History

The ancient Itanos was one of the strongest cities in Crete, especially during the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman times. The name comes from its founder Itanos, who came from Phoenicia. Its territory, during its peak, stretched from Cape Samonio (current Cape Sidero) to Cape Erythrae (current Cape Goudouras).

At a magnificent location on Mount Oxa, with panoramic views of the lagoon of Elounda, we meet the ruins of a fortified state that is believed to be ancient Naxos. Perhaps, it served as the acropolis of Olous, the ancient town of Elounda.

The mansion was firstly excavated in 1918, when four major sacred bronze axes were found. This fact, combined with the large number of religious objects in manufacturing stage, indicates that the mansion operated as a workshop for a Minoan priest who created religious objects. 700m west of the mansion, archaeologists have detected traces of a small Minoan settlement and a harbor.

Ancient Zominthos is located 7km west of Anogia, on the road heading to the plateau of Nida. Discovered in 1982, Zominthos is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Crete, compared my many to that of Knossos.

Just outside the village Zhou Sitia in 1955-1956 a large Minoan Agrepavlis (Rural Mansion)was excavated with many rooms (rest homes, workshop, living room, furnace, etc). Part of the site has been destroyed by the works for constructing the road.

Menies beach is located on the site of ancient Diktynna. Diktynna was the most important temple of the goddess Vritomartis, which is believed to be goddess Artemis. Thousands worshippers used to come in the area from all over the island. Vritomartis was worshiped here during the Hellenistic and Roman times. The possession of Diktynna was always a conflict between ancient Kydonia and Polirinia.

Matala, ancient Matelon, was a port of Phaestus and Gortys and is well known for the carved caves, which were Grecoroman tombs. The cape south of Matala has been identified as the Cape Nysos and the location where the ships of Menelaus were wrecked (Odyssey).

The present town of Hersonissos retains the name of the ancient city of Hersonissos or Heronissos. The town existed since the Minoan period, but flourished after the conquest of Crete by the Romans.