Explore Cretan

History

Crete’s strategic location at the crossroads of the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean is the main reason for the continuous claim of the island by many occupants.

Crete managed to keep its unique and strong character till today. Religion, glorious history and the wild Cretan terrain formed the personality of Cretans, who held their Greek soul after many centuries of slavery. Apart from the scattered archaeological sites and monuments of spiritual wealth, the visitor has the chance to see the rare and priceless findings of excavations at the various museums and collections throughout the island.

Crete is the birthplace of Zeus, the ruler of the gods, people and hospitality. Even today the hospitality of the Cretans is more than a ritual. The first European civilization, the Minoans, emerged here between 2800 BC and 1400 BC. Even today, the palaces of Knossos, Phaestus, Malia and Zakros reflect the splendor of the Minoan civilization through the masterpieces of architecture, pottery, gold, silversmithing and painting. The most powerful fleet in the then known world, as evidenced by the different findings across the Mediterranean, brought wealth to Crete from trading the famous Cretan cypress and its agricultural products. This brilliant course was terminated in 1400 BC when the Achaeans and the Dorians made their presence on the island, founding new towns (eg Lato, Polyrhenea) and gave the baton to the Classical Greek civilization.

After the conquest of Crete by the Romans, the capital moved to Gortys, which subsequently became the capital of the Roman province of Crete and Cyrene. During his journey to Rome, Saint Paul stopped in Crete and proclaimed Christianity, beginning a century-old monastic tradition in more remote areas. The island became an important Christian center as depicted in hundreds of religious monuments, scattered everywhere.

In 824AD Crete was conquered by the Arabs, who turned Candia (today’s Iraklion) to a base for pirate attacks in the Mediterranean Sea. After many failed attempts, the Byzantines managed to release Crete in 961, under the commands of the later emperor Nikiforos Fokas, giving a new impetus in Christian tradition on Crete.

After the conquest of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Venetians became the new rulers of Crete until 1669. During this period Crete experienced a great economic and spiritual wellbeing. The big cities were rebuilt, decorated with amazing monuments and fortified with massive walls. Moreover, the art reached its apogee with great personalities from the field of hagiography, as El Greco (Dominikos Theotokopoulos) and Michael Damaskinos. Moreover, literature, music and theater thrived and produced masterpieces, like Erotokritos and Erofili. All these were abruptly interrupted in 1669 when Candia, Crete’s last stronghold, surrendered after the longest siege in history by the Ottomans.

Successive revolutions and bloody battles led to the autonomy of Crete in 1897. In 1913 Crete became part of the Greek territory, honoring the longed dream of all Cretans for the Union with Greece. During the Union of Crete, the politician Eleftherios Venizelos came into foreground, who would later become the greatest leader that ever ruled Greece. The struggles, however, of the Cretans did not end here, as the Cretan glory emerged in the Battle of Crete in 1941 and from the ashes of the dozens of villages burnt by the Germans. Thousands of Cretans were executed with their fearless gaze towards the barrel of the German guns, helping to turn the scales in favor of the Allies.

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Paleokastro Fort at Aptera

Paleokastro fort was built by the Venetians on the site of the ancient town Aptera, which was aimed to protect the Souda Bay from possible attacks or invasions. The walls, which were oriented from north to south in some places were 1.5m wide, 3m high and was equipped with arched tanks. A wide road connected Palekastro to the sea.

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Kakopetros

The martyr village Kakopetros at Kissamos province is one of the most beautiful and green villages of the prefecture of Chania. Like all the villages of the area it consists of many distinct neighborhoods (Tsichliana, Seli, Micheliana, Berethiana, Metohi, Sholio, Papadiana, Chatziana, Ganiana, Kotsyfiana and Pontikou Platanos. The neighborhoods of the village are crossed by the rugged canyon Kakopetros.

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Keramia War Collection

At an altitude of 450 m, 14 km south of the city of Chania, there is the settlement of Ahlades, a small hamlet of a very few residents. At this hamlet, in a plateau with nice view, and in a small tavern, the private military collection of Kostas Mavrigiannakis is housed.

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Anavlochos settlement

Anavlohos is rocky and steep hill east of the gorge of Selinari. At this inhospitable place no traces of post-Minoan settlement (9-6th century BC) with tanks, walls, tombs and sanctuary have been identified.

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Nerokouros Minoan Mansion

The Minoan settlement located near the village of Nerokouros, by Chania, was excavated in 1977. At this point a Minoan mansion was built on palatial standards (tiled floors, polythyron, two floors). The villa was built in about 1600BC.

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Folklore Museum Polios’s House

The Folklore Museum is located in the village Asteri, 13km west of the city of Rethymno. It started its operation in 2009 and is housed in a traditional Cretan house, transformed in a cozy private museum, with passion and love of George Polioudakis.

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Ancient Ambelos at Xirokambos

Above the beach of Gerontolakkos, at position Farmakokefalo, the archaeologist P. Papadakis in 1984 found the remains of the Hellenistic city Ambelos. Excavations revealed a prosperous city with massive walls, houses and distinct roads.

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