Sights in Crete
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Knossos
The ruins of Knossos (k-nos-os) were uncovered in 1900 by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans. Heinrich Schliemann, the legendary discoverer of ancient Troy, had his eye on the spot, believing an ancient city was buried there, but he was unable to strike a deal with the local landowner in Turkish-controlled Crete.
Intrigued by Schliemann's discovery of engraved seals in Crete, and later pottery finds in Kamares, Evans sailed to Crete in 1894 and set in train the purchase of a share of the Knossos site, which gave him exclusive rights to the excavation. He returned five years later and began digging with a group of Cretan workmen. The first treasure to be unearthed…
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Ammoudara Beach
Ammoudara Beach, 3km from town, is a little better thank the town beaches and supports a fairly busy restaurant and accommodation scene.
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Archaeological Museum of Iraklio
The outstanding Archaeological Museum of Iraklio is second in size and importance only to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens because of its unique and extensive Minoan collection. The museum recently underwent a major restoration.
The collection covers Cretan civilization from Neolithic times until the Roman empire and includes pottery, jewellery, figurines and sarcophagi, as well as some famous frescoes, mostly from Knossos and Agia Triada. All testify to the remarkable imagination and advanced skills of the Minoans. Among the highlights are the famous Minoan frescoes from Knossos, including the Procession fresco, the Griffin Fresco (from the Throne Room), the…
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Dikteon Cave
Lasithi's major sight is the Dikteon Cave, just outside the village of Psyhro. Here, according to legend, Rhea hid the newborn Zeus from Cronos, his offspring-gobbling father.
The cave, also known as the Psyhro Cave, covers 2200 sq metres and features both stalactites and stalagmites. It was excavated in 1900 by the British archaeologist David Hogarth, who found numerous votives indicating it was a place of cult worship. These finds are housed in the Archaeological Museum in Iraklio.
The cave began to be used for cult worship in the Middle Minoan period and continued, though less intensely, up to the 1st century AD. An altar for offerings and sacrifices was in the upper…
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Phaestos
Pottery deposits indicate that the site was inhabited in the Neolithic era around 4000 BC, when the first settlers established themselves on the slopes of Kastri Hill. The first palace was built around 2000 BC and then destroyed by the earthquake that levelled many Minoan palaces. The ruins were covered with a layer of lime and debris, which formed the base of a new palace that was begun around 1700 BC. It, too, was destroyed in the catastrophe that befell the island in 1450 BC.
In the intervening centuries Phaestos was the political and administrative centre of the Mesara Plain. Ancient texts refer to the palace's importance and note that it minted its own coins.…
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Phaestos
Phaestos was the second most important palace city of Minoan Crete. Of all the Minoan sites, Phaestos (fes-tos) has the most awe-inspiring location, with all-embracing views of the Mesara Plain and Mt Psiloritis. The layout of the palace is identical to Knossos, with rooms arranged around a central court.
In contrast to Knossos, Phaestos has yielded very few frescoes. It seems the palace walls were mostly covered with a layer of white gypsum; there has been no reconstruction. Like the other palatial period complexes, this one had an old palace that was destroyed at the end of the Middle Minoan period. Unlike the other sites, parts of this old palace have been excavated…
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Hania Old Town
An exotic mix of Venetian and Ottoman architecture makes Hania Crete's most evocative town. The Venetian lighthouse and former mosque frame the picturesque harbour lined with restored Venetian mansions that house boutique hotels, pensions and restaurants. Remnants of the Venetian city walls border a web of atmospheric streets, where you'll see artisans at work and find the island's most eclectic shopping.
Roofless Venetian mansions house ambient restaurants and elegant bars. The archaeological museum and the naval museum are small but worthwhile museums. The Firkas fortress near the harbour runs off the best-preserved section of the massive fortifications which were built…
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Central Court
The Central Court is the centrepiece of the palace, affording spectacular views of the surrounding area. It is extremely well preserved and gives a good sense of the magnificence of the palace. Porticoes with columns and pillars once lined the long sides of the Central Court. Notice the Neolithic hut at the southwestern corner of the Central Court.
The best-preserved parts of the palace complex are the reception rooms and private apartments to the north of the Central Court, where excavations continue. Enter through the Formal Doorway with half columns at either side, the lower parts of which are still in situ. The corridor leads to the north court; the Peristyle Court,…
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Knossos
This palace, in a beautiful site just southeast of Iraklio, is the most magnificent, intricate and evocative of Crete's Minoan sites. In order to give visitors an idea of what the palace looked like, its discoverer, Sir Arthur Evans, had parts of it reconstructed.
