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Vrysinas Peak Sanctuary
The Vrysinas Peak Sanctuary, located on the slopes of Mount Vrysinas in Crete, is a significant archaeological site that offers valuable insights into Minoan religion and culture. Excavations have revealed a wealth of artifacts, including human and animal figurines, pottery, horns of consecration, and a fragment of a libation table with a Linear A inscription. The sanctuary's unique position as the sole Neopalatial peak sanctuary in the region highlights its importance in the religious landscape of Minoan Crete. The site is easily accessible to visitors and provides a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual world of the Minoans.
Agia Paraskevi in Aitania
Agia Paraskevi, a 14th-century Byzantine church near Aitania village in Crete, is adorned with well-preserved frescoes depicting saints like Vlasios, Titus, and John the Theologian, alongside biblical scenes. The church, accessed via a steep dirt road, features a single room and a sanctuary with unique motifs like the Melismos and Christ as the Great High Priest. Frescoes on the north and south walls portray various saints, including military saints, while the arch showcases scenes from the Dodekaorton. Local tradition recounts miraculous healing associated with the church, with a ritual involving holy water from a now-dried spring. Restored in 2003, the church's exterior is simple, with a buttress and a stone table used for bread blessing during festivals.
Agios Ioannis Theologos in Galatas
Byzantine-era, two-aisled church near the Minoan Palace of Galatas in Crete. Features an arkosolio and possible monastic remains. Frescoes in poor condition.
Kourtes, Gortyna
Kourtes, a deserted village in southern Heraklion, Crete, reveals Byzantine and Ottoman history. The name suggests a possible Byzantine military base. Located 3km south of Zaros, it comprises Pano and Kato Kourtes ruins, with the Three Hierarchs church remaining from Mesochori. The site includes Late Minoan tombs, an ancient Roman-era aqueduct with caves and a cistern, and remnants of a pottery kiln, reflecting its past agricultural and craft traditions. Historical records show Ottoman and Christian populations, with a gradual decline to its current deserted state. Churches include Agios Georgios, Three Hierarchs, and Christ.
Psalida abandoned village
Psalida (Ψαλίδα), an abandoned village in Gergeri, Crete, offers a glimpse into the island's past. Dating back to the 16th century, the village was once home to farmers, as evidenced by animal feeders found in the ruins. Historical records from 1583 mention Psalida as a dependency of Gergeri with 60 inhabitants. Today, only the stone houses remain, standing as a testament to the traditional way of life. Psalida's location provides stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The village is a reminder of Crete's rich history, including the Greek War of Independence and conflicts between the Christian and Muslim populations.
Etia, Sitia
Etia, located in the Armeni municipality in eastern Crete, is an uninhabited village with a rich history dating back to the Byzantine era. Known for its well-preserved Venetian mansion, the De Mezzo, Etia was once a major settlement. The village also features the churches of Agia Aikaterini and Agios Ioannis, both bearing traces of Byzantine wall paintings. The De Mezzo mansion, a significant example of Venetian architecture, has undergone extensive restoration. Etia, though deserted, remains a protected traditional settlement and a testament to Crete's diverse heritage.
Voila abandoned village
Voila, an abandoned village near Chandras in Sitia, Crete, offers a glimpse into Crete's Venetian and Ottoman past. The village, deserted since the 19th century, likely owes its name to a Byzantine surname, a term for boyars, or a place for oxen. Voila was once a sizeable village, documented in Venetian censuses of the 16th century with over 300 inhabitants. A prominent landmark is the Venetian tower, featuring a 1742 Turkish inscription and carvings of axes, cypresses, and pentagrams. Local tradition links the tower to a Janissary named Tsin-Alis. The village also houses the ruins of the 15th-century church of Agios Georgios and Panagia, likely built by the Salamon family, potential ancestors of the poet Dionysios Solomos. Two fountains with Turkish inscriptions and remnants of a Venetian castle further illustrate Voila's rich history.
Agios Pavlos Monastery near Paranymfoi
The Agios Pavlos Monastery is a Venetian-era ruin near Paranymfoi, Crete. Located in the Asterousia Mountains, it once served as a hermitage and monastery. The site features a single-aisled basilica church with traces of frescoes, a carved doorway, and ruins of monks' cells. The monastery, linked to the scholar Iosif Filagris, flourished during the Venetian period but was abandoned in the 20th century. The surrounding area shows signs of inhabitation since antiquity, including possible evidence of an ancient sanctuary. The monastery is accessible by a dirt road from Paranymfoi and is situated above the Porofarago gorge, near the hiking trail to Tries Ekklisies.
Treis Ekklisies, Archanes – Asterousia
Treis Ekklisies (Three Churches) is a small coastal settlement located 64 km south of Heraklion, in the Asterousia Mountains in Crete. The village is named after the three churches of […]
Amigdalos, Archanes – Asterousia
Amigdalos (Αμύγδαλος) is a small mountainous village in the Municipality of Archanes-Asterousia in the Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete, Greece. It is located at an altitude of 595 meters, approximately 50 km south of Heraklion and 37 km south of Epano Archanes. The village was first officially recognized as a settlement in 1925. The name "Amigdalos" means "almond tree" in Greek, likely named after the abundance of wild almond trees in the surrounding region. Amigdalos has experienced a steady population decline throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Panorama, Minoas – Pediada
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Panorama, formerly Gournia, sits at the foot of Gurniani Korfi hill in Crete, 29.5 kilometers from Heraklion, and offers magnificent views. Records suggest it may have been a Venetian fief, evidenced by a coat of arms in the church of Agios Georgios. During the Ottoman period, it was mainly a Muslim village. After the Asia Minor Disaster, Greek refugees settled there, embracing local customs and focusing on agriculture, especially viticulture. The village has churches like Agios Georgios, Agios Fanourios, and Agia Marina. The name "Gournia" likely came from the small basins at the village spring. Historical accounts mention a Byzantine church, possibly Agios Georgios Styronas. The village relied on agriculture, producing grapes, raisins, olive oil, and cereals. Viticulture remains important to the local economy. "Panorama" was adopted in 1951 due to the village's stunning views. Local legends speak of caves with hidden treasures.
