General informationsFifth larger island of the Mediterranean, with a surface of 8335 km ², a length of 250km and a width between 12 and 60 km, Crete is at 170M only off the Libyan coast. It culminates with 2450m and counts 623,666 (2005). Héraklion is the capital. There are 4 prefectures: Chania, Rethymno, Herakleio and Lasithi. The influence of Crete on all the Mediterranean basin and our civilization was essential in the ancient world. Each stone and each way belong to History. It is in the palate of Phaistos that the disc of Phaistos was discovered, on July 3, 1908, by an Italian archaeologist named of Luigi Pernier. Prefer visit Crete in April or May, when it is covered with flowers and that the air is fresher there than in full Summer. You should visit the monasteries of Chrysoskalitissa, Arkadi, Vrontisi, and Toplou Monastery-Kapsas. It is at the village of Kokkino Chorio that were shooted the majority of the village scenes of the film “Zorba the Greek”, in the Sixties.
Un peu d’histoireDans l’antiquité les Crètois avaient une réputation détestable: pirates, menteurs, ventres paresseux. Cette réputation leur est longtemps restée attachée. Délaissée pendant des siècles, elle fut occupée par les Turcs de 1669 à 1898, qui s’y installèrent brutalement. Curieusement, l’Islam fut obligatoire pendant 230 années, mais les Turcs partis, la pratique de la religion orthodoxe revint immédiatement, contrairement à des pays comme l’Albanie qui resta musulmane.
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CreteGeneral links Crete :![]() ![]() Harbours links Crete :Aghios Nikolaos : Aghios NicolaosAghios Nikolaos : Aghios Nikolaos MarinaAgia Galini : Agia GaliniAgia Galini : Agia Galinibaie de Souda : SoudaElounda : EloundaHeraklion : HeraklionHeraklion : HeraklionHersonissos : ChersonissosHersonissos : HersonissosIerapetra : IerapetraIerapetra : Ierapetraîle de Spinalonga : SpinalongaKali Limenes : Kali LimenesKissamos : KissamosKissamos : KissamosLoutro : LoutroPaleochora : PaleochoraPorto Gouves : Porto Gouves MarinaRethymnon : RethymnonRethymnon : RethymnonSitia : SitiaSitia : SitiaGavdos island |