See also: Crete

The Crete (in Greek modern Η Κρήτη ) is a Mediterranean island . Attached to the Greece in 1913, it is one of the thirteen peripheries (administrative area).

Crete is the cradle of the Minoan Civilization, whose Cnossos is the heart and the archeological site most important.

History

See also: History of Crete

  • Starting from 7000 av. J. - C. (Neolithic time ), the island is invaded by people coming from Anatolia which practice the Agriculture and the breeding. The oldest potteries are found with Cnossos and Phaistos. Worship of the “Large Mother”, goddess of the fertility.

  • Period prépalatiale: 2600 - 2100 av. J. - C. Of new immigrants come from the east. The potteries are finer, the work of copper and of bronze spreads.
  • Period paléopalatiale: 2100 - 1650 av. J. - C. Crete reaches a preeminent position the Mediterranean at sea.
  • Period néopalatiale: 1650 - 1450 av. J. - C. Following natural disasters, probably Seism S and Tidal waves related to the explosion of Santorin, the construction of larger sites is started again with the image of Cnossos.
  • Period postpalatiale: 1450 - 1200 av. J. - C. the Minoan culture declines quickly. Fall of Cnossos. The Mycéniens invade Crete.
  • 1200 - 67 av. J. - C.: Crete lives according to the social organization dorienne and in the shade of the traditional Greek culture.
  • 67 av. J. - C. - 395: Crete belongs to the Romain Empire. Gortyne becomes capital of Crete and the province which includes/understands the Cyrénaïque.
  • 395 - 824: Crete belongs to the Byzantine Empire.
  • 824 - 961: Arab occupation.
  • 961 - 1204: Reconquest by the Byzantines.
  • 1204 - 1669: After the catch of Constantinople by the crusaders, Candia (Crete) becomes Venetian.
  • 1669 : The Turks conquer Héraklion and dominate the island during 200 years.
  • 1898 : Crete becomes autonomous and the prince Georges of Greece becomes his High-Commissioner.
  • 1913 : Crete (Turkish autonomous province since 1898) decides to leave the Ottoman Empire to link itself with the Greece.
  • 1922 : expulsion of the Muslim populations of Turkish origin.
  • 1941 : Battle of Crete, German invasion of the island then defended by the British troops and remainders of the free Greek troops.

Geography

Crete has a form stretched of is in west (250  km on 60 at the most). Of a surface of 8400  km ², 1000  km approximately of periphery, it is the fifth island of the Mediterranean after the Sicily, the Sardinia, the Corsica and Cyprus. Just like Corsica, it is mountainous, the culminating point is the Mont Psiloritis (2456  m) and in the west of the island are very impressive throats, the Gorges of Samaria.

Crete marks one of the geographical extrêmums of Europe: the course Tripiti on the island of Gavdos is the point more in the south of geographical Europe.

Crete counts officially approximately 35.000.000 of olive-tree S. Riche of a ecosystem very diversified, it shelters several species of animals which one does not find nowhere elsewhere, as well as a very varied flora. The island is rocked by a Mediterranean climate, the summer is hot and dry, whereas the winter is rather soft.

Crete suffers on the other hand from environmental problems. Indeed, a few years ago still, an immense Caned discharge with open sky located close to the presented ecological big problems. The Greek state thus decided to close it. But there exists still much of wild discharges a little everywhere on the island. The beaches are they also invaded waste in any kind (although some of them are regularly cleaned, like Elafonissi). The shores crétois are unfortunately victims also of degasifications.

Main cities

  • Agios Nikolaos (Άγιος Νικόλαος)
  • Caned the (Chania) (Χανιά)
  • Héraklion (Ηράκλειο)
  • Ierapetra (Ιεράπετρα)
  • Kofina
  • Paleochora
  • Paleokastro
  • Réthymnon (Ρέθυμνο)
  • Hora Sfakion
  • Spili (Σπήλι)
  • Moires (Μοίρες)
  • Tympaki (Τυμπάκι)
  • Sitia (Σητεία)
  • Chersonnissos

Religion

Crete was évangélisée as of the first times of Christianity. Its apostle would have been Tite, disciple of Saint Paul, to which this last wrote an epistle.

The dominant religion is orthodoxe Christianity. The Église crétoise is independent of the Greek Église, and raises directly of the oecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople. It was one of the most important elements of resistance to the Turkish occupant.

The Muslim populations installed in the island after the conquest of Crete by the Ottoman Empire, or on the spot converted, and which gathered nearly 30% of the population to the census of 1881, started to leave in the years 1890, before the last are expelled during the exchanges of populations between Greece and Turkey in 1924, after the Traité Lausanne 1923. Crete has then accommodated many Greek refugees of Asia Mineure, of orthodoxe religion, expelled of Turkey.

Myths founders

The island of Crete was the theater many episodes of Greek mythology:

  • It is the place where Zeus was born, protected by his/her mother Rhéa, against the appetite of his/her father Cronos. Zeus would have been born in a cave from the Mont Dictated (or mount Ida according to the authors), and would have been raised there by nymphs and Curètes.
  • It is the place of the loves of Zeus (changed into bull) and of its prisoner Europe, connection which will give rise to Minos, the legendary king of Crete.
  • the wife of Minos, Pasiphaé, having succumbed to the charm of a bull sent by Poséidon, it gave birth to the famous Minotaure. This one was locked up by Minos in the Labyrinthe, built by the architect Dédale. The site of the Labyrinth would be recognizable according to certain archeologists on the site of Cnossos in Crete.
  • the trick and the courage of Thésée and ARIANE made it possible to kill Minotaure and to arise from the Labyrinth.
  • Lastly, Maze and its son Icare seek to escape from the island where the revenge on Minos continues them: for that, Dédale builds wax wings. Icare left the life there while too flying close to the sun.

Economy

to supplement

Culinary specialities

The pastisio, the moussaka, the salad crètoise, the fresh cheese with honey and cookies with cinnamon The RAKI, digestive Cretois

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