Thanks to Evans' controversial reconstruction, the most significant parts of the complex are instantly recognisable (if not instantly found). On your wanders you will come across many of Evans' reconstructed columns, most painted deep brown-red with gold-trimmed black capitals. Like all Minoan columns, they taper at the bottom.
It is not only the vibrant frescoes and mighty columns which impress at Knossos; keep…
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Archaeological Museum
It's worth the hike up to the Archaeological Museum, which has an extensive and well-displayed collection from eastern Crete. While it has no major showpiece, it is probably the second most significant Minoan collection and includes clay coffins, ceramic musical instruments and gold from the island of Mohlos.
The chronological exhibits begin with Neolithic finds from Mt Tragistalos, north of Kato Zakros, and early Minoan finds from Agia Fotia, then finds from Malia and Mohlos. The highlight is the odd-looking Goddess of Myrtos, a clay jug from 2500 BC found near Myrtos. Another stand-out Minoan item is a stone ritual vessel in the shape of a shell, found in a late Minoan…
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Historical Museum of Crete
A fascinating collection from Crete's more recent past is presented at the excellent Historical Museum of Crete. The ground floor covers the period from Byzantine to Turkish rule, displaying plans, charts, photographs, ceramics and maps. On the 1st floor are the only two El Greco paintings in Crete - View of Mt Sinai and the Monastery of St Catherine (1570) and the tiny recent addition, Baptism of Christ.
Other rooms contain fragments of 13th- and 14th-century frescoes, coins, jewellery, liturgical ornaments and vestments, and medieval pottery.
The 2nd floor has a reconstruction of the library of author Nikos Kazantzakis. Another room is devoted to Rethymno-born former…
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Archaeological Museum
Hania's Archaeological Museum is housed in the superb 16th-century Venetian Church of San Francisco that became a mosque under the Turks, a movie theatre in 1913 and a munitions depot for the Germans during WWII. The museum houses a well-displayed collection of finds from western Crete dating from the Neolithic to the Roman eras. Artefacts from 3400 BC to 1200 BC, to the left as you enter the museum, include tablets with Linear A script.
There is some exquisite pottery from the Geometric era (1200-800 BC) and a case of bull figurines. Among the Hellenistic and Roman exhibits, the statue of Diana is particularly impressive. There is a marble fountain in the pretty…
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Chapel of Metamorfosis Sotiros
At the entrance to the town a sign directs you to the Chapel of Metamorfosis Sotiros that contains 14th-century frescoes. The fresco of the Transfiguration on the south wall is particularly impressive.
The road from Hania to the beginning of the Samaria Gorge is one of the most spectacular routes in Crete. After heading through orange groves to the village of Fournes, a left fork leads to Meskla, twisting and turning along a gorge offering beautiful views. Although the bottom part of the town is not particularly attractive with boarded-up buildings, the road becomes more scenic as it winds uphill to the modern, multicoloured Church of the Panagia. Next to it is a…
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Natural History Museum of Crete
Established by the University of Crete, the leading Natural History Museum of Crete has relocated to impressive new five-level premises in the restored former electricity building on the waterfront. Only two wings had opened at the time of research, including an impressive interactive discovery centre for kids, compete with labs and excavation projects.
Apart from the broader evolution of humankind, the museum explores the flora and fauna of Crete, the island's ecosystem and habitats, and its caves, coastline and mountains. It also looks at the Minoan environment, including a reconstruction of a Minoan cottage and its inhabitants. It's a pleasant 10-minute walk along the…
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Koules Venetian Fortress
The 16th-century Koules Venetian fortress stands at the end of the Old Harbour jetty (though it was sinking and underwent significant restoration recently). Built by the Venetians who called it Rocca al Mare, it stopped the Turks for 22 years and then became a Turkish prison for Cretan rebels. The impressive exterior has reliefs of the Lion of St Mark. The interior has 26 overly restored rooms and good views from the top.
The rooms on the ground level are used for art exhibitions, while music and theatrical events are held in the upper level. The vaulted arcades of the Venetian Arsenal are located on the harbour front, opposite the fortress.
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Tzermiado
Tzermiado (dzer-mee-ah-do) is a sleepy town with dusty little streets lined with houses overgrown with vines and hanging plants. It's the largest and most important town on the Lasithi Plateau and has a fair amount of visitors from the tour buses going to the Dikteon Cave. A number of shops sell rugs and embroideries, although they're not of a particularly high quality. Of better quality are Lasithi's superior potatoes, which are celebrated in a three-day festival at the end of August in Tzermiado.
