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Crete Island
Steeped in Homeric history and culture, scented by wild fennel and basil, Crete welcomes and overwhelms visitors with its wealth of myths, legends and history, a blessed and dramatic landscape, an extraordinary fusion of past and present, and an abundance of choices and experiences.
Its stunning mountains ranges are dotted with caves and sliced by dramatic gorges, and its rugged interior is interspersed with fertile plains and hillsides blanketed in olive groves, wild flowers and aromatic herbs.
Breathtaking drives along the rugged south coast lead to a sundrenched paradise of long sandy beaches and isolated coves.
History
Between 5700 and 2800 BC, Neolithic Cretans lived in caves or basic houses. These people were hunter-gatherers who also farmed and raised livestock. The Minoans arrived in Crete in about 3000 BC from North Africa or the Middle East, bringing with them the skills necessary for making bronze. The Minoans thrived, as their use of bronze allowed them to build better boats and thereby expand their trade opportunities. Around 2000 BC, they built their first palaces, and improvements in technology allowed them to produce fine pottery and jewellery. The Minoans became the first advanced civilisation to emerge in Europe.
The 'golden age' of the Minoans was from 1700 BC to 1450 BC. Palaces destroyed by a cataclysm in 1700 BC were rebuilt to a more complex design with multiple storeys, sumptuous royal apartments and reception halls and advanced drainage systems. Some wonderful frescoes were created during this period. Another cataclysm in 1450 BC brought Minoan civilisation to an abrupt halt.
Crete then underwent over three millennia of occupation by various forces. First were the Mycaeans from the mainland (1400-1100 BC), then came the Dorians, also from the mainland (1100-67 BC), although this period saw almost constant warfare between Crete's city states. The Romans took over in 67 BC; in 27 BC Gortyn (present-day Gortyna) became the capital of (and most powerful) city of Crete. When Rome's power declined at the end of the 4th century AD, Crete became part of the Byzantine Empire and was ruled from Constantinople (Istanbul). The Arabs conquered Crete in around 824; the Byzantines reclaimed it in 960 and sold it to the Venetians in 1204; it fell to the Turks in 1669 and became part of the Ottoman empire; it was given to Egypt in 1830, and returned to the Ottomans in 1840.
In 1898 the Turks were removed from Crete, which was then ruled by an international administration. Greece and, in particular, the world powers of the time resisted Crete's desire to be unified with Greece until 1913. A Greek invasion of Smyrna in Turkey was thwarted and the subsequent Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 resulted in a population exchange - i.5 million Greeks left Turkey and almost 400,000 Turks left Greece. By 1935 a rigged plebiscite put King George II on the Greek throne.
The harbour at chania
The town of Chania will be the starting point, to familiarize yourself with the prefecture. The graphic seaside or mountainous villages have their own pace of life, the famous Samaria gorge, the steep White Mountains of Crete, the endless beaches of the Livikon Sea, the unspoiled seashores of Western Crete and the small islets make up this beautiful island. An island with wild, natural beauty, basking in sunlight and the blue sea captivates visitors from the first moment and guarantees further visits. Chania is the capital of the prefecture because of its geographic position and commercial activity.
Heraklion
Heraklion one of the largest cities of Greece is both Crete capital and its primary port. The city's chic native population lives a fast-paced life and the urbanite brusqueness will make you appreciate the hospitality that comes so naturally in Heraklion's surrounding mountain villages. While architectural aesthetics find the city's unplanned jumble of Venetian monuments sandwiched between Turkish houses and two-story concrete flats utterly offensive, many others consider the mosaic of buildings a ubiquitous reminder of lraklion's impressive history.
Regardless, with its rich museums and daytrip proximity to the Minoan palaces of Knossos, Phaestos, and Malia, Heraklion is an ideal base for a cultural tour of Crete.
Rethymno
Rethymno lies between the White Mountains and Mt Psiloritis and borders to the prefectures of Hania and Iraklion. The prefecture has excellent beaches, picturesque mountain and seashore villages and famous resort centres. Rethymno town, the capital of the prefecture is divided into the old and the new town. While the new town is a typical modern city, the old town has retained much of its medieval and ottoman character and influence. Some places of interest to visit include the Archaeological museum the Fortezza and the Venetian harbor. |
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