Throne Room, Knossos, Archaeological ceremonial chamber in Knossos, Greece

The Throne Room at Knossos is a red-walled chamber with white horizontal bands and painted plant motifs, entered through a stone-framed wooden door with slatted upper panels. Two black tapered columns with red-and-white ringed capitals and dark square abaci rise from a stepped stone bench to a ceiling of wooden beams. An alabaster seat identified as the throne stands on the north wall, flanked by painted griffins, with gypsum benches on three sides and a round stone basin on the slab floor.

This chamber dates to the 15th century BC and represents one of Europe's earliest royal seats. British archaeologist Arthur Evans uncovered and reconstructed it in 1900.

The wall paintings show pairs of griffins facing each other across the throne, with palms and altars. Helga Reusch and Friedrich Matz argued the room was a sanctuary of a female divinity, with a priestess seated on the alabaster seat as her impersonator. Others read the scene as epiphany ritual.

The room lies west of the central court, entered from the anteroom through two double doors; the sunken lustral basin is partly partitioned off at one side. Evans estimated that the room and anteroom together held about thirty people, so the space is small and best seen outside peak tour hours.

The alabaster seat identified as the throne stands on the north wall, flanked by painted griffins that face it from either side. The stone basin found nearby, perhaps a lustral basin, was placed in front of the throne. Archaeologists have suggested the room was used only at dawn, at certain times of the year, for specific ceremonies.