Crete

Crete (Greek: Κρήτη, Modern: Kríti, ['kriti], Ancient: Krḗtē, [krέːtεː]; Egyptian: 𓎡𓆑𓍘𓅱𓈉,
keftiu; Biblical Hebrew: ‫​כפתור‬, caphtor) is the largest and most populous of the Greek
islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean
Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. It bounds the southern border of the Aegean
sea. Crete lies approximately 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland. It has an area of
8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi) and a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi).

Crete (Kriti)

Native name: Κρήτη

NASA photograph of Crete

Geography

Location Eastern Mediterranean

Coordinates 35°12.6′N 24°54.6′E

Area 8,450 km2 (3,260 sq mi)

Area rank 88

Highest elevation 2,456 m (8,058 ft)

 Highest point Mount Ida (Psiloritis)

Administration

Greece

Region Crete

Capital city Heraklion

Largest settlement Heraklion (pop. 224,253)

Demographics

Demonym Cretan, archaic Cretian

Population 634,930 (2019)

Population rank 73

Pop. density 75/km2 (194/sq mi)

Ethnic groups Greeks;

historically, Minoans,
Eteocretans,
Cydonians and Pelasgians

Additional information

Time zone GMT +2

HDI (2017) 0.869[1]

very high · 2nd

Crete and a number of surrounding islands and islets constitute the Region of Crete (Greek:
Περιφέρεια Κρήτης), the southernmost of the 13 top-level administrative units of Greece;
the region is the fifth most populous region of Greece. Its capital and largest city is
Heraklion, located on the northern shore of the island. As of 2011, the region had a
population of 623,065. The Dodecanese are located to the northeast of Crete, while the
Cyclades are situated to the north, separated by the Sea of Crete. The Peloponnese is to
the region's northwest.

Humans have inhabited the island since at least 130,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic
age. Crete was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoans, from 2700 to
1420 BC; the Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland
Greece. Later, Crete fell under Roman rule, and afterwards the Byzantine Empire,
Andalusian Arabs, the Venetian Republic, and the Ottoman Empire successively ruled Crete.
The Cretan people, who maintained a desire to join the Greek state, achieved independence
from the Ottomans in 1898 as the Cretan State and became part of Greece in December
1913.

The island is mostly mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range
crossing from west to east; the range of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) contains Crete's
highest point, Mount Ida. 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 Nikos Kazantzakis airport at Heraklion and the Daskalogiannis airport at Chania
serve international travelers. The palace of Knossos, a Bronze Age settlement and ancient
Minoan city, lies in Heraklion in Crete.[2]

Name …

Crete

Keftiu
in hieroglyphs

The earliest references to the island of Crete come from texts from the Syrian city of Mari
dating from the 18th century BC, where the island is referred to as Kaptara.[3] This is
repeated later in Neo-Assyrian records and the Bible (Caphtor). It was known in ancient
Egyptian as Keftiu or kftı ͗w, strongly suggesting a similar Minoan name for the island.[4]

The current name "Crete" is first attested in the 15th century BC in Mycenaean Greek texts,
written in Linear B, through the words ke-re-te (*Krētes; later Greek: Κρῆτες [krɛː.tes],
plural of Κρής [krɛːs])[5] and ke-re-si-jo (*Krēsijos; later Greek: Κρήσιος [krέːsios],[6]
"Cretan").[7][8] In Ancient Greek, the name Crete (Κρήτη) first appears in Homer's
Odyssey.[9]

In Latin, the name of the island became Creta. The original Arabic name of Crete was Iqrīṭiš
(Arabic: ‫( < ​اڡ﮴ﺮٮ﮵ﻄﺶ‬της) Κρήτης), but after the Emirate of Crete's establishment of its new
 ‫ رٮ﮳ﺾ ﮲‬Rabḍ al-Ḫandaq (modern Iraklion), both the city and the island
capital at ‫اﻟﺤﻨﺪق‬
became known as Χάνδαξ (Chandax) or Χάνδακας (Chandakas), which gave Latin, Italian,
and Venetian Candia, from which were derived French Candie and English Candy or Candia.
Under Ottoman rule, in Ottoman Turkish, Crete was called Girit (‫)ﻛﺮٮ﮵ﺖ‬.

Physical geography …

Messara Plain

The palm beach of Vai

Lefka Ori

View of Psiloritis

Crete is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It
is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea separating the Aegean from the Libyan
Sea.

Island morphology
…
The island has an elongated shape: it spans 260 km (160 mi) from east to west, is 60 km
(37 mi) at its widest point, and narrows to as little as 12 km (7.5 mi) (close to Ierapetra).
Crete covers an area of 8,336 km2 (3,219 sq mi), with a coastline of 1,046 km (650 mi); to
the north, it broaches the Sea of Crete (Greek: Κρητικό Πέλαγος); to the south, the Libyan
Sea (Greek: Λιβυκό Πέλαγος); in the west, the Myrtoan Sea, and toward the east the
Karpathian Sea. It lies approximately 160 km (99 mi) south of the Greek mainland.

Mountains and valleys

…
Crete is mountainous, and its character is defined by a high mountain range crossing from
west to east, formed by three different groups of mountains:

The White Mountains or Lefka Ori 2,454 m (8,051 ft)

The Idi Range (Psiloritis 35.18°N 24.82°E 2,456 m (8,058 ft)

Kedros 1,777 m (5,830 ft)

The Dikti Mountains 2,148 m (7,047 ft)

Thripti 1,489 m (4,885 ft)

These mountains lavish Crete with valleys, such as Amari valley, fertile plateaus, such as
Lasithi plateau, Omalos and Nidha; caves, such as Gourgouthakas, Diktaion, and Idaion (the
birthplace of the ancient Greek god Zeus); and a number of gorges.

