Anchored in the sea, at the crossroads of three continents - Europe to the North, Asia to the east, and Africa to the south, Crete seems to spread its length like a barrier across the southern Aegean.

Legend has bestowed upon the Greek island of Crete the privilege of being the birthplace of Zeus, father of the gods and of the Minoan civilization. Crete is a place with a great history from ancient times. It offers visitors a priceless wealth of findings of all the civilizations that flourished on the island, in its museums and in its archaeological sites. The island is full of relics of the Minoan ages the most famous being the palaces at Knossos and Phaistos.

Crete is also famous for its high distinctions in the area of arts and letters. Three of the most known figures in these areas are the painter Dominikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco), the author Nikos Kazantzakis and the great Eleftherios Venizelos (Politician and prime minister of Greece)

No one is certain as to when Crete was first inhabited. Its history is lost into the depths of the centuries. The first traces of human presence on Crete appear to be during the Neolithic Age, that is, around 6000 B.C. A description of it in the writing system of today can be found in Homer and Hesiod (Theogony) and in the previous system (Linear Writing A and B) on the epigraphs of Knossos and Phaestos and others.

The first known historical period of Crete, the Minoan period, began in 1453 B.C. (time of king Minoas), during which Crete experienced its most flourishing period as a great merchant marine power. It was during this period that the palaces of Knossos were built. During this same period, the Minoan ships travelled and engaged in trade with all the people and states in the Mediterranean. The cultural influence that resulted from trading with all these people and states is what formed the Minoan Civilization which is the distant ancestor of what we call the European Civilization today, its centre being Knossos.

Crete was under Roman Occupation from 69 B.C. to 330 A.D. Saint Paul, who undertook the task of organizing the Church of Crete, visited the island in the year 62-63 B.C. During the first Byzantine period, Crete was briefly occupied by the Arabs, between 824 and 961. In 961 and during the years of Romanos Melodos II, Crete was under the rule of Nikoforos Fokas
The Second period of the Byzantine Empire spans between 961 A.D. and 1204 A.D. A major strengthening for the island was the appointment of twelve young noble men by the Byzantine Emperor. These noble youths were granted vast areas of land by the Emperor Alexios Komninos. The islands Administrator of the time bears the title of Duke.

From 1211 A.D. to 1669 A.D. Crete was under Venetian Occupation. A number of revolutions followed against this occupation, all of them, however, unsuccessful. The most enduring of these revolutions started in 1282, lasted 17 years and was led by Alexios Kallergis. During the Venetian period, Crete flourished in the area of arts and letters. Among others, two major poets of the period were Vincenzos Kornaros, whose masterpieces include Erotokritos and The Sacrifice of Abraham, and Georgios Hortatzis, author of the famous Erofili.

The Turkish Occupation followed in 1669-1898 A.D., during which Crete fell into absolute spiritual and intellectual darkness. With the Greek Revolution of Independence in 1821, Crete failed to gain its freedom. It remained under Turkish rule and, for a period, independent before its union with the rest of the nation. During this period, the Christian spirit was intensified and contributed considerably to the Resistance of the Cretans, who suffered many sacrifices and bloodshed against Ottoman rule.

Following many a battle and loss of lives, the great powers collaborated in appointing Prince George as High Commissioner of Crete in 1898. The Cretans, however, did not approve of his authoritarian regime and rebelled against him the famous Therisso Revolution of 1905. This is the moment that the star of the great Eleftherios Venizelos is born. On December 1, 1913, Crete was announced unified with the motherland. In 1941 the Germans came to occupy the island, using parachute forces.

The Cretans with his partners (Britain's, Australians and from New Zealand soldiers) responded with heroic resistance but were finally defeated. Yet, this was proven a Pyrrhic victory for the Germans.

Today, Crete is peacefully developing and prospering, by offering its guests a chance to experience the trace of history and the real wealth of the island, which is its people, their cuisine and their hand-made crafts.

Temperatures in Crete

3,000 hours or 300 days of sunshine per year

SOURCE: Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Direction of Climatology, and Section of Statistical Climatology.