Journey through Ancient Greece

Bronze Age Crete

Bull leaper ivory, Iraklion museum

We will fly using charter flights or EasyJet from local airports on Tuesday to Iráklion where Christos will meet us. We are staying 4 nights in Iráklion,the capital of the at the Hotel Atrion, and 3 nights in Ayios Nikólaos, at the Hermes Hotel. These are both excellent hotels in quiet locations but very close to tavernas and local sights. None of the journeys is long and the scenery is stunning.. We have found some lovely restaurants in both Iraklion and Ayios Nikólaos where we can sample traditional Cretan cooking.

Crete in the Bronze Age is the subject of much debate; the buildings excavated in the last century, older than anything on the mainland, were called palaces by the archaeologists but there is no evidence of kings in Crete; Minos may or may not have existed.

The harbour at Iraklion, close to our hotel

On Wednesday we will visit the best known of the Cretan Bronze Age sites, Knossós, the 'palace' excavated at the beginning of the twentieth century by Arthur Evans and controversially reconstructed by him. It was also he who coined the term Minoan.

Close to Knossós is the small town of Arhánes, scene of the daring capture of general Kreipe in World War II and where beneath the modern town are bronze age remains; here too is an excellent small museum containing a 4,500 years old sistrum, probably the world's oldest musical instrument.

We will also visit a Bronze Age farm nearby at Vathypetros.

Knossos

On Thursday we travel to the fertile agricultural plain of Mesara on the south coast where we will visit two important 15th century BC sites, Festós, the second largest of the palaces and Ayia Triada (right), possibly a summer 'palace'.

Friday will be spent in Iráklion to visit the museum which houses the stunning frescoes from Knossos, the painted sarcophagus from Ayia Triada, Karames pottery, the miniature house mosaics (see right), the fabulous, tiny pendant of gold bees (or wasps) and many other treasures from bronze age and later Cretan civilisations.

There will also be time to visit the churches, fortress, market and other sights of the town.

miniature house mosaics

On Saturday we leave Iraklion to visit the extensive Bronze Age palace complex at Mália. The first palace here was built around 1900 BC; the remains we see today (right) are of a replacement built around 1650 BC. It was here that the magnificent gold bee-pendant (below) was found.

We then continue to Ayios Nikólaos where we will stay at the 4 star Hermes Hotel, on the waterfront with stunning views of Mirabello bay; there is a small beach over the road and a sea water swimming pool on the roof.

the north Court at Mália.
On Sunday morning we will visit the Byzantine church at Kritsa to see the fine frescoes and the town of Gourniá, where there are remains of seventy houses built on the side of a hill, on top of which is a small palace, built around 1500.

The afternoon will be spent in Ayios Nikólaos where the archaeological museum has a fine and well displayed collection of local finds including the Goddess of Mirtos, a jug from 2,500 BC, (right), a large number of clay larnakes (bath tubs / burial chests) painted with octopi, birds and fish and a wonderful grinning skull of an athlete.

In the evening we will visit the 4th century BC town of Lató dramatically set in the mountains (see right below). Here there are a number of houses, an agora, a temple and other public buildings all of which were only excavated in the late 1960's.

the bee (or wasp) pendant found at Chrysolakis, near Malia

the 'Goddess of Mirtos', 2,500 BC
On Monday we will go to the former leper colony island of Spinalonga (a short boat trip from the village of Plaka). We will have time for lunch in Plaka.

The entrance to the town of Lato
Tuesday Fly home from Iraklion

To book contact

Mary Kehoe on 07882694189 or maryekehoe47@yahoo.co.uk

or Jane Maw Cornish 029 20 704314

The tour is organised and accompanied by Mary Kehoe & Jane Maw Cornish. Travel to Greece with charter airlines or EasyJet from local airports can be booked through Thornton's Travel & travel & accommodation in Greece is arranged as usual by Christos Patakis of Anassa Travel, Athens (with whom we have worked since 1995.

go back to home page