Posts Tagged ‘culture’

Crete the wonders of the Minoans and Knossos Palace

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

When on holiday in Crete there is one place that most people just have to visit and this is the marvellous ruin of the Palace of Knossos.

Not only is this a superb place to spend some quality time, visitors learn about one of the oldest civilisations, the Minoans, who had made this lovely island their home.

There have been many wonderful artefacts found at the site of the Palace and these include the spectacular Bull’s Head which in the 16th century had been used in sacred rituals in the Little Palace of Knossos. Visitors to the island can see this marvellous Rhyton of the Bull’s Head at the museum of Iraklion where it is on permanent exhibition.

This beautiful vessel is a stone carving that was meticulously made with the muzzle encrusted with mother of pearl, the eyes made from rock crystal and the horns were gilded. During the 16th century the Minoans had perfected the art of stone carving and many wonderful works were created during this time. Luckily for us today we can see and marvel at some of the most beautiful ancient art work from Minoan times that have been discovered in Crete by visiting the museums on the island.

The Minoan snake godess

One of the Minoan divinities was in the form of a snake and is known as the ‘Snake Goddess’. Also known as the Household Goddess, the goddess is thought by some to have bought good fortune to Minoan houses although the goddess was also a symbol of the underworld giving her a Chthonic aspect as well. There has been much discussion about the meaning behind the Snake Goddess and what she meant to the ancient Minoans. Many people do not believe that she was a household deity or the Chthonic aspect that has been given to her by the early discoverers of these beautiful objects. What we do know is that she was worshipped by all Minoans.

The two very famous faiences of Snake Goddesses were found at Knossos and they date back to 1600 BCE. These statuettes are beautifully made and depict the women of the palace court dressed in lavish classical Minoans clothes. On one of the Snake Goddesses

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

the snake is seen to sliding around her body whereas the other statuette shows her holding the snakes in both of her hands.

There is so much to learn about the Minoan civilisation and seeing these lovely objects from ancient times it gives us an insight into an incredible period of Cretan culture as it was so very long ago. It is an extraordinary experience to see both the Bull’s Head and the statuettes of the Snake Goddesses that meant so much to the cults and civilisations who made this beautiful island their home. These great and ancient cultures have left so much for us to see and wonder at.

We all feel privileged to know just a little bit more about the way of life in ancient Minoan Crete.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Cretan History, culture | No Comments »

Crete Archaeological sites that will take you back through the centuries

Friday, May 6th, 2011

The wonderful thing about travelling around the island of Crete is that there is just so much to see and do. When it comes to the archaeological sites found on the island it is like walking through a time warp, you will find yourself back in the glorious ancient eras of times long past.

Many of the sites that are dotted in strategic places all over the island are as free to view and explore as the air you breathe.

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

People from all over the globe descend on the island to marvel at the archaeological digs that can be found here.

Minoan History

The ruins at Aptera are breathtaking. In ancient times it was one of the most important cities on Crete. It is thought to have been built by Glaukos and many digs have been carried out over time in an attempt at finding out more about this impressive and glorious part of Cretan history. Then there are the ruins at Falassarna where remains of Cyclopean walls, tombs, house foundations and sculptures carved out of the rocks can be seen, including a throne.

There are fortresses to be found and explored, their history to be absorbed and appreciated because it all forms part of understanding why Crete and its unique population is what it is today. Walking around the ancient ruins of Lissos, the religious centre in the south west of the island, cannot fail to leave you speechless. Lissos flourished during the Hellenistic and Roman eras and it is here that they built the Temple of Asklepios. Visitors can marvel at the remains of a Roman theatre and visit the chamber tombs which were cut out of the rock.

There are so many sites on the island of Crete and each one of them is worth visiting because they tell us so much about the ancient civilisations which inhabited such a beautiful island. These ancient people have left behind so many clues as to how they survived and we are all lucky enough to be able to investigate and discover just how they lived and died on Crete by walking through these ancient ruins. A great example of this is the ruins of Armeni, the Minoan cemetery which has tombs carved out of the rock.

