Zakros is located in the eastern end of Crete. The fourth largest Minoan palace, which was the ruling center and the main port of the region, was discovered there. The Minoans chose this particular place to build the palace due to the easy access to the ports of Cyprus, Egypt and Middle East. Like most Minoan palaces, it was built around 1900 BC, at the exit of the Dead’s Gorge (Nekron) as it was named after the Minoan tombs that were found inside its walls. During the excavations, tools and unfinished objects in workshops, vessels in fireplaces and sanctuaries were found, which indicate a sudden catastrophe, most probably by the eruption of the Santorini volcano. From an archaeological point of view, this was one of the most significant discoveries, since the palace had not been desecrated and all its treasures were found. The excavations began in 1900 by the English Archaeological School, but the palace itself was discovered by Nikolaos Platonas in 1961. Several small settlements are dispersed in the surrounding area while an interesting phenomenon is observed; turtles inhabit many small basins within the palace but none is found in the surrounding area.