luxury. The use of marbles and impressive color schemes is a clear show of ornamentation at its best. On top of this, the unique innovation of wooden balustrades on the balconies and decorated pillars depicted splendor like no other in the entire Minoan times. Arguably, the Central court of the palace of Knossos was purposively designed with great ornamentation to show the power and high social ranking of the rulers.8 Also, the sophisticated ornamentation served to elevate the standing of the Minoans to visitors. In fact, the architectural design of the palace of Knossos was so much ahead of its time. Relationship to nature The orientation of the palace of Knossos is evident from the layout of the structure. The Central court is constructed with a direct line of sight to the Peak Sanctuary of Juktas. This implies that religious and ideological perspectives played an important role in the orientation of the palace of Knossos. The northern entrance has a processional road that accesses the palace and ends in the central court at its north end. Notably, the Juktas sanctuary is positioned exactly along the path of this processional road that served as a walkway. This provides sufficient rove that the design of the palace was such that the northern walkway had to be in line with the sanctuary of Juktas. Thus, the architectural design of the palace of Knossos had its orientation partly determined based on religious beliefs of the Minoans. An interesting pattern can be inferred if one takes a critical look at the positioning of the palace of Knossos in respect other landmark features that held meaning to the Minoans. There were other sanctuaries such as Kamares caves and the Psycho cave. The design of the palace was in such a way that there was evident inter-visibility among these sanctuaries despite their geographical positioning. In fact, they formed a geometrical pattern that had Knossos as the final point in the layout while Juktas hill acted as the religious mediator The sanctuaries were already existent before the palace of Knossos was built. This implies that the design of the palace was such that it fitted perfectly well with the orientation of these sanctuaries. Imperatively, the construction of the palace was done in such a way that the node of Knossos palace integrated with the triangle formed by Juktas, the Idaean (Kamares on the other side of the mountain) and the Psychro Cave.9 Topography The location of a building in place plays a vital role in the architectural design of a structure. The palace of Knossos was built on top of a hill. This was very important in that it helped to elevate the building to a position in which it was easily visible. The choice of the hill top is a significant use of the topography of an area. Also, the hill setting meant that the building served as the focal point in the region. Also, the palace of Knossos was built near the ocean. This helped to project the image of prominence to the society. The proximity to ocean meant that the visitors who came to Crete noticed the prominent building. In all history, ocean side buildings have always belonged to the top cream of the society and thus, the palace of Knossos was no exception. The palace of Knossos also blended well with the environment where it was built. The well manicured gardens that sloped gently were in harmony with the hillside settings of the palace. Also, landscaping of the gardens was done in a manner that showcased the natural environment of Crete. The exotic scene of flower was a representation of the generally happy society at Crete and the beauty of all the lands in the region.10 There were also two blue tame monkeys and a blue bird feeding on papyrus on the ruins that were found in the palace. The other aspect of the design of the palace of Knossos that celebrated the topography of the region was the decorations of the building with images of sea animals. The inner walls of the Queen’s chambers were decorated by dolphin’s fresco. Other sea animals whose images were used include fish, sea urchins and the dolphins (Fig. 5). This shows that the architectural design of the palace celebrated the surrounding fauna and flora. Fig 5: Dolphins’ wall painting from the Queen’s megaron (Hood and Taylor, 1981) One of the most significant role of topography and nature in the design of the palace is the issue of climate in the area of Crete (Fig 5). The region of Crete was hot all year round and the fact that it was near the ocean compounded the problem. This meant that the palace had to be made cool by all means. Hence, the buildings were designed in such a way that the hallways could allow free flow of air in the entire palace. Also, the windows were positioned strategically to facilitate continuous aeration of the palace.11 It was important for the palace to have bearable temperature since it served as a recreational as well as ritual center for the population. Therefore, the palace had to design in a manner that optimized air circulation to allow for natural cooling during times of high temperatures Topographical conditions also contributed to the design of the floor plan of the palace. The palace was designed with labyrinth patterns that spawned a large area. The sloping grounds required a creative design of the floor in a manner that showed consistency in design. The inclination of the floors was made as gently as possible and in some instances, this required deep excavation.12 Fig 5: The Knossos Palace Against a lush background (Source: Pandlebury, 1994) Temporality The design and construction of the palaces of Knossos was highly temporal. This means that the structures were designed to serve the present needs of the times. They were not designed to transcend time and last for several years. For instance, the survival of the first palace was by luck. This is because structural design of the palace was not strong enough. The building was very big and this meant that it required a strong foundation as well as pillars to support it well. However, the structure was devoid of the required support to ensure its support. Eventually, it was destroyed by earthquakes in around 1700BC. The second palace was constructed on top of the remains of the first palace. This palace was also destroyed by fire which razed it to the ground.13 Permanence in buildings requires that the architectural designs should be able to remain relevant even into the future. The introduction of the aspect of time in the design of structures proposes that a great design should be able to stand the test of time. However, it should be noted that the palaces of Knossos were superior in design during their time. This was due to the fact that the Minoans used sophisticated techniques that were not common to construct the palace. Conclusion The palaces of Knossos were great architectural designs of ancient times. The palaces showcase that architecture has grown tremendously over the centuries to reach where it is today. In the construction of the palaces of Knossos, several factors were considered. The palaces served both administrative and social centers during their time. It is evident that the palace of Knossos served as a religious and recreational center. The West Wing Court had a theatrical arena that was used to entertain the people. The architectural design of the theatrical arena showed that it had three levels. This implies that it was designed with the social stratification of the time in mind. Imperatively, the elite of the community had special seating areas while the masses stood behind. Also, the design of the halls was such that they could serve various functions. The West Wing Court could be used to host entertainment sessions as well as administrative functions. The other important aspect of the palace of Knossos was its use of ornaments. Ornaments and decorations were used to add the element of luxury to the palace. The palace of Knossos used ornaments extensively. The inner walls of the buildings were covered with patterns of motifs that were common in Crete. Also, some walls had paintings that were of a symbolic nature. For instance, paintings of a bull with horns were common to show power and authority. The other form of ornamentations that was used in the palace of Knossos was the drawings of almost life size images of figures representing women and men. The role of nature in the architectural design of the palace was also noted. The orientation of the palace was such it was in perfect alignment with the sanctuaries of the times. In fact, the palace was placed in a position where it formed a node with the existing triad of religious sanctuaries: Juktas, the Idaean and the Psychro Cave. Also, the physical landmarks such as the ocean played a role of shaping the nature of design that would be most appropriate to the building.14 It is evident that true architectural designs are an embodiment of the culture and society where they reside. The palace of Knossos depicts the cultures of the society of Minoans where it was constructed. Through the use of various factor such as ornaments, topography and culture, the palace of Knossos has been able to be expressive of the society. 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