It is by studying these marvellous sites that we begin to have an understanding of the ancient civilisations to whom we owe so much to today. Their expertise in the crafts they mastered and the wonderful legacy they have left us is something every visitor to Crete will enjoy and appreciate. Having visited any of these ancient ruins we come back to the world of today different people, maybe humbler, sometimes overawed but one thing is for sure – we all come away a little more knowledgeable.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Cretan History, culture | No Comments »

Archaeology and the discoveries of ancient civilisations on the island of Crete

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Discovering Crete means exploring the beautiful ruins of ancient civilisations and the best way of doing this is to hire a car and set off on an adventure that will be awe inspiring. One of the favourite sites to visit is the ancient palace in Knossos.

This incredible structure was built by the Minoans, the first European civilisation to be established. They built this amazing structure which is believed to be the first palace ever to be built in the entire world and standing before this magnificent edifice it is understandably a leveling experience for anybody who looks up at its ancient glory.

the Minoan Palace

The ruins were discovered in 1878 by a Cretan merchant and antiquarian but it was not until much later in 1900 that an independently wealthy English man, who purchased the entire site, began the huge task of excavating the area. The discovery of the Palace and the Minoan culture and civilisation astounded the archaeological world at that time and today it inspires all who see the restored buildings and frescoes that were originally painted by the Minoans in times long past.

Traveling around the island visitors will discover many ancient archaeological sites of other civilisations that came to Crete over the many hundreds of years after the Minoans so mysteriously vanished. There are tours organised for the enthusiast. These tours are both educational and interesting but by traveling independently around the island visitors interested in the lesser known ruins that lay lazily in the Cretan sunshine can enjoy the peaceful tranquility of their own discoveries in

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

their own time.

Apart from the Minoan ruins found on Crete there are other ancient civilisations who left a legacy for us to marvel at and these include Hellenic, Roman, Venetian and Turkish sites that can be seen all over the island, both on the coast and inland too.

There is so much to see and wonder about the phenomenon of ancient times in an astoundingly spectacular naturally beautiful setting that visitors become immersed in the past and present simultaneously.

To tread where people centuries ago have lived and thrived is an amazing sensation that we all love to experience, it leaves us with a feeling that is hard to describe.

Being able to feel and experience the wonders of these civilisations and then to find a quiet tavern or cove to sit and ponder the wonders of the ancient world is how many visitors enjoy their holidays in Crete. It is so easy to do this here and with so many beautiful spots to choose from exploring the island is a real pleasure. It is an experience that must not be missed. Sitting in the evenings at one of the many lovely hotels just watching the extraordinary sunsets, everyone who has visited these ancient sites cannot help feeling very privileged indeed.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Cretan History, culture | No Comments »

Crete, the legacy of Minoan history and culture

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Crete is not only basked in sunshine for 300 days of the year but it is also steeped in some of the most interesting history of an ancient civilization that we know of today.

There was very little known about this civilization until important ruins and artefacts were discovered in Knossos (and elsewhere).

Crete history

These ancient tribes that inhabited Crete two thousand years before Christ were the Minoans, an ancient civilisation who exploited the beauty and abundant resources that were to be found on this exquisite Meditterranean Island. The Minoans exported timber, wine, currants, olive oil, wool, cloth, herbs and their much favoured purple dye.

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

They imported many things that were not found on Crete such as copper, other raw materials, gold, silver, ivory and precious stones that they adored so much.

The Minoans adopted many aspects of the different cultures with whom they traded including artistic ideas from ancient Egypt. It is evident that they traded with the Egyptians as well as the Syrians and we can see evidence of this in the wall frescoes and the precious gold artefacts that have been discovered on Crete.

Not much is really known about what happened to finish this wonderful period of Cretan history. We know that the Minoan civilisation was destroyed by a terrible fire that ravaged the island but we do not know how this was started. Many people have theorised as to what actually happened but the truth is that we may never really know what truly happened to this peaceful and beautiful civilisation.

