Region

The beach of Tsoutsoura is a few kilometers from Kastri 60 kilometers from Heraklion and. The settlement of Tsoutsoura was built on the ruins of the ancient city of Inatos and the whole area is characterized by intense archaeological interest. The beach is large, sandy and clean. Near the beach Tsoutsoura, there are other equally remarkable beaches with clear waters and beautiful views of the Libyan sea. An example is Maridaki that is located close to Tsoutsoura. The only way to get there is through a rough country road. The duration of the trip by car is about half an hour, you can also reach Maridaki by the sea.

Ini is a settlement in the province of Monofatsio. It has 370 residents, mainly occupying themselves with agriculture. The distance to Heraklion is approximately 44 kilometers. The Cultural Association of the village called is Ini-Monastiraki. The main church is St.George. Ini is referred in the survey of Kastrofilakas (K 96) with the name Igni it had 114 inhabitants in 1583. During the Ottoman Empire it was inhabited only by Turks and in 1834 only 5 families lived there. During the revolution in 1881 it was abandoned. The ancient Archadia or Archades is said to be near the village of Ini. The city was originally an ally of Knossos, but allied with Lyttos after 221 B.C. It was a city state and had its own coins that had on the one side the head of Zeus-Amon and on the other side the dead of Athena.

Ierapetra, also called the Libyan Bride. It is the largest of the citys of the Lassithi province and the only Greek city on the shores of the Libyan Sea. The city has a long history from the Minoan era, today only Koules - the old venetian fortress - and the Ottoman mosque remind the past. The tourist infrastructure of the city and the region is very well developed. Ierapetra is also very famous for the production, packaging and export of fresh vegetables throughout the year. Thousands of tons of vegetables are sold through auctions in Ierapetra. From Ierapetra small boats travel daily to the island of Chrisi or Gaidouronisi. The southern route to Ierapetra is very enjoyable. Beautiful bays, clean beaches, stunning coastline, secluded coves, forming a beautiful landscape.

Knossos, also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square. Detailed images of Cretan life in the late Bronze Age are provided by images on the walls of this palace. It is also a tourist destination today, as it is near the main city of Heraklion and has been substantially restored by archaeologist Arthur Evans.

This is the second largest Minoan city, organized with a palace, districts and cemeteries. During the Minoan times it was the center of all of central and southern Crete and its influence reached to the former provinces of Amari and St.Basil. It covers an area of 18,000 m2 in which there are many ruins from the times of Neolithic habitation by several palatial periods. In 1900 BC the first palace was built and was destroyed by an earthquake around 1700 BC. In 1400 BC the second palace was built on the ruins of the first and was also probably destroyed by an earthquake or intruders. At this area was the famous Faistos disk discovered. It is a clay disk, engraved with 241 text symbols into spirals and still has not been read by the archaeologists, on both sides.

Another valuable and populous city, Gortina, was developed in the fertile plain of Messara. Although it was first inhabited by the late Neolithic period (3000 BC),it enjoyed its greatest prosperity in the times of Roman domination. The hostile attitude of Knossos towards Romans made them turn to Gortina, which didn’t resist. The Romans designated Gortina the capital of Crete. They even endowed the city with temples, theaters, statues, baths and other buildings. It was destroyed by the Saracins in 824 AD and thus the capital was then moved to Xandaka.