Mountains in Crete are the object of tremendous fascination both for locals and tourists.
The mountains have been seen as a key feature of the island's distinctiveness especially
since the time of Romantic travellers' writing. Contemporary Cretans distinguish between
highlanders and lowlanders; the former often claim to reside in places affording a
higher/better climatic but also moral environment. In keeping with the legacy of Romantic
authors, the mountains are seen as having determined their residents' 'resistance' to past
invaders which relates to the oft-encountered idea that highlanders are 'purer' in terms of
less intermarriages with occupiers. For residents of mountainous areas, such as Sfakia in
western Crete, the aridness and rockiness of the mountains is emphasised as an element of
pride and is often compared to the alleged soft-soiled mountains of others parts of Greece
or the world.[10]

Gorges, rivers and lakes

…
The island has a number of gorges, such as the Samariá Gorge, Imbros Gorge, Kourtaliotiko
Gorge, Ha Gorge, Platania Gorge, the Gorge of the Dead (at Kato Zakros, Sitia) and Richtis
Gorge and (Richtis) waterfall at Exo Mouliana in Sitia.[11][12][13][14]

The rivers of Crete include the Ieropotamos River, the Koiliaris, the Anapodiaris, the Almiros,
the Giofyros, and Megas Potamos. There are only two freshwater lakes in Crete: Lake
Kournas and Lake Agia, which are both in Chania regional unit.[15] Lake Voulismeni at the
coast, at Aghios Nikolaos, was formerly a freshwater lake but is now connected to the sea,
in Lasithi.[16] Lakes that were created by dams also exist in Crete. There are three: the lake
of Aposelemis Dam, the lake of Potamos Dam, and the lake of Mpramiana Dam.

Ha Gorge

Samariá Gorge

Aradaina Gorge
 Venetian Bridge over Megalopotamos River

Surrounding islands
…
A large number of islands, islets, and rocks hug the coast of Crete. Many are visited by
tourists, some are only visited by archaeologists and biologists. Some are environmentally
protected. A small sample of the islands includes:

Gramvousa (Kissamos, Chania) the pirate island opposite the Balo lagoon

Elafonisi (Chania), which commemorates a shipwreck and an Ottoman massacre

Chrysi island (Ierapetra, Lasithi), which hosts the largest natural Lebanon cedar forest in
Europe

Paximadia island (Agia Galini, Rethymno) where the god Apollo and the goddess Artemis
were born

The Venetian fort and leper colony at Spinalonga opposite the beach and shallow waters
of Elounda (Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi)

Dionysades islands which are in an environmentally protected region together the Palm
Beach Forest of Vai in the municipality of Sitia, Lasithi

Off the south coast, the island of Gavdos is located 26 nautical miles (48 km) south of Hora
Sfakion and is the southernmost point of Europe.

Climate
…
Crete straddles two climatic zones, the Mediterranean and the North African, mainly falling
within the former. As such, the climate in Crete is primarily Mediterranean. The atmosphere
can be quite humid, depending on the proximity to the sea, while winter is fairly mild.
Snowfall is common on the mountains between November and May, but rare in the low-lying
areas. While some mountain tops are snow-capped for most of the year, near the coast
snow only stays on the ground for a few minutes or hours. However, a truly exceptional cold
snap swept the island in February 2004, during which period the whole island was
blanketed with snow. During the Cretan summer, average temperatures reach the high 20s-
low 30s Celsius (mid 80s to mid 90s Fahrenheit), with maxima touching the upper 30s-mid
40s.

The south coast, including the Mesara Plain and Asterousia Mountains, falls in the North
African climatic zone, and thus enjoys significantly more sunny days and high temperatures
throughout the year. There, date palms bear fruit, and swallows remain year-round rather
than migrate to Africa. The fertile region around Ierapetra, on the southeastern corner of the
island, is renowned for its exceptional year-round agricultural production, with all kinds of
summer vegetables and fruit produced in greenhouses throughout the winter.[17] Western
Crete (Chania province) receives more rain and is more erosive compared to the Eastern
part of Crete.[18]

Geography …

Crete is the most populous island in Greece with a population of more than 600,000 people.
Approximately 42% live in Crete's main cities and towns whilst 45% live in rural areas.[19]

Administration
…

Crete Region
Περιφέρεια Κρήτης

Administrative region of Greece

Coordinates: 35°13′N 24°55′E

Country Greece
 Established 1912

Capital Heraklion

Regional units List

Chania
Heraklion
Rethymno
Lasithi

Government

• Regional governor Stavros Arnaoutakis (PASOK)

Area

• Total 8,335.88 km2 (3,218.50 sq mi)

Population (2011)[20]

• Total 623,065

• Density 75/km2 (190/sq mi)

Time zone UTC+2 (EET)

• Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)

ISO 3166 code GR-M

Website www.crete.gov.gr

Crete with its nearby islands form the Crete Region (Greek: Περιφέρεια Κρήτης, Periféria
Krítis, [periˈferia ˈkritis]), one of the 13 regions of Greece which were established in the 1987
administrative reform.[21] Under the 2010 Kallikratis plan, the powers and authority of the
regions were redefined and extended. The region is based at Heraklion and is divided into
four regional units (pre-Kallikratis prefectures). From west to east these are: Chania,
Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi. These are further subdivided into 24 municipalities.

The region's governor is, since 1 January 2011, Stavros Arnaoutakis, who was elected in the
November 2010 local administration elections for the Panhellenic Socialist Movement.

Cities
…
Heraklion is the largest city and capital of Crete. Chania was the capital until 1971. The
principal cities are:

Heraklion (Iraklion or Candia) (173,993 inhabitants)[22]

Chania (Haniá) (108,642 inhabitants)[22]

Rethymno (34,300 inhabitants)[22]

Ierapetra (23,707 inhabitants)

Agios Nikolaos (19,462 inhabitants)

Sitia (14,338 inhabitants)

Venetian fortress in Heraklion

Chania cathedral
 Rethymno Fortezza Mosque

Economy
…
The economy of Crete is predominantly based on services and tourism. However,
agriculture also plays an important role and Crete is one of the few Greek islands that can
support itself independently without a tourism industry.[23] The economy began to change
visibly during the 1970s as tourism gained in importance. Although an emphasis remains on
agriculture and stock breeding, because of the climate and terrain of the island, there has
been a drop in manufacturing, and an observable expansion in its service industries (mainly
tourism-related). All three sectors of the Cretan economy (agriculture/farming, processing-
packaging, services), are directly connected and interdependent. The island has a per
capita income much higher than the Greek average, whereas unemployment is at
approximately 4%, one-sixth of that of the country overall.

