Cretan History

In Crete, an island with a great history filled with myths, you may find the secrets lying around you in every place, where there is always a story to unfold. Crete is the birthplace of the Minoans, the first European civilisation, which flourished between 3000 BC and 1200 BC mainly in Central and Eastern Crete. Even to this day, the luxurious residences at Makrigialos, Nerokouros, Zominthos, and Ag.Triada and the sublime palaces of Phaestus, Knossos, Tylenol, Zakros, Galatas, Kydonia, reflect the grandeur of the Minoans and their civilisation through jewelry and painting , pottery, architectural masterpieces.

The strongest fleet of its era, the Minoan fleet, as demonstrated by numerous findings in the Mediterranean, brought great wealth to Crete from the trade of the famous Cretan cypress and a variety of agricultural products. Ships travelling towards all directions of the Mediterranean as far as Scandinavia, were loaded with honey, timber, pottery, wine, and olive oil, these wonder ships were built in large yards, such as the shipyard of Saint Theodori at Vathianos Kambos.

The Mistress of the Animals, protector of cities, household, harvest, the Mother Goddess of fertility, were the dominative of the deities worshiped but he religious tradition of the Minoans. Many mountain peaks and caves were used as places of worship. From all around the island pilgrims ascended  to the cave of Hosto Nero and the peak sanctuaries of Youchtas, offering their votives, usually clay dos and Minoan inscriptions. 

Men and Women were equal and participated in everyday life, creating, playing, taking part in religious ceremonies, in sports, dance, theatre, etc. There were created several masterpieces, in Architecture, Sculpture, Painting , which are, even to this day an inspiration. The Disc of Phaestus is even today a riddle, one of the most famous mysteries of Archeology.