The Minoans were the first European civilisation, they were a peaceful people and they established much of the culture that we know, admire and love about Greece today. They bought so much to the island from far away shores but they traded much of the timber leaving Crete the deforested island that we know today.

Greek culture owes much of the way it has evolved to this ancient civilisation that inhabited the island so long ago. From about the 27th Century BC to the 15th Century BC the Minoans prospered and flourished on Crete in a peaceful environment and they built many Palaces and Temples along with an infrastructure between towns and ports that were established around ancient Crete.

For the visitor who comes to the island today there is so much to see and discover about this ancient civilisation, their buildings, the way they lived and how they developed their culture. Many tourists marvel at the tranquil beauty of historical Crete and the phenomenon of the Minoans. The best way of experiencing this time warp is to hire a car and drive to all the marvellous Minoan sites that can be found around the island. It is truly an awe inspiring experience.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Cretan History | No Comments »

The Wonders of Crete Past and Present

Monday, April 18th, 2011

One of the most beautiful and popular holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, Crete has so much to offer it’s visitors that not only will it take their breath away but it will entice them to return again and again to explore and discover all the marvels that this exquisite and tranquil island has to offer them.
There is so much history, cultural heritage, fine food  and exciting music to learn about and enjoy that visitors will find themselves immersed in one of the most important and ancient civilizations that was established on this island long before anywhere else in Europe. The island has flourished from the Minoan period to become a unique and distinctly individual Greek society that welcomes visitors with open arms.
With the quaint fishing villages, endless white sand beaches and the architectural beauty of the old world, tourists flock here knowing that the time they spend in Crete will be the best they would ever hope to enjoy, whether relaxing on a quiet beach or visiting the areas of interest that are everywhere to be found on the island.
There are so many restaurants on the island where visitors can taste the delights on the menus in a restful and peaceful environment that is so typical of Crete. Visitors feel pampered from the moment they arrive and smiling is a natural thing to do in Crete because everyone here is happy.
If it is the ruins around Crete that visitors want to discover and explore, there are tours that are well organised and planned, making visiting these sites both enjoyable and informative. The island boasts having the first Palace ever built in the world which is situated in Knossos. The Minoans loved this island and seeing all the beauty of the coast and the treasures that can be found inland, it is easy to understand why they did. But if it is the sunshine that tourists are longing for, then Crete will offer them gorgeous peaceful beaches where they can bathe in endless sunshine and watch the incredible sunsets at the end of the day.

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

There are beautiful hotels, large and small, that will cater for the holiday makers every need ensuring that their vacation is a pleasant experience they will never forget.
Travelling around Crete could not be easier and there are many rental companies who rent out cars at very affordable prices. Visitors can choose from a selection of vehicles so whether it is a family of five or just a couple who need to hire a car, there is the perfect sized one available to hire.

Tags: ,
Posted in info | No Comments »

Crete, Greece and the Mediterranean

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

It is great to travel a lot, see new places of the world and have many experiences. So Hawaii is a great tropical resort and the Maldives are beautiful too, but there is more to someone’s vacations than a nice place.

My point is, if you are a person with many interests and want to get the most of your free time during your vacation, the destination you are looking for is the Mediterranean. The unique culture of the Mediterranean countries

Routing Number CITIZENS BANKK

and the friendly behavior of the people are some of the reasons why somebody should visit southern European countries. Spain, Italy and Greece are some of the planet’s top destinations, because of their unique beauty and culture.

Statues, museums, marble buildings and archaeological places are all over these countries. Greece is well-know for the factors mentioned above, and Crete is just the perfect example. A beautiful island, full of beaches and places to visit. To see all of it you will need some assistance of course. A car hire Crete agency with experience and a staff ready to back you up and find solutions to satisfy your transportation needs is all you will need. Select a vehicle from an always-updated fleet of cars and motorbikes and have the vacations of your life! Hurry up though, summer has almost arrived!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in info | No Comments »