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West%20Facade
West Facade
Phaistos Palace
at 12.5km (W)
The main facade of both the Old and the New Palace looked onto the West Court, off which the official entrances to the Palace opened. The facade which can be seen on a lower level belongs to the Old Palace(1900- 1700 BC). It is indented according to the rules of Minoan architecture. The lower part of the walls is constructed of massive limestone blocks (orthostats). The entrance is set into a recess in the SW corner of the court. lt consisted of a monumental porch with a large central column from which a splendid corridor, paved with gypsum slabs, led to the Central Court. This old entrance is now interrupted by the buildings of the New Palace.
Higher up and 7 metres further back is the facade of the New Palace (1700-1450 BC). It is constructed of large ashlars and also has deep indentations and protrusions. There are two entrances leading to the interior of the Palace. The main entrance is on the north and consists of a monumental staircase leading to the Propylaea. The other is deeply recesed and leads via a wide corridor to the Oentral Court, crossing the West Wing of the Palace


Propylaea
Propylaea
Phaistos Palace
at 12.5km (W)
The impressive staircase starting in the west Court led to the monumental Propylaea, the principal and most impressive entrance to the New Palace (1700-M50 BC). The portico consists of a central column - only the base is preserved today - flanked by pilasters. There followed a solid wall with a double opening and a colonnade of three columns. The floors of the Propylaea complex were paved with gypsum slabs which gave it a sumptuous appearance. The colonnade opens onto a large open-air light-well through which rainwater drained away.
There are two accesses from the Propylaea to different parts of the Palace. The first access, in the hall with the colonnade, led via a staircase and corridors to the Peristyle and thence to the "Royal Apartments".
The second, in the SE corner of the light-well, led to an inner staircase which ended in the Antechamber of the Magazines and the Central Court of the Palace.


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Magazine%20of%20the%20Giant%20Pithoi
Magazine of the Giant Pithoi
Phaistos Palace
at 12.5km (W)
The magazines of the Old Palace(1900-1700 BC) occupied a large part of the West Wing immediately to the east of the West Court and extended to the lower terrace. Apart from their use as storage areas, they also appear to have housed some of the workshop activities of the Old Palace. Today most of the magazines have been filled in.
One of these is the magazine with the giant pithoi (storage jars) decorated with discs and rope patterns in relief. Just east of this is a well-preserved quern installation for grinding grain. There is another well-preserved Old Palace magazine under the floor of the light-well in the Propylaea.



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West%20Magazines
West Magazines
Phaistos Palace
at 12.5km (W)
The north part of the West Wing is occupied by she large complex of the palace magazines or store rooms. It consists of the antechamber, the corridor of the magazines and the magazines themselves. The first wide hall forms the antechamber of the magazines and opens off the Central Court via a doorway with a central column and two pillars. Two other columns inside the room supported the roof. Under the floor of the antechamber was discovered the Archive Room of the 0ld Palace (l900 - 1700 BC), containing over 6.000 clay sealings, i.e. seal impressions on balls of clay, which were used to monitor the movement of the goods in the magazines(fig 1).
A double doorway with a central pillar on the west side of the antechamber led to the corridor of the magazines, with a second central pillar supporting the roof of the corridor. To right and left were the ll magazines, in which the goods produced by the Palace were stored. The westernmost magazine, on the north side of thecorridor, which has been roofed over by the excavators contains tall pithoi (storage jars), one of which bears an inscription in Linear A (fig.2)



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West%20Wing%20Shrines
West Wing Shrines
Phaistos Palace
at 12.5km (W)
Almost the whole south part of the West Wing was dedicated to the shrines of the New Palace. The main architectural types of shrine are the "Bench Shrine" and the "Lustral Basin".
The first type consists of small, rectangular rooms with low benches running round the walls, perhaps to support cult objects and figurines of the deity. On some of them were found female figurines, ritual vessels and "Offering Tables" (small altars). On the walls of some rooms are incised sacred symbols, such as the double Axe and the star.
The "lustral Basin" type consists of rooms which are set somewhat lower than the surrounding structures, with a few steps leading down into them.
The were usually lined with slabs of gypsum, giving them a highly - finished appearance. Although it is doubtful that these structures contained water, it is thought that they were used for purification rituals.
There is a third type of Minoan shrine in the S-E part of the shrine wing. Its is a room with central pillars (Square, stone - built columns) thought to be a cult area, similar to the "Pillar Crypts" of the Palace of Knossos, where the sacred pillar was worshiped by pouring libations.


