Knossos, Crete

The palace of the Minoan kings, and the legend of the labyrinth.

Terra Explorer Ancient wonders

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The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely.

Region
Crete
Position
35.2980, 25.1630
Area
5 × 5 km
Real elevation
36 to 296 m (260 m of relief)
Printed size
150 mm (5.9 in) wide, about 1:33,300
Heights
3× exaggeration
Elevation data
Open satellite data (SRTM and others), about 30 m per point
Suggested color
Natural
Group
Ancient wonders

About Knossos, Crete

Knossos (; Ancient Greek: Κνωσσός, romanized: Knōssós; Greek: Κνωσός, romanized: Knōsós; Linear B: 𐀒𐀜𐀰 Ko-no-so) is an archaeological site and ancient urban centre in Crete, Greece. It is located within the southern periphery of Heraklion, about 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the city's historic centre. The site was occupied from the Neolithic period into the first millennium AD and became the largest and best-known centre of the Minoan civilisation. Knossos is widely considered Europe's oldest city. Settlement on Kephala hill began around 7000 BC, making Knossos one of the earliest known Neolithic settlements on Crete. Its expansion into an urban centre accelerated at the beginning of the second millennium BC. Knossos became a leading centre of the Minoan civilisation, widely regarded as Europe's earliest advanced civilisation.

From Wikipedia: Knossos, text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. The article’s history lists its authors.

Questions about Knossos, Crete

Where is Knossos?

Knossos is in Crete at 35.2980, 25.1630. The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square around that point.

How high is the terrain in the Knossos model?

The land in this model runs from 36 to 296 m (260 m of relief). These are the measured heights, printed 3 times taller so the shape is easy to see.

Can I 3D print Knossos?

Yes. Download the free Standard resolution STL and print it on any FDM or resin printer. It is 150 mm wide and about 28.4 mm tall, on a solid 5 mm base, at a scale of about 1:33,300. It also works for CNC carving. Use Customize to change the width, base thickness or height exaggeration, make it round or add a name plate.

How accurate is the Knossos model?

It is built from real elevation measurements, not an artist's guess: open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point. The shaded picture on this page is made from the same data.

Is the Knossos model free?

The Standard resolution model is free as STL, 3MF, Colored 3MF, OBJ and a 16-bit heightmap. High resolution samples the place about ten times more finely and is a paid upgrade.

What is a Knossos terrain model good for?

People use it as a desk piece for history lovers, a classroom model or a gift for someone who has been there.

About this terrain model

Embossify Terra builds Knossos, Crete from real measured elevation, not an artist's guess. Outside the United States the heights come from open satellite and survey data (NASA SRTM, Copernicus and national surveys), about 30 meters per point.

The model covers a 5 by 5 kilometer square centered on 35.2980, 25.1630. It prints 150 mm (5.9 in) wide on a solid base, a scale of about 1:33,300. The heights are exaggerated 3× so the shape is easy to see and feel; you can change that when you customize the model. The sea is flattened to zero, so land stands on a clean base.

New to terrain printing? Read how Terra works. The shaded picture on this page is made by Embossify from the same elevation data.