The archaeological site of Gortyna is located 45 km south of Heraklion, next to the village of Agioi Deka. Gortyna is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. It has been inhabited for thousands of years and there have been great finds from the various periods.
Gortyna was first inhabited in the Neolithic era, flourished in the Minoan period and became the capital of Crete and Cyrenaica (present-day Libya) during the Roman period. The city was destroyed by earthquakes in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. and was abandoned in 828 AD. with the arrival of the Arabs.
The citadel of Gortyna seems to have been inhabited since 6000 BC, was fortified with the descent of the Dorians in 1100 BC and continued to be strengthened until the 6th and 7th centuries AD. The sanctuary of Pythian Apollo dates from the 7th century B.C. and continued its operation until the 5th century AD. with the establishment of Christianity, as an official religion in Crete. The inscription of Gortyna, the oldest law in the European area, dates back to around 450 BC. It is engraved in 12 columns on 42 consecutive stones. The direction of writing is boustrophidon (it is read, first, from the left and in the next line from the right and so on). It is about the recording of older laws and concerns family, inheritance and commercial law.
The Roman period was peaceful, the city experienced great growth and acquired great buildings. The Roman Conservatory was a covered theater. The Praetorium was a large impressive building and was the seat of the Roman province in Crete and Cyrenaica. Thermae was a large complex of baths. The temple of Isis and Hermes-Anubis was the only temple in Crete dedicated to Egyptian deities.
The church of Agios Titos, dedicated to the disciple of the Apostle Paul and the first Bishop of Crete, was built in Gortyna in the middle of the 6th century AD. It is one of the most imposing monuments of Byzantine architecture, a three-aisled basilica with a transversal aisle and a dome. Its interior paintings have unfortunately been damaged. In the atrium outside, there are marble sarcophagi, tombs of city priests.
In the archaeological site of Gortyna there is a rare evergreen plane tree. The myth says that Zeus, the father of the Olympian Gods, transformed himself into a bull and brought Europe to Crete. They united under the plane tree and from their union the three kings of Crete, Minos, Rhodamanthys and Sarpidon were born. The legend is strengthened by the finding of coins depicting Europa and the head of Minos (or Zeus).
The opening hours of the archaeological site are from 08'00 to 19'00 in the summer and the general admission fee is €6. The visit to the site is definitely worth it!
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