There is only one main road running through town that takes you past the town square, with a couple of ATMs and a post office.
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Archaeological Museum
The excellent Archaeological Museum houses a well-displayed and important collection of local finds spanning Neolithic to Roman times, with emphasis on the Minoan civilization. One of the most significant exhibits is the Palekastro Kouros - a figure pieced together from fragments made of hippopotamus tusks and adorned with gold (see the boxed text). Finds from the palace at Zakros include a wine press, a bronze saw, jars, cult objects and pots that are clearly scorched from the great fire that destroyed the palace. Among the most valuable objects are the Linear A tablets, which reflect the palace's administrative function.
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Fortezza
Rethymno's 16th-century fortezza is on the site of the city's ancient acropolis. Within its massive walls a great number of buildings once stood, of which only a church and a mosque survive intact. The ramparts offer good views, while the site has lots of ruins to explore. The main gate is opposite the Archaeological Museum on the eastern side of the fortress, but there were once two other gates on the western and northern sides for the delivery of supplies and ammunition.
In summer it is a stunning concert venue for the Renaissance Festival.
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Agia Roumeli Beach
The gorge ends at the 12.5km mark just north of the almost abandoned village of Old Agia Roumeli. From here it's a further uninteresting 2km hike to the welcoming seaside resort of Agia Roumeli, with its much- appreciated fine pebble beach and sparkling sea, where most hikers can be seen between after midday taking a refreshing dip or at least bathing sore and aching feet. Be warned, falling rocks can be a hazard and people have been injured, including two fatal incidents in 2006.
On extremely hot days the gorge is closed for safety reasons.
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Naval Museum
The Naval Museum has an interesting collection of model ships dating from the Bronze Age, and naval instruments, paintings, photographs and memorabilia from the Battle of Crete.
It is housed in the Firkas Fortress, once the old Turkish prison.An authentic replica of a Minoan ship, which sailed from Crete to Athens as part of the Athens 2004 Olympics ceremonies, will be the star attraction of the museum's new Ancient and Traditional Maritime Museum annexe in the Venetian ship sheds being created at the far end of the harbour.
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Propylon
From the Theatral Area, the 15m-wide grand stairway leads to the Propylon, which was a porch. Below the Propylon are the storerooms that still contain pithoi (storage urns). The square hall next to the storerooms is thought to have been an office, where tablets containing Linear A script were found beneath the floor in 1955. South of the storeroom a corridor led to the west side of the Central Court. South of the corridor is a lustral basin, rooms with benches and a pillar crypt similar to that at Knossos.
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archaeological museum
Ierapetra's one-room archaeological museum 2; admission around €2; ;08:30-15:00 Tue-Sun) is perfect for those with a short concentration span. It does have a good collection of headless classical statuary and a superb statue of the goddess Persephone that dates from the 2nd century AD. Also notable is a larnax (clay coffin), dated around 1300 BC, decorated with 12 painted panels showing hunting scenes, an octopus and a chariot procession. The 1899 building was a school during Ottoman times.
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Folklore Museum
The village of Gavalohori, 25km southeast of Hania, makes a pleasant stop. The main attraction is the Folklore Museum, which is located in a renovated building that was constructed during Venetian rule and then extended by the Turks. The exhibits are well labelled in English and include examples of pottery, weaving, woodcarving, stonecutting and other Cretan crafts, including the fine kapaneli - intricately worked silk lace. A historical section documents Cretan struggles for independence.
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Hall of the Double Axes
Within the royal apartments is the Hall of the Double Axes. This was the king's megaron, a spacious double room in which the ruler both slept and carried out certain court duties. The room had a light well at one end and a balcony at the other to ensure air circulation.
The room takes its name from the double axe marks on its light well. These marks appear in many places at Knossos. The labrys (double axe) was a sacred symbol to the Minoans, and the origin of our word 'labyrinth'.
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Tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis
You can pay homage to Crete's most acclaimed contemporary writer at the tomb of Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957), at the Martinengo Bastion (the largest and best-preserved bastion) in the southern part of town. The epitaph on his grave, 'I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free', is taken from one of his works. You can actually walk along the city walls all the way to the waterfront from here (about an hour), or you can climb up from the steps next to the arches at Plateia Kyprou.
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