As in many regions of Greece, viticulture and olive groves are significant; oranges, citrons
and avocadoes are also cultivated. Until recently there were restrictions on the import of
bananas to Greece, therefore bananas were grown on the island, predominantly in
greenhouses. Dairy products are important to the local economy and there are a number of
speciality cheeses such as mizithra, anthotyros, and kefalotyri.

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 9.4 billion € in 2018, accounting for
5.1% of Greek economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 17,800
€ or 59% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 68% of the EU
average. Crete is the region in Greece with the fith highest GDP per capita.[24]

Transport infrastructure
…
 European route E75 near Heraklion

Airports
…
The island has three significant airports, Nikos Kazantzakis at Heraklion, the Daskalogiannis
airport at Chania and a smaller one in Sitia. The first two serve international routes, acting
as the main gateways to the island for travellers. There is a long-standing plan to replace
Heraklion airport with a completely new airport at Kastelli, where there is presently an air
force base.

Ferries
…
The island is well served by ferries, mostly from Athens, by ferry companies such as Minoan
Lines and ANEK Lines.

Road Network
…
Although the road network leads almost everywhere, there is a lack of modern highways,
although this is gradually changing with the completion of the northern coastal spine
highway.[25] In addition, a European study has been devised from European Union to
promote a modern highway that will connect the North and the South parts of the island via
a tunnel. According to the study the project should be include 15.7 km of section of road
between the villages Agia Varvara and Agia Deka in central Crete, benefits both tourists and
local people by improving the accessibility to the southern part of the island and lessen the
accidents. The new road section forms part of the route between Messara in the south and
Creteʼs capital city Heraklion, which provides the islandʼs airport and principal sea port link
with mainland Greece. Traffic speeds on the new road will increase by 19 km/hour (from 29
km/hours to 48 km/hour), which should reduce journey times between Messara and
Heraklion by 55 minutes. The scheme is also expected to improve road safety by cutting the
number of accidents along the route. Building works include construction of three road
tunnels, five bridges and three junctions. This project is expected to create 44 jobs during
the implementation phase.

The investment falls under Greece's "Improvement of Accessibility" Operational

Programme. The programme aims to improve the countryʼs transport infrastructures as well
as its international connections. It will therefore have a key role to play in making Greeceʼs
remote and landlocked regions more accessible and economically attractive. This
Operational Programme works to link Greeceʼs more prosperous and less developed
regions, which should help to promote greater territorial cohesion.

Total investment for the project "Completion of construction of the section of Ag. Varvara -
Ag. Deka (Kastelli) (22+170 km to 37+900 km) of the vertical road axis Irakleio – Messara in
the prefecture of Irakleio, Kriti" is EUR 102 273 321, of which the EUʼs European Regional
Development Fund is contributing EUR 86 932 323 from the Operational Programme
"Improvement of Accessibility" for the 2007 to 2013 programming period. Work falls under
the priority "Road Transport – trans-European and trans-regional route network of the
regions on the Convergence objective".[26]

Railway
…
Also, during the 1930s there was a narrow-gauge industrial railway in Heraklion, from
Giofyros in the west side of the city to the port. There are now no railway lines on Crete. The
government is planning the construction of a line from Chania to Heraklion via
Rethymno.[27][28]

Development
…
Newspapers have reported that the Ministry of Mercantile Marine is ready to support the
agreement between Greece, South Korea, Dubai Ports World and China for the construction
of a large international container port and free trade zone in southern Crete near Tympaki;
the plan is to expropriate 850 ha of land. The port would handle 2 million containers per
year, but the project has not been universally welcomed because of its environmental,
economic and cultural impact.[29] As of January 2013, the project has still not been
confirmed, although there is mounting pressure to approve it, arising from Greece's difficult
economic situation.

There are plans for underwater cables going from mainland Greece to Israel and Egypt
passing by Crete and Cyprus: EuroAfrica Interconnector and EuroAsia Interconnector.[30][31]
They would connect Crete electrically with mainland Greece, ending energy isolation of
Crete. Now Hellenic Republic covers for Crete electricity costs difference of around
€300 million per year.[32]
 History
…

Minoan rhyton in the form of

a bull, Heraklion
Archaeological Museum

Minoan fresco from Knossos,

Heraklion Archaeological Museum

Palace of Knossos

Hominids settled in Crete at least 130,000 years ago. In the later Neolithic and Bronze Age
periods, under the Minoans, Crete had a highly developed, literate civilization. It has been
ruled by various ancient Greek entities, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the
Emirate of Crete, the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. After a brief period of
independence (1897–1913) under a provisional Cretan government, it joined the Kingdom of
Greece. It was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Prehistoric Crete
…
In 2002, the paleontologist Gerard Gierlinski discovered fossil footprints left by ancient
human relatives 5,600,000 years ago.[33]

The first human settlement in Crete dates before 130,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic
age.[34][35][36] Settlements dating to the aceramic Neolithic in the 7th millennium BC, used
cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs as well as domesticated cereals and legumes; ancient
Knossos was the site of one of these major Neolithic (then later Minoan) sites.[37] Other
neolithic settlements include those at Kephala, Magasa, and Trapeza.

Minoan civilization
…
Crete was the centre of Europe's first advanced civilization, the Minoan
(c. 2700–1420 BC).[2] This civilization wrote in the undeciphered script known as Linear A.
Early Cretan history is replete with legends such as those of King Minos, Theseus and the
Minotaur, passed on orally via poets such as Homer. The volcanic eruption of Thera may
have been the cause of the downfall of the Minoan civilization.

Mycenaean civilization
…
In 1420 BC, the Minoan civilization was overrun by the Mycenaean civilization from mainland
Greece. The oldest samples of writing in the Greek language, as identified by Michael
Ventris, is the Linear B archive from Knossos, dated approximately to 1425–1375 BC.[38]

Archaic and Classical period

…
After the Bronze Age collapse, Crete was settled by new waves of Greeks from the
mainland. A number of city states developed in the Archaic period. There was very limited
contact with mainland Greece, and Greek historiography shows little interest in Crete, and
as a result, there are very few literary sources.

During the 6th to 4th centuries BC, Crete was comparatively free from warfare. The Gortyn
code (5th century BC) is evidence for how codified civil law established a balance between
aristocratic power and civil rights.