The%20Museum%20of%20Cretan%20Ethnology
The Museum of Cretan Ethnology
Voroi, Messara, Iraklion
at 12.6km (W)
The exhibited objects in the Museum come from all over Crete. These objects show that the folk culture of Crete is characterized by an amalgam of influences in which Minoan (2000-1000 BC), Archaic (1000-500 BC) and Byzantine models prevail, especially in agriculture, stock breeding, pottery and basketry.

Voroi%20village
Voroi village
Messara, Iraklion South
at 12.6km (W)
Vori is a beautiful, traditional village of the county of Pirgiotissas in the Messara Valley. It is located 60 km south of Iraklion and in the western part of the Messara Valley. The village stretches in a slope, by the side of a small river. The archaeological site of Phaistos is 2 km to the south and the coast of Messara 4 km to the west.

Phaistos%20Disk
Phaistos Disk
Found at Phaistos Palace
at 12.6km (W)
The disc of Phaistos is the most important example of hieroglyphic inscription from Crete and was discovered around 1903-05 in a small room near the depositories of the "archive chamber", in the north - east apartments of the palace, together with a Linear A tablet and pottery dated to the beginning of the Neo-palatial period (1700- 1600 B.C.).
The disc of Phaistos can be seen at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

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Agios%20Georgios%20Phalandras
Agios Georgios Phalandras
Phaistos Palace
at 12.9km (W)
The church of Agios Georgios (St. George GR: Αγιος Γεώργιος) Phalandras stands a little to the south from the Palace of Phaistos on the road to Agios Ioannis village. The church was the monastery church of the Orthodox male monastery of the same name, dated to the early Venetian period (16th century), which operated normally until its dissolution in 1821. The ruins of the fortified building complex around the church were still visible until the first decades of the 20th century.

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Sivas%20village
Sivas village
Messara, Iraklion South
at 13.8km (W)
Its 1000 years history comes to life for the visitor, who has the chance to admire its monuments, and old houses, perfectly preserved through the centuries. In the village square , you can sit and enjoy your coffee in the traditional coffee shop, while children can play in the playground next to the school. You can also visit the church of Agios Ioannis in the same square. There are quite few rooms for rent in the village and tavernas serving traditional Cretan dishes.

Prinos%20refuge%20
Prinos refuge
East Ida mountain, Iraklion
at 13.8km (N)
Prinos refuge at Prinos on Psiloritis mountain (Ida), is at 1100 metres. It can sleep 25 people, it has cooking facilities, two wood burning stoves for heating and a rainwater tank. Access is through the village of Ano Assites in Malevizi around 22km from Iraklion. From there a two kilometres of dirt road leads to a place called Melisses and then a one-and-a-half hour walk along a footpath signed with red marks, to the refuge.
Prinos hut was built in 1962 and was renovated around 1992. It is run by the mountaineering club of Heraklion. The view from Prinos to the north and east is great.



Tripiti%20beach
Tripiti beach
Beach in South Iraklion
at 14.1km (S)
Tripití (or Trypití GR: Τρυπητή) is a 400m long beach on the southern Asterousia coastline. It is located 57km from Heraklion (west gate, Giofyros) via Agioi Deka - Vagionia - Vassiliki - Trypiti road. The last 10km, from Vassiliki to Trypiti, is a dirt but in fairly good condition road. The road passes over the gorge of Agios Savvas, with spectacular rocky walls, then through a forest of olive and carob trees and finally via the gorge of Trypiti through a very narrow passage reaches the beach. This is a very interesting route with breathtaking views and fantastic scenery.

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Douli%20village
Douli village
Kenouriou, Iraklion
at 14.2km (NE)
Doúli (GR: Δούλι) is a village in Kenouriou county, located 38 km from Iraklion at an altitude of 440 m above sea level.
The earliest reference to it, is to be found in the Duke's Archives of 1372, where it is mentioned as the feudal property of Nic. Venerio. The name figures in all the Venetian censi of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as in the Turkish (1671) and Egyptian (1834) censi. In 1881, Douli forms part of the municipality of Megali Vrisi with about 170 inhabitants, and again in 1900 with only 21 inhabitants.
As of 1920, Douli is a commune in its own right, and today Douli has about 240 residents. The patron saint of the village is Aghios Panteleimonas and the feast of the Saint is celebrated on July 27th.A visit to the old church of Aghios Nikolaos is also a must. For those interested in paleontology, there are fossils to be found at the location 'Pirgos'.

