This info page breaks down Crete’s history into different chapters, making it easier to understand. This format helps website users in several ways:
* It provides a clear timeline of events, showing how different cultures and civilizations influenced each other over time.
* It gives context to historical sites, allowing users to focus on specific periods or topics that interest them.
* It highlights major cultural shifts that occurred on Crete, such as the transition from the Minoans to the Dark Ages.
By organizing archaeological and historical sites into these chapters, the article empowers website users to explore Crete’s rich past in a more meaningful way. They can plan their visits based on specific interests and gain a deeper appreciation for the island’s legacy.
As an exemption, the Religion Points of Interest are categorized slightly differently. Both the Roman Period and the Arab Period, before the Byzantine Period is called the Early Christian Period.
Crete’s history begins in the Paleolithic era, with evidence of stone tools dating back 130,000 years. The island was inhabited by various endemic species and eventually transitioned to a Neolithic farming culture around 7000 BCE, introducing domesticated animals and crops.
The Minoan civilization, the first in Europe, flourished on Crete, constructing elaborate palaces like Knossos and Phaistos with advanced drainage systems. They developed the Linear A script and engaged in extensive trade across the Aegean Sea. To check the Minoan periods please check the Read more page.
Following the Minoan civilization’s decline, Crete experienced a period of instability and cultural regression. The Mycenaeans from mainland Greece established their presence, and the island saw the emergence of the first Greek city-states.
Archaic Period: Roughly 800 BCE to 480 BCE. This period saw the rise of Dorian-speaking city-states on Crete, increased contact with the broader Greek world, and significant artistic and cultural development. Classical Period: Roughly 480 BCE to 323 BCE. This period is marked by a relative decline in Crete’s prominence…
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After a three-year campaign, Rome conquered Crete and made Gortyn the capital of the joint province of Crete and Cyrenaica. The island experienced relative peace and prosperity under Roman rule, with Gortyn becoming the site of the largest Christian basilica on the island.
Crete became a province of the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire. While it was considered a cultural backwater, Christianity spread throughout the island, with Gortyn as the seat of an archbishop and the site of a major basilica dedicated to Saint Titus.
The Emirate of Crete was an Islamic state that existed on the island of Crete from the late 820s to 961. Although the emirate recognized the suzerainty of the Abbasid Caliphate and maintained close ties with Tulunid Egypt, it was de facto independent. A group of Andalusian exiles led by…
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Crete returned to Byzantine rule for a second time, experiencing relative peace and stability until the Fourth Crusade.
Following the Fourth Crusade, Venice acquired Crete and held it for over four centuries. This period saw a cultural renaissance, a flourishing literature in the Cretan dialect, and the emergence of the Cretan School of icon painting. However, native Cretans often rebelled against Venetian rule.
The Ottoman Empire conquered Crete after a long siege of Candia (modern Heraklion). A significant portion of the population converted to Islam, and frequent rebellions marked the island’s struggle for independence.
Crete gained autonomy under Prince George of Greece, and in 1908, Cretan deputies declared union with Greece. After the Balkan Wars, this union was internationally recognized in 1913. Eleftherios Venizelos, a prominent Cretan politician, played a crucial role in the island’s unification with Greece and became a leading figure in…
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Geotour website by Nikolakakis Manolis is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Geotour website by Nikolakakis Manolis is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