In the late 4th century BC, the aristocratic order began to collapse due to endemic
infighting among the elite, and Crete's economy was weakened by prolonged wars between
city states. During the 3rd century BC, Gortyn, Kydonia (Chania), Lyttos and Polyrrhenia
challenged the primacy of ancient Knossos.
While the cities continued to prey upon one another, they invited into their feuds mainland
powers like Macedon and its rivals Rhodes and Ptolemaic Egypt. In 220 BC the island was
tormented by a war between two opposing coalitions of cities. As a result, the Macedonian
king Philip V gained hegemony over Crete which lasted to the end of the Cretan War (205–
200 BC), when the Rhodians opposed the rise of Macedon and the Romans started to
interfere in Cretan affairs.

In the 2nd century BC Ierapytna (Ierapetra) gained supremacy on eastern Crete.

Roman rule
…
Crete was involved in the Mithridatic Wars, initially repelling an attack by Roman general
Marcus Antonius Creticus in 71 BC. Nevertheless, a ferocious three-year campaign soon
followed under Quintus Caecilius Metellus, equipped with three legions and Crete was
finally conquered by Rome in 69 BC, earning for Metellus the title "Creticus". Gortyn was
made capital of the island, and Crete became a Roman province, along with Cyrenaica that
was called Creta et Cyrenaica. Archaeological remains suggest that Crete under Roman rule
witnessed prosperity and increased connectivity with other parts of the Empire.[39] In the
2nd century AD, at least three cities in Crete (Lyttos, Gortyn, Hierapytna) joined the
Panhellenion, a league of Greek cities founded by the emperor Hadrian. When Diocletian
redivided the Empire, Crete was placed, along with Cyrene, under the diocese of Moesia,
and later by Constantine I to the diocese of Macedonia.

Byzantine Empire – first period

…

Arkadi Monastery

Crete was separated from Cyrenaica c. 297. It remained a province within the eastern half of
the Roman Empire, usually referred to as the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire after the
establishment of a second capital in Constantinople by Constantine in 330. Crete was
subjected to an attack by Vandals in 467, the great earthquakes of 365 and 415, a raid by
Slavs in 623, Arab raids in 654 and the 670s, and again in the 8th century. In c. 732, the
Emperor Leo III the Isaurian transferred the island from the jurisdiction of the Pope to that of
the Patriarchate of Constantinople.[40]
Andalusian Arab rule
…

The Byzantines under the general

Damian attack Crete but are
defeated by the Saracens, c. 828, as
depicted by Ioannes Scylitzes (see
Skylitzes Chronicle).

In the 820s, after 900 years as a Roman, and then Eastern Roman (Byzantine) island, Crete
was captured by Andalusian Muladis led by Abu Hafs,[41] who established the Emirate of
Crete. The Byzantines launched a campaign that took most of the island back in 842 and
843 under Theoktistos. Further Byzantine campaigns in 911 and 949 failed. In 960/1,
Nikephoros Phokas' campaign completely restored Crete to the Byzantine Empire, after a
century and a half of Arab control.

Byzantine Empire – second period

…
In 961, Nikephoros Phokas returned the island to Byzantine rule after expelling the
Arabs.[42] Extensive efforts at conversion of the populace were undertaken, led by John
Xenos and Nikon "the Metanoeite".[43][44] The reconquest of Crete was a major
achievement for the Byzantines, as it restored Byzantine control over the Aegean littoral and
diminished the threat of Saracen pirates, for which Crete had provided a base of operations.

In 1204, the Fourth Crusade seized and sacked the imperial capital of Constantinople. Crete
was initially granted to leading Crusader Boniface of Montferrat[42] in the partition of spoils
that followed. However, Boniface sold his claim to the Republic of Venice,[42] whose forces
made up the majority of the Crusade. Venice's rival the Republic of Genoa immediately
seized the island and it was not until 1212 that Venice secured Crete as a colony.

Venetian rule
…
 Frangokastello was built by the
Venetians in 1371–74

From 1212, during Venice's rule, which lasted more than four centuries, a Renaissance
swept through the island as is evident from the plethora of artistic works dating to that
period. Known as The Cretan School or Post-Byzantine Art, it is among the last flowerings
of the artistic traditions of the fallen empire. The most notable representatives of this
Cretan renaissance were the painter El Greco and the writers Nicholas Kalliakis (1645–
1707), Georgios Kalafatis (professor) (c. 1652–1720), Andreas Musalus (c. 1665–1721) and
Vitsentzos Kornaros.[45][46][47]

Under the rule of the Catholic Venetians, the city of Candia was reputed to be the best
fortified city of the Eastern Mediterranean.[48] The three main forts were located at
Gramvousa, Spinalonga, and Fortezza at Rethymnon. Other fortifications include the
Kazarma fortress at Sitia. In 1492, Jews expelled from Spain settled on the island.[49] In
1574–77, Crete was under the rule of Giacomo Foscarini as Proveditor General, Sindace and
Inquisitor. According to Starr's 1942 article, the rule of Giacomo Foscarini was a Dark Age
for Jews and Greeks. Under his rule, non-Catholics had to pay high taxes with no
allowances. In 1627, there were 800 Jews in the city of Candia, about seven percent of the
city's population.[50] Marco Foscarini was the Doge of Venice during this time period.

Ottoman rule
…

Depiction of the Siege of Candia

 Nicolas Sanson. Crete in 1651

Greek Orthodox (blue) and Cretan

Muslim/Turkish (red) ethnic makeup
of the island in 1861

Kara Musa Pasha mosque,

Rethymno

The Ottomans conquered Crete in 1669, after the siege of Candia. Many Greek Cretans fled
to other regions of the Republic of Venice after the Ottoman–Venetian Wars, some even
prospering such as the family of Simone Stratigo (c. 1733 – c. 1824) who migrated to
Dalmatia from Crete in 1669.[51] Islamic presence on the island, aside from the interlude of
the Arab occupation, was cemented by the Ottoman conquest. Most Cretan Muslims were
local Greek converts who spoke Cretan Greek, but in the island's 19th-century political
context they came to be viewed by the Christian population as Turks.[52] Contemporary
estimates vary, but on the eve of the Greek War of Independence (1830), as much as 45%
of the population of the island may have been Muslim.[53] A number of Sufi orders were
widespread throughout the island, the Bektashi order being the most prevalent, possessing
at least five tekkes. Many Cretan Turks fled Crete because of the unrest, settling in Turkey,
Rhodes, Syria, Libya and elsewhere. By 1900, 11% of the population was Muslim. Those
remaining were relocated in the 1924 Population exchange between Greece and Turkey.[54]

During Easter of 1770, a notable revolt against Ottoman rule, in Crete, was started by
Daskalogiannis, a shipowner from Sfakia who was promised support by Orlov's fleet which
never arrived. Daskalogiannis eventually surrendered to the Ottoman authorities. Today, the
airport at Chania is named after him.

