14km/8.5mi beyond Gortys a road goes off on the left, crossing the river Leropótamos, to the remains of the town of Phaistos (Faistós), founded by King Minos and destroyed in the second millennium B.C. At the east end of the hill ridge on which the town is built is the Palace, laid out on terraces like the palace of Knossos.
The present palace
was built at some time after 1650 B.C. on the site of an earlier palace built about 1800 and destroyed in an earthquake about 1700, and was itself destroyed in an earthquake about 1450 B.C. (cf. the palace of Knossos).
Of the palace, which was built round a central court, there survive only the remains of the north and west wings, the south and east wings having been destroyed in the earthquake. On the west and north sides of the surviving parts of the later palace can be seen remains of the first palace. The palace is entered from the west side by a monumental staircase 13.75m/45ft wide leading to a propylon. Below the steps, to the left, are the tiers of seating of a theater. From a bastion on the highest terrace there is a magnificent view of the Mesará plain, surrounded by hills.
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