Steironas, Minoas – Pediada
Steironas, located on a hill, 10 km west of Arkalochori, Crete, has a history from the Venetian period, Ottoman rule, and Greek-Turkish population exchange. It's known for the Myragapi Traditional Folklore Rakokazano, showcasing traditional production of wine and tsikoudia, and the late Byzantine church of Panagia with frescoes and an icon of the Virgin Mary.
Mikra Episkopi
Mikra Episkopi is an abandoned village in Crete, Greece. Once known as the seat of the Diocese of Arcadia, it is now deserted with dilapidated houses and overgrown paths. The village is located 7 km southwest of Arkalochori and 1 km north of Partira. Despite its current state, Mikra Episkopi holds historical significance, particularly due to the ruined church of Sotiras Christos (Savior Christ), a Venetian-era structure built upon the remains of an earlier basilica. The church features a cruciform architectural style with a dome and a narthex, with some walls, columns, and capitals still visible. Additionally, the village has the church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) with Venetian-era frescoes and the ruins of the church of Agios Dimitrios (Saint Demetrius).
The population of Mikra Episkopi has dwindled over the centuries, from a mix of Christians and Muslims in the 1800s to becoming completely abandoned in the 1990s. Recent census data shows a slight increase in population, but the village remains largely deserted.
Agioi Apostoloi Church (Holy Apostles), Alagni
Located on Tholoi hill near Alagni, this is a 15th-16th century double-aisled Byzantine church dedicated to Apostles Peter and Paul. It features the Venetian Cornaro family coat of arms and two arcosolia (arched tombs), one externally dated to 1614. Situated near the 16th-17th century Tholoi fortress, it was part of the local defense network. Damaged in the 2021 Arkalochori earthquake, the site, owned by the Monastery of Sinai, is now abandoned and neglected.
The Necropolis of Phourni
The Phourni necropolis, near Archanes, Crete, is a significant Minoan burial site used from the Early Minoan II (EM II) to the Late Minoan IIIC (LM IIIC) periods. It features a variety of tomb types, including tholos tombs, rectangular tombs, and composite tombs, reflecting the evolution of Minoan funerary architecture and burial practices over time. Tholos tombs are beehive-shaped structures used for collective burials, while rectangular tombs resemble houses, suggesting a symbolic connection between the house of the living and the house of the dead. Composite tombs combine elements of both tholos and rectangular tomb architecture.
The necropolis has yielded a wealth of grave goods, including pottery, stone vases, metal objects, jewelry, and figurines, providing insights into the social structures and religious beliefs of the Minoans. The variety of tomb types and grave goods reflects the prosperity and social complexity of the Archanes valley. The architectural features and artistic motifs found at Phourni resonate with those found at Knossos, indicating cultural homogeneity and interaction between these two important centers. The religious beliefs of the Minoans are also reflected in the finds at Phourni, with religious symbols and ritual objects suggesting a belief in an afterlife and elaborate burial rituals.
The Phourni necropolis is the richest burial site in Crete and provides a unique glimpse into the burial practices, social structures, and religious beliefs of the Minoan civilization.
The Acropolis of Onithe
The Acropolis of Onithe, a Hellenistic-era fortress potentially dating back to 1400 BC, occupies a strategic position on the Onithe plateau at 638 meters elevation. The site features a pseudo-isodomic wall enclosing a right-angled area with 12-meter sides and remnants of a defensive tower. A steep, natural cliff forms the southern boundary of the acropolis. The site's location provided control over key passages and access to the settlement, underscoring its strategic significance in ancient Crete. Pottery finds suggest the possibility of earlier settlement phases dating back to the Proto-Minoan and Late Minoan periods. The acropolis, referred to locally as 'Ntapia,' meaning fortification, likely played a role in Cretan revolts in 1821, 1878, and 1897.
The Archaeological Site of Onithe
Onithe, an archaeological site near Goulediana in Rethymno, Crete, offers a glimpse into the island's history from the Neolithic period to the Venetian and Ottoman eras. Its strategic location on a plateau provided control over key passages and natural defenses. The site features ruins like the Acropolis with its pseudo-isodomic walls and tower, House A with its abundance of pottery and pithoi, an ancient spring and possible sanctuary, and a Paleochristian Basilica with well-preserved mosaics.
The ancient name of the city remains uncertain, with scholarly attempts to identify it as Osmida or Phalanna remaining inconclusive. It may have been an early settlement center for ancient Rhithymna. The site has yielded artifacts like pottery shards, a bronze zodiac, exquisite metalwork, and sculptures, providing evidence of its prosperity and cultural vibrancy throughout the Minoan, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.
Olous
Olous, an ancient Cretan harbor city, now largely submerged off the coast of Elounda, was inhabited from the Early Minoan period through the Hellenistic period. Its strategic location in the Mirabello Gulf made it a significant maritime hub, connecting the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Archaeological investigations, including underwater surveys, have revealed remnants of Minoan cemeteries, fortifications, and possible public buildings. The city's history is intertwined with that of other Cretan powers like Knossos and Lato. Olous was known for its temple to Britomartis and its connections with Ptolemaic Egypt. Today, the site offers a glimpse into Crete's rich maritime past.