Crete was left out of the modern Greek state by the London Protocol of 1830, and soon it
was yielded to Egypt by the Ottoman sultan. Egyptian rule was short-lived and sovereignty
was returned to the Ottoman Empire by the Convention of London on 3 July 1840.

Heraklion was surrounded by high walls and bastions and extended westward and
southward by the 17th century. The most opulent area of the city was the northeastern
quadrant where all the elite were gathered together. The city had received another name
under the rule of the Ottomans, "the deserted city".[48] The urban policy that the Ottoman
applied to Candia was a two-pronged approach.[48] The first was the religious endowments.
It made the Ottoman elite contribute to building and rehabilitating the ruined city. The other
method was to boost the population and the urban revenue by selling off urban properties.
According to Molly Greene (2001) there were numerous records of real-estate transactions
during the Ottoman rule. In the deserted city, minorities received equal rights in purchasing
property. Christians and Jews were also able to buy and sell in the real-estate market.

The Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869 or Great Cretan Revolution (Greek: Κρητική Επανάσταση
του 1866) was a three-year uprising against Ottoman rule, the third and largest in a series of
revolts between the end of the Greek War of Independence in 1830 and the establishment
of the independent Cretan State in 1898. A particular event which caused strong reactions
among the liberal circles of western Europe was the Holocaust of Arkadi. The event
occurred in November 1866, as a large Ottoman force besieged the Arkadi Monastery,
which served as the headquarters of the rebellion. In addition to its 259 defenders, over 700
women and children had taken refuge in the monastery. After a few days of hard fighting,
the Ottomans broke into the monastery. At that point, the abbot of the monastery set fire to
the gunpowder stored in the monastery's vaults, causing the death of most of the rebels
and the women and children sheltered there.

Cretan State 1898–1908

…
This section does not cite any sources.
 Revolutionaries at Theriso

Following the repeated uprisings in 1841, 1858, 1889, 1895 and 1897 by the Cretan people,
who wanted to join Greece, the Great Powers decided to restore order and in February 1897
sent in troops. The island was subsequently garrisoned by troops from Great Britain,
France, Italy and Russia; Germany and Austro-Hungary withdrawing from the occupation in
early 1898. During this period Crete was governed through a committee of admirals from
the remaining four Powers. In March 1898 the Powers decreed, with the very reluctant
consent of the Sultan, that the island would be granted autonomy under Ottoman suzerainty
in the near future.[55]

In September 1898 an outbreak of rioting in Candia, modern Heraklion, left over 500 Cretan
Christians, and 14 British servicemen, dead. As a result, the Admirals ordered the expulsion
of all Ottoman troops and administrators from the island, a move that was ultimately
completed by early November. The decision to grant autonomy to the island was enforced
and a High Commissioner, Prince George of Greece, appointed, arriving to take up his post
in December 1898.[56] The flag of the Cretan State was chosen by the Powers, with the
white star representing the Ottoman suzerainty over the island.

Flag of Cretan State

In 1905, disagreements between Prince George and minister Eleftherios Venizelos over the
question of the enosis (union with Greece), such as the Prince's autocratic style of
government, resulted in the Theriso revolt, one of the leaders being Eleftherios Venizelos.

Prince George resigned as High Commissioner and was replaced by Alexandros Zaimis, a
former Greek prime minister, in 1906. In 1908, taking advantage of domestic turmoil in
Turkey as well as the timing of Zaimis's vacation away from the island, the Cretan deputies
unilaterally declared union with Greece.

With the break out of the First Balkan War, the Greek government declared that Crete was
now Greek territory. This was not recognised internationally until 1 December 1913.[56]

Second World War

…

German paratroopers landing on

Crete during the Battle of Crete

During World War II, the island was the scene of the famous Battle of Crete in May 1941. The
initial 11-day battle was bloody and left more than 11,000 soldiers and civilians killed or
wounded. As a result of the fierce resistance from both Allied forces and civilian Cretan
locals, the invasion force suffered heavy casualties, and Adolf Hitler forbade further large-
scale paratroop operations for the rest of the war. During the initial and subsequent
occupation, German firing squads routinely executed male civilians in reprisal for the death
of German soldiers; civilians were rounded up randomly in local villages for the mass
killings, such as at the Massacre of Kondomari and the Viannos massacres. Two German
generals were later tried and executed for their roles in the killing of 3,000 of the island's
inhabitants.[57]

Tourism …

Matala beach

Crete was one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. 15% of all arrivals in
Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to
Heraklion seven years ago made up 20% of all charter flights in Greece . Overall, more
than two million tourists visited Crete some years back, when the increase in tourism was
reflected in the number of hotel beds, rising by 53% in the period between 1986 and 1991.

Today, the island's tourism infrastructure caters to all tastes, including a very wide range of
accommodation; the island's facilities take in large luxury hotels with their complete
facilities, swimming pools, sports and recreation, smaller family-owned apartments,
camping facilities and others. Visitors reach the island via two international airports in
Heraklion and Chania and a smaller airport in Sitia (international charter and domestic
flights starting May 2012)[58] or by boat to the main ports of Heraklion, Chania, Rethimno,
Agios Nikolaos and Sitia.

Popular tourist attractions include the archaeological sites of the Minoan civilisation, the
Venetian old city and port of Chania, the Venetian castle at Rethymno, the gorge of Samaria,
the islands of Chrysi, Elafonisi, Gramvousa, Spinalonga and the Palm Beach of Vai, which is
the largest natural palm forest in Europe.

