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Day 24: A short distance outside of Heraklion, capital of Crete, lies the ruins of the Palace of Knossos, writes Kate.

From 2000 BC to 1450 BC, Knossos was home to the mighty Minoans, one of most developed Mediterranean civilisations of the time.

Until the 1900s, Knossos was no more than a large mound of dirt. (You have to look out for these in Greece - they often hide fabled ancient cities.)

In a classic race against time, British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans beat German Heinrich Schliemann to the excavation and proceeded to dig out and “restore” Knossos according to his ideas about what the city originally looked like.

These days, Knossos is as much a study in early 20th century archaelogical practices and 21st century package tourism. Using concrete, many cans of wattyl paint, and his imagination, Evans recreated columns, stuck buildings back together and, having removed some important frescos for museums, repainted them and the concrete columns so that visitors could see what Knossos “really looked like.”

Evans’ “restorations” are a subject of great debate. Plaques at the site tactfully allude to the controversy. I don’t have a problem with restoring ancient sites per se, especially if it brings them to life for future generations, but I think Evans’ work was a bridge too far.

As Andy said, Evans wasn’t so much “Mr Right” as “Mr Right Now.”

Which would be a shame, because Knossos and the Minoans were truly great, responsible for the first written language (Linear A) and even the first flushing toilet in Europe.

You can still catch glimpses of their brillance at Knossos today - but you’ll need a guided tour to seek them out.