A 4,000-year-old Minoan labyrinth discovered at Papoura Hill in Crete is being hailed as a major archaeological find—but nearby airport construction could put the ancient site at risk.
Last year, as construction got underway for a planned new international airport just outside of Heraklion, Crete, an excavation crew made an astonishing discovery: a massive circular labyrinth-like complex dating to the Minoan period that bears an eerie resemblance to the legendary lair of the Minotaur. The discovery of the 20,000-square-foot monumental structure, which features eight concentric limestone walls encircling a round chamber divided into quadrants, thrilled the archaeology world, with the head of the Association of Greek Archaeologists calling it “one of the most important finds of the 21st century.” And last fall, Papoura Hill, as the area is called, won the 2025 prestigious Archaeologist of Palmyra award for the best archaeological discovery of the previous year.
Yet despite this worldwide recognition, the massive 4,000-year-old complex is under direct threat from continuing construction of the new airport’s 100-foot radar tower, which has broken ground just 90 feet from the area so far uncovered. While that might seem a reasonable distance, surveys show the full structure may extend well beyond the excavated circumference.
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While the Greek minister of culture announced the award as a “truly important event” and said the site “reshapes our understanding of Minoan archaeology,” local and national government officials have refused to relocate the tower, despite an escalating #SavePapoura movement both in Greece and across the international archaeological community.
A Find Like No Other
Archaeologists don’t throw the word “unique” around lightly, but that word turns up again and again in scholarly descriptions of Papoura Hill because it is, in fact, unlike any other structure ever found. Constructed as early as 3,000 BCE, it predates other Minoan sites on the island by 1,000 years, and the design and construction are far more complex and sophisticated than anything else of that era. It also bears very little resemblance to the right angles and blocky layouts of later Minoan sites, but instead shares similarities with early Bronze Age sites in Mesopotamia, Oman, and elsewhere, and Neolithic sites in Europe, suggesting builders may have been inspired by knowledge of distant lands.
The discovery comes at a time when Crete’s Minoan archaeological history is gaining greater world recognition, with the island’s six Minoan palaces, Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zominthos, Zakros, and Kydonia, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2025, the island’s first. It’s also a time when Crete’s popularity as an international travel destination is skyrocketing, with travel insurer Travel Guard listing the island as the number one destination of choice for budget-conscious travelers, based on Google search data over the past two years. Another survey, this one from vacation rental platform HomeToGo, concurred, naming Crete among the five most-searched international travel destinations for American tourists, showing a 390% jump.
But for longtime Crete fans, the only surprise is why it’s taken so long for Crete to top want-to-go lists. In addition to archaeological treasures, Crete can claim some of the prettiest beaches in the Greek Islands, a trio of ochre-walled Venetian harbor towns, and small hilltop villages where traditional crafts still crowd family-run shops. Where else can you start your morning with an Aegean swim, spend the day visiting archaeological sites, Medieval cave monasteries, and dramatic gorges, then toast your discoveries with cocktails on the harbor-front watching local fishermen haul in their nets? And Crete’s UNESCO honors also include two spectacular biosphere reserves, the imposing Asterousia Mountain Range, and Samaria Gorge with its popular mountains-to-the-sea trek.
New direct flights to Athens are making it easier than ever for U.S. travelers to get to Crete, which is served by three airports and hourly flights from the capital. American Airlines added direct Athens flights from Dallas-Fort Worth starting in May, and this past summer, Delta boosted its Athens direct flights from New York and Atlanta, which will continue this year. United also boosted the frequency of Athens flights from Newark and Washington last summer. And Crete has seen dozens of new hotels open in the past few years, including the splashy launches of IHG’s Chania Hotel Crete, Vignette Collection, and the JW Marriott Crete Resort and Spa, the first JW luxury property on Crete. And there’s more coming; IHG’s Kimpton La Mer Resort opens in April, and The Melia Group’s Innside Hotel in Elounda will also open later this year. After opening the Domes Aulus Elounda in 2025, Hilton will unveil the Chania Old Town Resort & Spa in June.
The Mystery Grows
As to why the monument atop Papoura Hill was built and what it was used for–these remain tantalizing mysteries, though theories abound. The staggered concentric circles suggest a relationship to the circular Minoan beehive–or tholos–tombs dotted around Crete, but if so, this tomb would have been five to ten times larger and far more complex in design. Meanwhile, the large number of animal bones dug up at the site suggests it was used for ritual feasts, an idea backed up by the discovery of fragments of drinking vessels, lamps, and storage jars. Some scholars have suggested that the crossed lines dividing the inner circle into quarters could have functioned as an astronomical calendar. And that labyrinthian circular layout? It may have had a religious or spiritual function, much as labyrinths feature in meditation and prayer today.
And, of course, there is the obvious link to the legendary Minoan labyrinth said to have imprisoned the Minotaur, a mythological creature half man, half bull, underneath the palace at Knossos. While no underground maze has ever been found below the palace, scholars have postulated that the legend may have grown out of the tall tales of guests and visitors to Knossos, who found themselves hopelessly lost within the massive multi-level complex of more than 1,000 rooms connected by twisting corridors. Certainly, that legend is among the major draws to visit Knossos, one of Crete’s most popular tourist attractions, which received more than a record-setting 1 million visitors in 2025.
Fear for the Future
Meanwhile, concern grows–will visitors to Crete, many of whom are drawn by its archaeological wonders, ever be able to visit Papoura Hill? Will archaeologists be able to study it? Since the summer, the Greek Association of Archaeologists and others have called on the Greek government to designate the site as a protected monument and expand excavations. But the conflict has reached an impasse, and today the concentric circular walls sit silent behind a tall wire fence and locked gate, while frustrated ancient history fans resort to online forums, sharing suggestions for ways to glimpse a distant view from the surrounding hills.