Transportation
…
Crete has an extensive bus system with regular services across the north of the island and
from north to south. There are two regional bus stations in Heraklion. Bus routes and
timetables can be found on KTEL website.[59]

Holiday homes and immigration

…
Crete's mild climate attracts interest from northern Europeans who want a holiday home or
residence on the island. EU citizens have the right to freely buy property and reside with
little formality.[60] A growing number of real estate companies cater to mainly British
immigrants, followed by German, Dutch, Scandinavian and other European nationalities
wishing to own a home in Crete. The British immigrants are concentrated in the western
regional units of Chania and Rethymno and to a lesser extent in Heraklion and Lasithi.[27]

Archaeological sites and museums

…
The area has a large number of archaeological sites, including the Minoan sites of Knossos,
Malia (not to be confused with the town of the same name), Petras and Phaistos, the
classical site of Gortys, and the diverse archaeology of the island of Koufonisi, which
includes Minoan, Roman, and World War II era ruins (nb. due to conservation concerns,
access to the latter has been restricted for the last few years, so it is best to check before
heading to a port).

There are a number of museums throughout Crete. The Heraklion Archaeological Museum
displays most of the archaeological finds from the Minoan era and was reopened in
2014.[61]

Harmful Effects
…
Helen Briassoulis proposed in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism that Crete is a victim of
external tourist systems applying pressure to it to develop at an unhealthy rate, and that
informal, internal systems within the country are forced to adapt. According to her, these
forces have strengthened in 3 stages: from the period from 1960–1970, 1970–1990, and
1990 to the present. During this first period, tourism was a largely positive force, pushing
modern developments like running water and electricity onto the largely rural countryside.
However, beginning in the second period and especially in the third period leading up to the
present day, tourist companies became more pushy with deforestation and pollution of
Crete's natural resources. The country is then pulled into an interesting parity, where these
companies only upkeep those natural resources that are directly essential to their industry.

View of Gortyn
Archaeological site of Phaistos

Ruins of the Palace of Knossos

Archeological Museum of Chania

Museum of Chania
 Chania Naval museum

Pluto and Persephone in Heraklion Museum

Jars in Malia, Crete

Fauna and flora …

Fauna
…
Crete is isolated from mainland Europe, Asia, and Africa, and this is reflected in the diversity
of the fauna and flora. As a result, the fauna and flora of Crete have many clues to the
evolution of species. There are no animals that are dangerous to humans on the island of
Crete in contrast to other parts of Greece. Indeed, the ancient Greeks attributed the lack of
large mammals such as bears, wolves, jackals, and venomous snakes, to the labour of
Hercules (who took a live Cretan bull to the Peloponnese). Hercules wanted to honor the
birthplace of Zeus by removing all "harmful" and "venomous" animals from Crete. Later,
Cretans believed that the island was cleared of dangerous creatures by the Apostle Paul,
who lived on the island of Crete for two years, with his exorcisms and blessings. There is a
natural history museum, the Natural History Museum of Crete, operating under the direction
of the University of Crete and two aquariums – Aquaworld in Hersonissos and Cretaquarium
in Gournes, displaying sea creatures common in Cretan waters.

Prehistoric fauna
…
Dwarf elephants, dwarf hippopotamus, dwarf mammoths, dwarf deer, and giant flightless
owls were native to Pleistocene Crete.[62][63]

Mammals
…
Mammals of Crete include the vulnerable kri-kri, Capra aegagrus cretica that can be seen in
the national park of the Samaria Gorge and on Thodorou,[64] Dia and Agioi Pantes (islets off
the north coast), the Cretan wildcat and the Cretan spiny mouse.[65][66][67][68] Other
terrestrial mammals include subspecies of the Cretan marten, the Cretan weasel, the Cretan
badger, the long-eared hedgehog, and the edible dormouse.[69]

The Cretan shrew, a type of white-toothed shrew is considered endemic to the island of
Crete because this species of shrew is unknown elsewhere. It is a relic species of the
crocidura shrews of which fossils have been found that can be dated to the Pleistocene era.
In the present day it can only be found in the highlands of Crete.[70] It is considered to be
the only surviving remnant of the endemic species of the Pleistocene Mediterranean
islands.[71]

Bat species include: Blasius's horseshoe bat, the lesser horseshoe bat, the greater
horseshoe bat, the lesser mouse-eared bat, Geoffroy's bat, the whiskered bat, Kuhl's
pipistrelle, the common pipistrelle, Savi's pipistrelle, the serotine bat, the long-eared bat,
Schreibers' bat and the European free-tailed bat.[72]
 The Kri-kri (the Cretan ibex) lives in protected natural parks at the gorge of Samaria and the
island of Agios Theodoros.

Male Cretan ibex

Cretan Hound or Kritikos Lagonikos, one of Europe's oldest hunting dog breeds

Birds
…
A large variety of birds includes eagles (can be seen in Lasithi), swallows (throughout Crete
in the summer and all the year in the south of the island), pelicans (along the coast), and
cranes (including Gavdos and Gavdopoula). The Cretan mountains and gorges are refuges
for the endangered lammergeier vulture. Bird species include: the golden eagle, Bonelli's
eagle, the bearded vulture or lammergeier, the griffon vulture, Eleanora's falcon, peregrine
falcon, lanner falcon, European kestrel, tawny owl, little owl, hooded crow, alpine chough,
red-billed chough, and the hoopoe.[73][74]
Reptiles and amphibians
…
Tortoises can be seen throughout the island. Snakes can be found hiding under rocks.
Toads and frogs reveal themselves when it rains.

Reptiles include the Aegean wall lizard, Balkan green lizard, common chameleon, ocellated
skink, snake-eyed skink, moorish gecko, Turkish gecko, Kotschy's gecko, spur-thighed
tortoise, and the Caspian turtle.[72][75]

There are four species of snake on the island and these are not dangerous to humans. The
four species include the leopard snake (locally known as Ochendra), the Balkan whip snake
(locally called Dendrogallia), the dice snake (called Nerofido in Greek), and the only
venomous snake is the nocturnal cat snake which has evolved to deliver a weak venom at
the back of its mouth to paralyse geckos and small lizards, and is not dangerous to
humans.[72][76]

Sea turtles include the green turtle and the loggerhead turtle which are both threatened
species.[75] The loggerhead turtle nests and hatches on north-coast beaches around
Rethymno and Chania, and south-coast beaches along the gulf of Mesara.[77]

Amphibians include the European green toad, American bullfrog (introduced), common tree
frog, and the Cretan marsh frog (endemic).[72][75][78]

Arthropods
…
Crete has an unusual variety of insects. Cicadas, known locally as Tzitzikia, make a
distinctive repetitive tzi tzi sound that becomes louder and more frequent on hot summer
days. Butterfly species include the swallowtail butterfly.[72] Moth species include the
hummingbird moth.[79] There are several species of scorpion such as Euscorpius
carpathicus whose venom is generally no more potent than a mosquito bite.

