Visages

LE PALAIS MINOEN DE KATO ZAKROS

Ici on rencontre les ruines du quatrieme palais minoen de Crete, le seul qui n' ait pas ete trouve pille. Construit en 1600 avant notre ere, il se composait de 180 appartements et occupait 8000m2.Kato ZakrosC’est D. G. Hogarth qui a commence les fouilles, mais c’est le professeur N. Platon qui est le principal archeologue du palais. Ce palais est plus petit que les autres, mais il a la meme disposition que ceux de Knossos et de Festos. Il a une cour centrale (couverte de dalles en pierre) autour de laquelle se developpe le batiment qui a un arrangement tortueux, avec trois entrees occidentales et une entree centrale ou il y a aussi un autel. Dans l' aile occidentale du palais, il y a les pieces des officiels tandis que dans l' aile nord il y avait les salles de banquets et des lucarnes. Du meme cote on a trouve de grands bassins qui avaient un caractere idolatrique. Les appartements principaux et les ateliers se trouvaient respectivement dans l’aile occidentale et nord. L’endroit ou le palais a ete construit etait de grande importance parce que de ce point, les Minoens pouvaient faire du commerce avec l’Orient et les autres palais de l’ile.

Dans les ruines on a mis au jour beaucoup de vases antiques qui etaient gardes dans les tresoreries du palais. Parmi les trouvailles les plus importantes, on distingue des epees couvertes de feuilles d’or, d’ ivoire, d’ objets decoratifs en cuivre de Chypre, et une amphore representant un temple et des fauves. Un grand nombre de ces trouvailles se trouve au musee archeologique d’ Herakleion.

LA GORGE DES MORTS

La gorge des morts est parmi les gorges les plus importantes de Crete et se trouve a la fin du sentier europeen E4. Elle commence a Pano Zakros et aboutit a la plage de Kato Zakros. Elle s’appelle gorge des morts a cause du grand nombre des tombeaux qui ont ete trouves dans des cavernes et des versants abrupts. On peut voir tout cela pendant la traversee et admirer les diverses configurations geologiques qui comme une ?uvre d’art creent un paysage fantastique. La gorge est pleine de vie et grace a sa beaute naturelle les Minoens avaient l’impression que tous ceux qui y etaient enterres continuaient leur vie dans l’au-dela.

La gorge est accessible a toutes les saisons et a la fin de la randonnee, un peu avant la sortie sur la plaine de Kato Zakros il y a des terrains d’ escalade pour ceux qui aiment ce sport.

LA GROTTE PELEKITA

Il ne faut pas oublier de mentionner la grotte de Pelekita, une des plus grandes grottes de Crete. Elle se trouve a une distance de 5km de Kato Zakros et elle est accessible a pied ou en bateau. Elle a une longueur de 310m et a sa sortie, il y a un petit lac.

Pendant les fouilles qui ont ete faites a l’ interieur on a trouve des squelettes humains et des traces d’habitat des l’epoque neolithique. Pres de la grotte, il y a une ancienne carriere de pierre poreuse et a cause de ce rocher taille la grotte s’est nommee Pelekita (taillee). Les murs de la cour du palais Minoen ont ete construits avec cette pierre poreuse.

SPILIARA

C’est une autre grotte au nord de la plaine de Kato Zakros. C’etait la grotte sacree des Minoens et vous aurez certainement l’envie de la visiter.

En voiture ou a pied pour les plus audacieux, vous pourrez monter a Zakros par l’ancienne route qui reliait les deux villages avant 1985 ou s’est trouvee la grotte. Il s’agit d’une piste en bon etat qui en quelques endroits de la grotte offre une vue panoramique. En continuant votre promenade, n’oubliez pas de visiter les sources de Zakros ou vous jouirez de la fraicheur de ses platanes.

CHOCHLAKIES GORGE

A small, easily accessible gorge, starts from the village Chochlakies and ends at the beautiful bay of Karoumes.

