The Minoan Palace of Knossos bears unique testimony to the Minoan civilization, which was arguably considered as the first centrally organized civilization to flourish in Europe and amongst the first civilizations worldwide. It is also unique because of its continuous habitation from the Neolithic (7000-3000 B.C.) to the Mycenaean Age, while the city of Knossos continued to be an important city-state down to the Hellenistic era, the period of the Roman Empire and the early Byzantine period. The first palace was built circa 1900 BC. From the few parts of it that survive (“Magazine of the Giant Pithoi”, etc.), it seems that its basic layout was set out in sectors around the great “Central Court”. The first palace was destroyed around 1700 BC and the new one was erected in its place.