Crustaceans and molluscs

…
River crabs include the semi-terrestrial Potamon potamios crab.[72] Edible snails are
widespread and can cluster in the hundreds waiting for rainfall to reinvigorate them.

Sealife
…
Apart from terrestrial mammals, the seas around Crete are rich in large marine mammals, a
fact unknown to most Greeks at present, although reported since ancient times. Indeed, the
Minoan frescoes depicting dolphins in Queen's Megaron at Knossos indicate that Minoans
were well aware of and celebrated these creatures. Apart from the famous endangered
Mediterranean monk seal, which lives in almost all the coasts of the country, Greece hosts
whales, sperm whales, dolphins and porpoises.[80] These are either permanent residents of
the Mediterranean or just occasional visitors. The area south of Crete, known as the Greek
Abyss, hosts many of them. Squid and octopus can be found along the coast and sea
turtles and hammerhead sharks swim in the sea around the coast. The Cretaquarium and
the Aquaworld Aquarium, are two of only three aquariums in the whole of Greece. They are
located in Gournes and Hersonissos respectively. Examples of the local sealife can be seen
there.[81][82]

Some of the fish that can be seen in the waters around Crete include: scorpion fish, dusky
grouper, east Atlantic peacock wrasse, five-spotted wrasse, weever fish, common stingray,
brown ray, mediterranean black goby, pearly razorfish, star-gazer, painted comber,
damselfish, and the flying gurnard.[83]

The loggerhead sea turtle nests and hatches along the beaches of Rethymno and Chania and
the gulf of Messara.

Flora
…
The Minoans contributed to the deforestation of Crete. Further deforestation occurred in
the 1600s "so that no more local supplies of firewood were available".[84]

Common wildflowers include: camomile, daisy, gladiolus, hyacinth, iris, poppy, cyclamen
and tulip, among others.[85] There are more than 200 different species of wild orchid on the
island and this includes 14 varieties of Ophrys cretica.[86] Crete has a rich variety of
indigenous herbs including common sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.[86][87] Rare
herbs include the endemic Cretan dittany.[86][87] and ironwort, Sideritis syriaca, known as
Malotira (Μαλοτήρα). Varieties of cactus include the edible prickly pear. Common trees on
the island include the chestnut, cypress, oak, olive tree, pine, plane, and tamarisk.[87] Trees
tend to be taller to the west of the island where water is more abundant.
 Snake lily (Dracunculus vulgaris)

The Ophrys cretica orchid.

Environmentally protected areas

…
There are a number of environmentally protected areas. One such area is located at the
island of Elafonisi on the coast of southwestern Crete. Also, the palm forest of Vai in eastern
Crete and the Dionysades (both in the municipality of Sitia, Lasithi), have diverse animal and
plant life. Vai has a palm beach and is the largest natural palm forest in Europe. The island
of Chrysi, 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of Ierapetra, has the largest naturally-grown
Juniperus macrocarpa forest in Europe. Samaria Gorge is a World Biosphere Reserve and
Richtis Gorge is protected for its landscape diversity.

Mythology …
 "Diktaean Cave"

Crete has a rich mythology mostly connected with the ancient Greek Gods but also
connected with the Minoan civilisation.

According to Greek Mythology, The Diktaean Cave at Mount Dikti was the birthplace of the
god Zeus. The Paximadia islands were the birthplace of the goddess Artemis and the god
Apollo. Their mother, the goddess Leto, was worshipped at Phaistos. The goddess Athena
bathed in Lake Voulismeni. The ancient Greek god Zeus launched a lightning bolt at a giant
lizard that was threatening Crete. The lizard immediately turned to stone and became the
island of Dia. The island can be seen from Knossos and it has the shape of a giant lizard.
The islets of Lefkai were the result of a musical contest between the Sirens and the Muses.
The Muses were so anguished to have lost that they plucked the feathers from the wings of
their rivals; the Sirens turned white and fell into the sea at Aptera ("featherless") where they
formed the islands in the bay that were called Lefkai (the islands of Souda and Leon).[88]
Heracles, in one of his labors, took the Cretan bull to the Peloponnese. Europa and Zeus
made love at Gortys and conceived the kings of Crete: Rhadamanthys, Sarpedon, and
Minos.

The labyrinth of the Palace of Knossos was the setting for the myth of Theseus and the
Minotaur in which the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. Icarus and Daedalus were captives of
King Minos and crafted wings to escape. After his death King Minos became a judge of the
dead in Hades, while Rhadamanthys became the ruler of the Elysian fields.

Culture …

Crete has its own distinctive Mantinades poetry. The island is known for its Mantinades-
based music (typically performed with the Cretan lyra and the laouto) and has many
indigenous dances, the most noted of which is the Pentozali. Since the 1980s and certainly
in the 90s onwards there has been a proliferation of Cultural Associations that teach
dancing (in Western Crete many focus on rizitiko singing). These Associations often
perform in official events but also become stages for people to meet up and engage in
traditionalist practices. The topic of tradition and the role of Cultural Associations in reviving
it is very often debated throughout Crete.[89]

Cretan authors have made important contributions to Greek Literature throughout the
modern period; major names include Vikentios Kornaros, creator of the 17th-century epic
romance Erotokritos (Greek Ερωτόκριτος), and, in the 20th century, Nikos Kazantzakis. In
the Renaissance, Crete was the home of the Cretan School of icon painting, which
influenced El Greco and through him subsequent European painting. Crete is also famous
for its traditional cuisine. The nutritional value of the Cretan cuisine was discovered by the
American epidemiologist Ancel Keys in the 1960, being later often mentioned by
epidemiologists as one of the best examples of the Mediterranean diet.[90]

Cretans are fiercely proud of their island and customs, and men often don elements of
traditional dress in everyday life: knee-high black riding boots (stivania), vráka breeches
tucked into the boots at the knee, black shirt and black headdress consisting of a fishnet-
weave kerchief worn wrapped around the head or draped on the shoulders (sariki). Men
often grow large mustaches as a mark of masculinity.