Ancient%20Levin
Ancient Levin
Lentas, South Iraklion
at 14.3km (S)
The first habitation of the site dates from the Neolithic and Early Minoan period (3rd millenium B.C.). In the late Classical period (beginning of the 4th century B.C.) the Gortynians established the sanctuary of Asklepios at the harbour. During the tremendous earthquake of 46 B.C. the city was destroyed and subsequently rebuilt. In the Early Christian and Byzantine periods, a small settlement developed and the basilica was erected. The most important monuments of the site are:
The Temple of Asklepios., the "Treasury"., the Fountain, a large, three-aisled basilica, an Early Minoan settlement (2600-2000 B.C.), the West Stoa, the North Stoa, the Nymphaion and two large, mud-brick cisterns.

Agia%20Triada%20Arch%2E%20Site
Agia Triada Arch. Site
Archaeological Site in Messara, S-W Iraklion
at 14.4km (W)
The "Royal Villa" at Ayia Triada which is situated very close to Phaistos, was built in about 1550 BC. i.e. just before the new palace at Phaistos, and was destroyed by fire in l450 BC, like all other important Minoan centres. It succeeded the first palace at Phaistos as the economic and administrative centre of the regions depriving the new palace there of this role, and appears to have had connections with Knossos. The two wings, with an open-air space between them, consisted of groups of interconnecting rooms (polythyra), storerooms and stairways. On the site of the ruins, a Mycenaean megaron, the so-called "Agora" and an open - air shrine were subsequently built.
In the villa's disaster layer from the fire in 1450 BC, excavation revealed a valuable group of exceptional works of art, precious materials, records in Minoan script and seals. The famous black serpentine vessels, the "Harvesters' Vase", the "Boxers' Vase" and the "Chieftain ‘ s Cup", the wall paintings depicting the natural landscape, the sarcophagus, the bronze and clay figurines of worshipers and the copper ingots from the Treasury are among the most noteworthy findings.

Lendas
Lendas
Iraklion South
at 14.4km (S)
Léndas or Léntas (GR: Λέντας), positioned almost in the centre of Cretes' south coast, clusters around a pretty bay that's dominated by an enormous rock resembling a lion's head that juts into the sea on one side of the resort. The village offers most facilities you might need during your stay; a choice of tavernas, three or four directly on the beach, two or three bars, mini-markets and even an Internet café. There is a sand/shingle beach and the sea is crystal clear and perfect for snorkeling.

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Trafoulas%20beach
Trafoulas beach
South Iraklion
at 14.8km (S)
Tráfoulas is a secluded beach, nested in a cove open to the south, at the small promontory of the same name, located between Lendas and Trypiti. You can reach Trafoulas only by boat or on foot via a small canyon. The starting point is around 700m away, to the north, just above the small harbour of Loutras, around 5km east from Lendas, where there is a place for parking. You then follow the hiking path, descending for a while to meet the canyon that leads directly to the beach. The walk takes around 20 minutes and its very nice as there are plenty of oleander and the rocky walls are very spectacular continuing until the sea.

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Dyskos
Dyskos
Iraklion South
at 14.8km (S)
A long beach west of Lendas on the south shores of Iraklion. The name is probably a corruption of Dysikos (GR: Δυσικός) which is the one to the west. There is a small settlement with taverns and accommodation complexes, mostly rooms and apartments for rent. Dyskos used to be popular with nudists and nature lovers in the past and even in present days nudism is tolerated in the western part of the beach. The beach has small pebbles and sand. Those who chose Dyskos for their holidays will have, among other things, the chance to explore the area by small walking tours and enjoy the magnificent sunset.

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Kamilari%20village
Kamilari village
Messara, Iraklion South
at 14.9km (W)
Kamilari is a quiet, traditional village, with a panoramic view to the endless olive groves of the Messara valley on the one side, and to the Libyan sea on the other side. It has been inhabited since the Minoan period. One of the seven wise men of the ancient world, Epimenidis, a great wise man and a soothsayer, lived in a small community outside Kamilari, called Metohi.

Ano%20Asites%20village
Ano Asites village
Malevizi, Iraklion
at 15.6km (N)
Ano Asites (GR: Ανω Ασίτες) lies 24km from Iraklion and 6km from Agios Myron at 480m a.s.l with 423 inhabitants.
A big part of the surrounding area is covered by forest on the eastern side of the mountain Psiloritis.
Near the village there is the Byzantine chapel of Agios Antonios located in the ravine with the same name a place of exceptional natural beauty. From here passes the European Hiking Path (E4) which leads to the shelter "Prinos" ( of the Mountaineering Club of Iraklion - altitude 1100 m a.s.l.) located in a holly (=prinos) forest.

Aliori villas
100% Pure Cretan Nature

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