Ancient Sites of Crete

Top 10 Places to Visit

 

Agia Triada

Minoan summer palace - near the more famous palace of Faistos, Agia Triada enjoys an equally spectacular setting, situated on slope overlooking the Bay of Mesaras. Fewer tourists come here and it is a delightful spot to explore. The setting would have been much closer to the sea in ancient times and the elaborate decorations in the apartments suggest that this would have been a luxurious summer residence possibly used by the royalty of nearby Faistos. The original palace was razed to the ground in the disaster of 1450BC (cause unknown) and was rebuilt 200 years later.
Some of the most exquisite Minoan works of art now displayed in Iraklio's Archaeological museum were found here.

Museum of Archaeology Iraklio

This museum contains the world's richest collection of Minoan art, providing a vivid insight into the everyday life of a highly cultured society. The range of exhibits is enormous, from figurines, seal stones, vessels and golden jewellery to spearheads and sarcophagi.

Museum of Archaeology Iraklio - Hall of Frescoes

A magnificent collection of Minoan frescoes mostly from the palace of Knossos is the highlight of the museum. Dating from 1600 - 1400BC the frescoes are joyful, elegant depictions of man in harmony with nature, of ceremonies and worship and scenes of daily life. Only tiny fragments remain and the rest have been cleverly recreated.

Faistos

Second only to Knossos in importance, Faistos dominated the Mesara plain and was ruled by the legendary Rhadamanthys , brother of King Minos. This is a wonderful place to visit and is un-commercialised in comparison to Knossos. A guide book is recommended as sign posts are scarce.

Samaria Gorge

In the summer up to 2,000 tourists a day walk the 16km gorge. The stunning mountain scenery is well worth the effort of the 5-7 hour hike. The starting point is at the head of the gorge is on the mountain-ringed Omalos plain, by far the best plan is to arrive by public transport, hike through the gorge to the Agia Roumeli and take a ferry from here to Chora Sfakion, then a bus to Chania. Sturdy shoes are a must as this is a demanding walk particularly in the summer heat.

Gortys

The ancient ruins are scattered amongst the fields and hillsides and one can see the evidence of the importance of this former capital of Crete. Not so ancient as the famous Minoan sites - in fact, rather insignificant in those days. Gortys became important under the Dorians and ousted Faistos from it's pinnacle by the 3rd century BC, when it attained the ultimate status of capital of Crete after the Roman invasion of 6BC. This major city was destroyed by the Turks in AD824 and has been abandoned ever since.

Knossos

King Minos and Knossos were merely names from the myths of ancient Greece until in 1894, British archaeologist Arthur Evans purchased a site that proved to be the largest, most important palace in Crete and gave credence to the myths. This palace was more than a royal residence - it was the seat of administration and justice, a commercial centre and a centre of religious ceremonies and rituals. Arthur Evans was heavily criticised for his restoration of Knossos particularly for the liberal use of concrete and his speculative reconstructions, however for the casual visitor it evokes the splendour of the palace and it facilitates the interpretation of all the Minoan sites.

Moni Arkadiou

The fame of this monastery lies not so much in it's splendid setting on a plateau in the Ida Mountains nor it's beautiful baroque façade, but in the role it placed during the struggle for freedom from Turkish rule in the 19th century. The monastery became an important centre of Cretan resistance against foreign powers.
On November 9th 1866, following a two day siege, thousands of Turkish troops forced entry through the western gateway. Within the monastery hundreds of resistance fighters were taking refuge with their wives and children. Rather than suffer death at the hands of the Turks, the Cretans blew themselves up, so the story is told, by setting light to the powder magazine. Most of the Cretans were killed and so were hundreds of Turks - the exact number of deaths is unknown. Following this event many prominent figures in Europe rallied to the support of the Cretan cause. Visitors can see artefacts' in a small museum on the site and also visit the ossuary which is close to the entrance and contains the skulls of the siege victims - a chilling reminder of the events of 1866.

Preveli monastery

When Crete fell to the Turks in the 17th century the monks of Preveli decided to abandon their original monastery in favour of a more secluded location. Their new monastery, perched above the Libyan Sea, soon became a centre of resistance and grew wealthy on the olive groves, sheep, goats, wine, corn and other gifts that were bequeathed by Cretans who feared their possessions would otherwise fall into Turkish hands.
More recently the monastery was used to shelter Allied troops after the fall of Crete to the Germans in 1941, it also assisted their evacuation to the port of Alexandria.
Destroyed by the Germans in reprisal for the protection of soldiers, the monastery retains none of its original features, but it is nevertheless a handsome complex with splendid views.

Ancient Aptera

The ruins of this ancient city are overlooking Souda Bay. Founded in the 7th century BC, Aptera was one of the most important city-states on Crete. An earthquake destroyed the city in the 7th century AD.
It came back to life with the Byzantine reconquest of Crete in the 10th century. In the 12th century the monastery of St John the Theologian was established and the reconstructed monastery is at the centre of the site.
A Roman graveyard, Roman baths and cistern can be viewed also the remains of a Roman villa.
This site is still under excavation.

 

Best of Crete