The walk through the gorge, leading mainly through the riverbed, takes about two hours' time, starting from the village Chochlakies and another two hours' time for the return journey to Chochlakies. In springtime you must be prepared for some rock climbing in order to get round the pools of water.

At the end is the lonely but beautiful beach of Karoumes where trees give shady resting places.

This is actually the last part of the E4 European Long distance path in Crete.

Vai Palm Forest

The unique palm grove in Europe with its beautiful beach and crystal clear sea on the northern edge of the province over Cape Sidero, is a unique beauty corner of Cretan land. The palm trees here are native and their clusters cover most of the small ravine up to the sea.

Apart from aesthetics, Vai also has a great biological value. The wetland created between the Palm Tree and the beach is important for bird life, while a vast wealth of marine life is developing in the sea.

Toplou Monastery

Toplou monastery is one of the most significant monasteries in Crete, dedicated to Panagia (Virgin Mary) and St. John the Theologian. It was founded around the mid 15th century, probably on the ruins of an earlier convent. The monastery was plundered by the knights of Malta in 1530 and shattered in 1612 by a strong earthquake. Due to its strategic position, the senate of the Republic of Venice, then ruler of Crete, decided to financially aid in rebuilding it. The monastery flourished until the surrender of eastern Crete to the Turks in 1646, after which it was abandoned for a long time. In 1704, it acquired special protection privileges from the Patriarch (i.e., stauropegic) and was re-inhabited.

After its monks were slaughtered by Turks in 1821 during the Greek Revolution of Independence, Toplou was again deserted until 1828. In 1866, during the massive Cretan revolt against the Turks, it was once again devastated. During the German occupation of 1941-44, Toplou was providing shelter to resistance fighters and housed their wireless radio. When this was discovered by the Germans, the abbot and two monks were tortured and executed.

Ancient Itanos

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). The city flourished due to glass trade, fishing and trade of Tyrian purple, the red dye coming from shell extract. Koufonissi Island, which was owned by Itanos, was famous for the production of purple. Also, in Palekastro was located the temple of Diktaean Zeus, which brought big profits in the region.

Today visitors can walk through the archaeological site and admire the various ruins such as the large tower on the western acropolis built by black stones, the large Christian church in the eastern citadel of the Hellenistic settlement, the two Early Christian churches at the foot of the hill that leads to Vai and the cemetery outside the town.

Minoan Palekastro

What we call "Palekastro" today is a Minoan town unearthed at the Rousolakos location near the modern town of Palekastro. It is located strategically at the East shore of Crete adjacent to the sheltered harbor of Chiona, a few kilometers North of the palace of Kato Zakros.

The life of Minoan Palekastro came to an abrupt end in 1400 (or 1500) BC at the same time the other Minoan Palaces and towns, and while there is no conclusive evidence, the volcanic eruption of Thera, or foreign invasion, or a combination of the two appears as the most likely cause for the catastrophe.

The ruins at the archaeological site that has been excavated must comprise a very small part of a vast settlement. One gets the feeling that the olive groves beyond the site itself hide a wealth of minoan secrets under their soil, and in fact, fragments of pottery along the beach, and large stones on the headland that frames the sandy beach to the South testify to the abundant existence of archaeological ruins and artifacts.

Xerokampos

The settlement of Xerokampos is one of the most remote areas of the island. It can be accessed through the asphalt road coming from Zakros. In Xerokampos the landscape is arid and truly eerie, characterized by bare rocks and steep mountains. The vegetation is limited to bushes and there are some places with a few olive groves.

Xerokampos is ideal for relaxing holidays and is not suggested for party animals. Xerokampos wild mountains are in direct contrast to the calm sea and the beautiful beaches. In a relatively small area you will actually find all types of beaches, as there are beaches with rocks, coarse pebbles, small pebbles, golden sand, white sand and turquoise waters, while there is also a beach with clay for lovers of natural spa!