Crete was home to one of worlds most important civilisations, the Minoans who ruled the eastern Mediterranean from 2800 – 1150 BC. The art that has survived shows a refined and peace loving culture. There is a good collection in the Museum at Iraklion. Through commerce, shipping and trade with other peoples, the Egyptians, Phoenicians and Syrians they built a powerful civilisation. The Achaians and the Dorians followed. The Romans occupied Crete 69 – 330 AD making Gortyn their major town. Crete fell into the Arabic hands in 824 and was not liberated until 961). Then in 1204, the island passed to the Venetians. They fortified the island with several new castles and broke the ground for new cities of Hania and Rethimno. Inside the walls the cities developed with narrow alleys and houses, interspersed with decorative churches, fountains, piazzas and palaces the remains of which can still be seen today. In 1645 the Turks set foot on the island for the first time and in 1669 the whole of Crete fell to them. Not until 1913 was the island reunited with the rest of Greece.
In the summer the prevailing wind is the infamous Meltemi from the NW WNW. July and August...
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