Cretan society is known in Greece and internationally for family and clan vendettas which
persist on the island to date.[91][92] Cretans also have a tradition of keeping firearms at
home, a tradition lasting from the era of resistance against the Ottoman Empire. Nearly
every rural household on Crete has at least one unregistered gun.[91] Guns are subject to
strict regulation from the Greek government, and in recent years a great deal of effort to
control firearms in Crete has been undertaken by the Greek police, but with limited success.
 Dancers from Sfakia.

Old man from Crete dressed in the typical black shirt.

Dakos, traditional Cretan salad.

Sports
…
Crete has many football clubs playing in the local leagues. During the 2011–12 season, OFI
Crete, which plays at Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium (Iraklion), and Ergotelis F.C., which
plays at the Pankritio Stadium (Iraklion) were both members of the Greek Superleague.
During the 2012–13 season, OFI Crete, which plays at Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium
(Iraklion), and Platanias F.C., which plays at the Perivolia Municipal Stadium, near Chania,
are both members of the Greek Superleague.

Notable people …

Domenikos Theotokopoulos
(El Greco)

Eleftherios Venizelos

Notable people from Crete include:

Nikos Kazantzakis, author, born in Heraklion, 7 times suggested for the Nobel Prize

Odysseas Elytis, poet, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979, born in Heraklion[93]

Georgios Chortatzis, Renaissance author

Vitsentzos Kornaros, Renaissance author from Sitia, who lived in Heraklion (then Candia)

Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), Renaissance artist, born in Heraklion

Nikos Xilouris, famous composer and singer.

Psarantonis, Cretan folk singer and Cretan lyra player and brother of Nikos Xilouris.

Nana Mouskouri, singer, born in Chania

Eleftherios Venizelos, former Greek Prime Minister, born in Chania Prefecture

Konstantinos Mitsotakis, nephew of Eleftherios Venizelos and Prime Minister of Greece.

Daskalogiannis, leader of the Orlov Revolt in Crete in 1770

Michalis Kourmoulis, leader of the Greek War of Independence from Messara.

Eleni Daniilidou, tennis player, born in Chania

Louis Tikas, Greek-American labor union leader

Tess Fragoulis, Greek-Canadian writer, born in Heraklion

Nick Dandolos, a.k.a. Nick the Greek, professional gambler and high roller

Joseph Sifakis, a computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 Turing Award, born in Heraklion
in 1946

Constantinos Daskalakis, Associate Professor at MIT's Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science department.

George Karniadakis, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Brown University; also Research

Scientist at MIT

John Aniston (Giannis Anastasakis), Greek-American actor, father of Jennifer Aniston

George Psychoundakis, a shepherd, a war hero and an author.

Ahmed Resmî Efendi: 18th-century Ottoman statesman, diplomat and author (notably of
two sefâretnâme). Turkey's first ever ambassador in Berlin[94] (during Frederick the
Great's reign). He was born into a Muslim family of Greek descent in the Cretan town of
Rethymno in the year 1700.[95][96][97][98]

Giritli Ali Aziz Efendi: Turkey's third ambassador in Berlin and arguably the first Turkish
author to have written in novelistic form.

Al-Husayn I ibn Ali at-Turki – founder of the Husainid Dynasty, which ruled Tunisia until
1957.

Salacıoğlu (1750 Hanya – 1825 Kandiye): One of the most important 18th-century poets
of Turkish folk literature.

Giritli Sırrı Pasha: Ottoman administrator, Leyla Saz's husband and a notable man of
letters in his own right.

Vedat Tek: Representative figure of the First National Architecture Movement in Turkish
architecture, son of Leyla Saz and Giritli Sırrı Pasha.
Paul Mulla (alias Mollazade Mehmed Ali): born Muslim, converted to Christianity and
becoming a Roman Catholic bishop and author.

Rahmizâde Bahaeddin Bediz: The first Turkish photographer by profession. The

thousands of photographs he took, based as of 1895 successively in Crete, İzmir,
İstanbul and Ankara (as Head of the Photography Department of Turkish Historical
Society), have immense historical value.

Salih Zeki: Turkish photographer in Chania[99]

Ali Nayip Zade: Associate of Eleftherios Venizelos, Prefect of Drama and Kavala,
Adrianople, and Lasithi.

Ismail Fazil Pasha: (1856–1921) descended from the rooted Cebecioğlu family of Söke
who had settled in Crete.[100] He has been the first Minister of Public Works in the
government of Grand National Assembly in 1920. He was the father of Ali Fuad and
Mehmed Ali.

Mehmet Atıf Ateşdağlı: (1876–1947) Turkish officer.

Mustafa Ertuğrul Aker: (1892–1961) Turkish officer who sank HMS Ben-my-Chree.

Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, alias Halikarnas Balıkçısı (The Fisherman of Halicarnassus), writer,
although born in Crete and has often let himself be cited as Cretan, descends from a
family of Ottoman aristocracy with roots in Afyonkarahisar. His father had been an
Ottoman High Commissioner in Crete and later ambassador in Athens. *Likewise, as
stated above, Mustafa Naili Pasha was Albanian/Egyptian.[101]

Bülent Arınç (born. 25 May 1948) has been a Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey since 2009.
He is of Cretan Muslim heritage with his ancestors arriving to Turkey as Cretan refugees
during the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey at the time of Sultan Abdul
Hamid II[102] and is fluent in Cretan Greek.[103] Arınç is a proponent of wanting to
reconvert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, which has caused diplomatic protestations
from Greece.[104]

Yoseph Shlomo Delmedigo, renaissance rabbi, mathematician, astronomer and

philosopher.

See also …

Cretan Greek

Cretan lyra
 Cretan Turks

Cretan wine

List of novels set in Crete

List of rulers of Crete

Mantinades

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External links …

Crete
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Media from Wikimedia

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Quotations from
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Texts from Wikisource

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Resources from
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Official website (in Greek)

Natural History Museum of Crete at the University of Crete.

Cretaquarium Thalassocosmos in Heraklion.

Aquaworld Aquarium in Hersonissos.

Ancient Crete at Oxford Bibliographies Online: Classics.

Official Greek National Tourism Organisation website

Interactive Virtual Tour of Crete