Crete

Lore & Background

Crete is predominantly mountainous, characterized by a range that crosses the island from west to east, including Mount Ida and the White Mountains with 30 summits above 2,000 metres. The Samaria Gorge is a World Biosphere Reserve. Crete was ruled by Rome, the Byzantine Empire, briefly by Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire. The earliest references to Crete come from 18th century BC texts from Mari, where it is called Kaptara. The name Crete first appears in Mycenaean Greek texts of the 15th century BC in Linear B. In Greek mythology, Crete is best known as the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus.

Reader's Guide

Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits such as its own poetry and music. The Minoan palace at Knossos, located in Heraklion, is a major archaeological site. The Nikos Kazantzakis airport at Heraklion and the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania serve international travellers. The island's mountainous terrain has been seen as a key feature of its distinctiveness, with contemporary Cretans distinguishing between highlanders and lowlanders. The mountains are associated with resistance to past invaders and a sense of purity. Crete's climate is primarily a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with some areas in the south and east having a hot semi-arid climate. The island and its surrounding islands and islets form the Region of Crete, the southernmost of Greece's 13 top-level administrative units. The Dodecanese lie to the northeast, and the Cyclades to the north, separated by the Sea of Crete.

Did You Know?

• Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica.
• The Minoan civilization on Crete was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland Greece.
• The Samaria Gorge on Crete is a World Biosphere Reserve.
• In Greek mythology, Crete is best known as the birthplace of the Greek god Zeus.