Archaeology

Discover some of Crete’s rich archaeological heritage.

There are loads of myths and legends connected with the history of the island but the following items appear to be the facts:

Knossos was the first site inhabited in Crete- pre 7000BC
The palace of Knossos was the centre of a carefully organised bureaucratic society
2000- 1450BC -The economic and cultural activity at this time is known as Minoan civilisation after King Minos.
In 1400BC many towns and palaces were destroyed by fire and earthquakes
In 66BC Crete became a Roman Province – this marked the start of Christianity
In AD395 it was under Greek rule as part of the Byzantine Empire
In AD824 Arabs from Cordoba in Spain ruled from a fortress at Heraklion
961-1204 – Byzantine rule once again
1204-1669 ruled by Venice
1669-1898 ruled by Ottoman Turks
In 1913 Crete became part of Greece
In 1941 it was occupied by the Germans
In 1945 the Germans surrendered
Crete is one of Greece’s 13 administrative regions

Archaelogical Sites Close to Kalyves

Kalyves is actually well placed for visiting many archaeological sites. Within about 100 km you can reach a wide range of Minoan, Greek, Roman and Venetian sites.