Listed 33 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for wider area of: "CHANIA Prefecture CRETE" .
CHANIA (Prefecture) CRETE
Except for the excavations of the Minoan Kydonia
on the hill of Kastelli in the region of Chania,
there are also artifacts from ancient civilizations both in the North & in the
South. One of the most important ancient cities of Western Crete
is Aptera where parts of
the temple of Dimitra have been saved, imposing walls & huge arched tanks of Roman
Years. Also, the acropolis of Polyrrinia
in Kissamos, as well as the
ancient town Falassarna,
which had in the post-Minoan years a closed & safe post, which connected the sea
with a canal. The Asklipieio of Lissos
in the south, as well as the ancient sites in Irtakina,
Syia, Kadros,
Tarra, Aradin
and Anopolis in the region
of Sfakia.
(text: Roula Kastrinaki)
This text (extract) is cited February 2004 from the Chania
Prefecture Tourism Committee tourist pamphlet.
POLYRRINIA (Ancient city) CHANIA
Polirinia is the site of remains from the sixth century B.C., Hellenistic,
Roman, Byzantine, and Venetian eras. It was a powerful city, built on the natural
fortifications of the rock at the top of the mountain. One of its harbours was
at Falasarna, the other was Kastelli (Kissamos). The remains that are visible
now are mostly from the second Byzantine and the Venetian periods. A particularly
interesting set of remains is in the Archaeological Museum of Agios Nikolaos;
the unique exhibit of an athlete's skull with a gold leaf crown found in a 1 A.D.
cemetery near Agios Nikolaos and a coin from Polirinia in his mouth. As you walk
up from the base of the hill you will see holes or caves carved in the rock, they
are graves from the Roman period. Cisterns carved in rock are visible on the top.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
APTERA (Ancient city) SOUDA
In the site there are very large, well-preserved, domed water reservoirs built during Roman times. There are also ruins from a Roman theatre in the extensive, mostly unexcavated site of Aptera. Recently further Hellenistic ruins have been located near the theatre.
FALASARNA (Ancient city) CHANIA
Tel: +30 28210 44418
Fax: +30 28210 44418
MINOA (Ancient city) CRETE
In Marathi there are remains of the ancient city of Minoa. Minoa belonged
to Aptera, which is visible from Marathi on the other side of Souda Bay. The excavations
have revealed part of its harbour and some buildings dating from the second century
A.D.
NOPIGIA (Settlement) MYTHIMNA
Present-day Nopigia was probably the former site of the ancient city
Mithimna and a statue of a woman with a child was found here.
This extract is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
APTERA (Ancient city) SOUDA
In the middle of the site there is a small temple dating from classical times, (2C B.C.). It is assumed that the temple was dedicated to a pair of gods, possibly Dimitra and Kori.
FYLAKI (Village) GEORGIOUPOLI
Tholos tomb with a rectangular chamber, built in the ecphoric system. A long, built dromos leads to the entrance. It is dated to the Late Minoan III period.
The tomb was excavated by the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in 1981, and was found looted, but few finds had survived.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
On a hill near Filaki, there is a Minoan tholos tomb with a long descending
corridor. The tomb is hidden among trees and is rather difficult to find.
KYDONIA (Ancient city) CHANIA
The tomb belongs to the cemetery of the Hellenistic city of Kydonia and attests the relations of the city with Hellenistic Alexandria. It dates to the end of the 4th and the first half of the 3rd century B.C.
Large, rock-cut family tomb. A long dromos with steps leads to the entrance. Nine burial chambers with doors are arranged around a large central space. The names of the deceased are written above each door. The tomb is preserved under a modern building and can be visited by the public after arrangement with the Ephorate of Antiquities.
In 1981, the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities carried out a salvage excavation.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains images.
MALEME (Village) PLATANIAS
Large tholos tomb built in the ecphoric system. The burial chamber is square in plan, and the dromos leading to the entrance is 2 m. wide and 13.30 m. long. It dates to the Late Minoan III period and bears evidence for the Mycenean influence on Crete.
The tomb was excavated by the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in 1966, and was found looted.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
A Minoan tholos tomb of the Postpalatial Period is on the same road before the cemetery. A small sign points towards the grave. It is about 100 metres east along the hills. The tomb is on the right of the path. It has an unusually long path leading to the rectangular chamber. The tomb had been robbed but excavations in 1966 revealed two seals.
NEA ROUMATA (Settlement) MOUSSOURI
Large tholos tomb with a long, built dromos. The chamber is built in the ecphoric system. It is dated to the Late Minoan III period.
The tomb was excavated in 1961 by the archaeologists K. Davaras and N. Platon; it had been looted, possibly in antiquity.
This text is cited Feb 2003 from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture URL below, which also contains image.
At Stylos there is an intact, round Minoan tholos tomb inside the right gate. The tomb is in the middle of an olive grove. It dates from the Late Minoan Period and has been built on a hill. A downward-sloping path built with stones leads to the entrance of the tomb, which is underground. This is a vaulted tomb that has been built with stones placed one above the other so that successive layers are progressively nearer the centre of the tomb until they eventually meet.
This extract is cited Nov 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
APTERA (Ancient city) SOUDA
Tel: +30 28210 44418, 94487, 90334
Aptera was founded in the Geometric period, although the city is mentioned
in the Linear B tablets found at Knossos
(A-pa-ta-wa). It reached a peak in the Hellenistic period, with intense commercial
and political activity. In the Roman period, the town had a more rural character.
It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 7th century AD and much later, in the
12th century, the Monastery of Hagios Ioannes Theologos (St. John the Baptist) was founded at the site.
The most important monuments of the site are:
- The Roman cisterns
- Bipartite temple, known as the "bipartite sanctuary", dated to the 5th-4th century BC
- Graves of the Geometric-Roman periods
- The fortification walls, preserved to a length of almost 4 kilometres. The main phase of construction belongs to the 4th century BC.
- The Roman bouleuterion
- The Late Byzantine monastery of Hagios Ioannes Theologos (St. John the Baptist)
- The Turkish fortress built in 1866-1869
DIKTINA (Ancient sanctuary) KOLYMBARI
Vritomartis is probably a continuation of Minoan religious beliefs,
and is identified with the goddess Artemis in the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses.
Diktinna was the most important sanctuary of Vritomartis and a reason for conflict
regarding its control between the powerful cities of Kydonia in Chania and Polirinia
in Kastelli. Vritomartis was worshipped here during the Greek and the Roman era.
The Greek sanctuary has not been identified yet, but the Roman one was visible
from a great distance at sea and many pieces of marble and Roman building remains
were found in its location. Later, in the ninth century the monastery of Agios
Georgios was built here but it was abandoned because of continuous pirate attacks.
Today very little remains to be seen of the Roman site or the monastery. However,
there is a protected bay, a pebble beach, and the boat trip from Kolimbari is
very pleasant.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
ELYROS (Ancient city) ANATOLIKO SELINO
The site of the ancient Greek city of Elyros is 500 metres above this
village on the Kefala hill, above the road to Sougia, and is presently unexcavated.
Elyros was one of the most important Greek cities in western Crete. It was an
industrial and commercial city which had factories for weaponry production. Sougia
and Lissos were its harbours. Elyros was also important during Roman and Byzantine
times. A Roman statue, the Philosopher of Elyros was excavated here and is now
in the Archaeological Museum of Chania. It was the seat of an Archbishop and the
remains of the bishopric church, a sixth century basilica, can still be seen in
the centre of the old city. A larger, modern church marks the site of Elyros on
a small hill, just after the bypass of the branch to Rodovani. Very little is
to be seen at the site itself. However, you have a superb view of the valleys
below that belonged to Elyros as far as Sougia. The Elyrians could see their boats
in Sougia from their city. The highest peaks of the Lefka Ori are visible to the
east. The olive trees and the villages situated among them dominate the north
view.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
FALASARNA (Ancient city) CHANIA
The ancient city of Falasarna is being excavated. The excavations
have exposed some of the walls and buildings of the city. The geographical shift
(rise) of Crete has put the ancient harbour on dry land. Falasarna was a commercial
naval power during the Hellenistic period and also the harbour of Polirinia. An
interesting throne, carved out of rock, is on the dirt track as you enter the
ancient city. The acropolis of the city was on the peninsula in front, on top
of the hill. The fortification walls around the hill are still visible. The harbour
was just below the fortifications, on the south side of the peninsula. There are
no signs of the harbour now, since it is above ground. There were two towers,
one on the north and one on the south side of the harbour dating from the fourth
century B.C. A second channel allowed an exit from the harbour on the bay at the
north side of the acropolis, 100 metres further on. It is assumed that this was
a pirate stronghold at one time.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
KYDONIA (Ancient city) CHANIA
Tel: +30 28210 44418
Fax: +30 28210 94487
(Archeological research in the region of Kasteli Hania). Excavations, begun in 1964 and continuing up to the present time in collaboration with the Swedish Archeological School, have rendered invaluable evidence concerning the city. This shows Kasteli as an archaic centre of life and civilisation. Sections of two roads, one square and four houses have been unearthed in an area of 550 m2 and at a depth of 2m. Within the excavated area can be seen storage rooms, living quarters, a two-flight staircase, corridors, a kitchen with a cooking site, and a loom, as proven by several weaving weights found there. Equally important are the fragments of clay tablets in linear A scripture, seals made of clay and the unique seal known as “Master impression” depicting a multi-storeyed building complex in a rocky coastal landscape crowned with horns. A male figure, in a domineering pose, stands at the top.
This text is cited Oct 2003 from the Municipality of Chania URL below, which contains images.
POLYRRINIA (Ancient city) CHANIA
Tel: +30 28210 44418
Fax: +30 28210 44418
YRTAKINA (Ancient city) ANATOLIKO SELINO
The ancient Yrtakina was an important city of western Crete. It is
located on the top of a hill beside Temenia. It had very strong fortifications,
some of which are still visible. A statue of the god Pan was found here. The remainders
of the city are on the top of a hill called Kastri, which is between Temenia and
Papadiana; and it can be seen from Temenia.
This extract is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains image.
LISSOS (Ancient city) PELEKANOS
In Lissos there was a temple of Asklipios which was visited from all
over Crete. The temple is at the base of the mountain, where the necessary sacred
stream was, and the site, found in 1957, revealed about twenty statues which had
been offered to the gods, either by patients or cured people in gratitude. A golden
snake was found among the offerings. In the temple of Asklipios, live snakes were
kept that were used in the curative ceremonies and healing rituals that took place
there. The temple dates from the fourth to third century B.C and was built of
ashlar blocks (squared-off stones). The floor of the temple of a later date (1
A.D.) is mosaic made of pebbles of different colours with geometric designs and
animal pictures. The site is fenced off and locked and there is a guard but the
site can be seen easily from the outside.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from the Crete TOURnet URL below, which contains images.
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