Tourloti, Siteia

Tourloti is a village and the seat of the homonymous community in the municipality of Siteia in the Regional Unit of Lasithi in Crete. It is located on the national road Siteia – Agios Nikolaos and is 28 kilometers from Siteia and 45 from Agios Nikolaos. It is built at an altitude of 325 meters.

History

The area of Tourloti has been inhabited since the Minoan era. On a hill 450 m high south of the village known as Kastri, the ruins of a Minoan settlement are preserved. In a vaulted carved tomb of the Late Minoan era (1550-1500 BC) discovered near the village, valuable burial gifts were found, such as beads from necklaces, bracelets, rings, a dagger, a razor, and figurines of animals made of faience. Among the various movable finds of the Minoan settlement is a seal stone with a representation of a sow suckling her young, a lamp with a representation of a horse being led to water by its owner, and others. In 1959, another Late Minoan tomb (1400-1300 BC) was excavated. The historian M. Katapotis argued, taking the name Kinopotamos, which a neighboring river has, as a reason, that it should be the seat of the city of Keno, which is mentioned by Diodorus the Sicilian as the birthplace of Britomartis Diktynna, which is disputed by archaeologists who place it near ancient Elyros. The correct spelling of the river of Tourloti is Kinopotamos.

In the Venetian maps it is recorded with the name Truloti, while in the census of the Venetians in 1583 it is mentioned with 313 inhabitants. The village was built on a hill due to the widespread piracy. Tourloti is the birthplace of the naval fighter Kapetan Voyiatzis or Voyiatzopas, who acted against the Turks from Merambello to Kasos. In his attacks against Turkish ships, he used hives with bees, protected by “mourgonia”, the special masks of beekeepers. His great achievement was the operation in the port of Spinalonga against Turkish ships.

Name

The etymology of the name is unknown. Some believe that the village was named Trouloti after the domes of the village church, and eventually it remained Tourloti. Another theory wants the name from a Venetian tower (tour) of a king Lot.

Sights

In a dominant position, with a panoramic view of Mirabello, the island of Psira and Mochlos, is the church, which was inaugurated in 1908 and was built for 11 years.

Economy

The inhabitants of Tourloti are mainly engaged in agricultural work. The main products are olive oil, grapes and medlars (“despola”). Various other traditional professions are also encountered, which in our time tend to disappear.

Settlement: Key Points

Historical References: Inhabited since the Minoan era, with evidence of a Minoan settlement and tombs.
Location: Located in the municipality of Siteia, Lasithi, Crete.
Historical Significance: Birthplace of the naval fighter Kapetan Voyiatzis.
Population Data: