Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arhánes
ARHÁNES
, at the foot of Mount Yioúhtas, is a sizeable, wealthy farming town that was
reasonably heavily populated in Minoan times. The main square has several tavernas,
cafés and bars, while 100m to the north is the excellent
archeological museum
(Wed-Mon 8.30am-2.30pm; free), which displays finds from here and other
excavations in the area, including a strange ceremonial dagger seemingly used for
human sacrifice. The nearby site of
Anemospiliá
, 2km northwest of the town
(directions are available from the archeological museum), is visitable, and has
experienced huge controversy since its excavation in the 1980s: many traditional views
of the Minoans, particularly that of Minoan life as peaceful and idyllic, have had to be
rethought in the light of the discovery of an apparent human sacrifice. From Arhánes
you can also drive (or walk with a couple of hours to spare) to the summit of Mount
Yoúktas to see the imposing remains of a Minoan
peak sanctuary
and enjoy
spectacular panoramic
views
towards Knossos (with which it was linked) and the
northern coast beyond.
7
Vathýpetro
At
VATHÝPETRO
, some 4km south of Mount Yoúktas, is a
Minoan villa and vineyard
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-2pm; free), which once controlled the rich farmland south of
Arhánes. Inside, a remarkable collection of farming implements was found, as well as a
unique
wine press
, which remains
in situ
. Substantial portions of the farm's buildings
remain, and it's still surrounded by fertile vines three-and-a-half-thousand years later
- making it probably the oldest still-functioning vineyard in Europe, if not the world.
Houdhétsi
Some 2km southeast of
Vathýpetro
brings you to the agricultural village of
HOUDHÉTSI
,
where you'll find the remarkable
Museum of Musical Instruments of the World
(March-
Oct daily 8am-4pm; Nov-Feb Sun 10am-3pm; €3;
T
2810 741 027,
W
labyrinthmusic.gr). Founded by Irish
lýra
player Ross Daly, who is famed in Crete
and lives in the village, the museum consists of a collection of mainly string and
percussion instruments (many very rare) from across the globe. To get to the museum
head for the pharmacy on the main road by the central square - the museum is
opposite, housed in a mansion.
Áyii Dhéka
ÁYII DHÉKA
is the first village on the fertile Messará plain on the main route south from
Iráklion and for religious Cretans a place of pilgrimage; its name, “The Ten Saints”,
refers to ten early Christians martyred here under the Romans. The old Byzantine
church in the centre of the village preserves the stone block on which they are supposed
to have been decapitated, and in a crypt below the modern church on the village's
western edge you can see the martyrs' (now empty) tombs. It's an attractive village to
wander around, with several places to eat.
Gortys
Daily: July-Sept 8am-8pm; Oct-June 8am-3pm • €3 •
T
2810 226 470
Within easy walking distance of Áyii Dhéka (1km), sprawls the site of
Gortys
, ruined
capital of the Roman province that included not only Crete but also much of North
Africa. Evidence of a Minoan site has been unearthed on the acropolis, but the extant
ruins date almost entirely from the Roman era.
At the main entrance to the
fenced site
, to the north of the road, are the ruins of the
still impressive sixth-century
basilica of Áyios Títos
, and beyond this is the
odeion
, which
houses the most important discovery on the site, the
Law Code
. Written in an obscure
early Doric-Cretan dialect, they are, at 9m by 3m, the largest Greek inscription ever
found. The laws set forth reflect a strictly hierarchical society: five witnesses were needed
