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On the north-western coast of Crete, at the foot of the Gramovous peninsula, there are ruins of the ancient port of Korikos, later known as Falassarna. This name probably came from the name of the local nymph Falasarni. In the Hellenistic period it was one of the largest and most important cities in Crete and an important commercial center famous for the only natural port in this region of the island. At least until the great earthquake in 365 AD, which changed the layout of the island and directly contributed to the destruction of this port.
The ancient port measured 7,500 square meters, and its builders used the natural lagoon that existed in this place. They connected it with the sea by means of a narrow artificial channel 50 m long, 10 m wide and 2 m deep. According to the sources, the port was connected to the sea by means of yet another small shallow channel that was used by small boats. Its additional function was the circulation of seawater in the port basin.
The city that grew up by the harbor probably arose from the merger of several small settlements located in this area. The ideal location on the west end of Crete and a direct connection by sea to Alexandria in Egypt contributed to the heyday that took place in the 4th and 3rd century BC. The port became known as a safe place. Even after many centuries, the remains of the old fortifications make an impression, consisting of four towers connected by extended walls. The important role of the city should also be testified by its own coins that were beaten here. On the one hand, there was a figure of a woman, and on the other, the initials ΦΑ (FA) placed between the elements of a trident.
The local sailors did not limit themselves only to the civilized form of trading, they increased their revenues because they also dealt with piracy. This activity resulted in major problems for the city. The actions of the pirates of Falassarna aroused the great dissatisfaction of the Romans. In 69 BCE they destroyed the city and to prevent the re-use of the port as a pirate hiding place, blocked the entrance to the port with stone blocks so that only small boats could enter it. Of course, in addition to eliminating piracy, these activities have led to the prevention of long-distance legal commercial activities.
The final collapse of the city, however, brought only a great earthquake combined with the tsunami that struck Crete on July 21, 365. According to historical records, it was a catastrophe that stunned the ancient world with its dimensions. This cataclysm will destroy many of the then large cities and have caused the deaths of thousands of people in coastal areas stretching from the current Croatia, Greece to the Nile Delta in Egypt.
The consequence of this earthquake in Crete was the rise of the west coast of the island from 6 to 9 meters. As a result, the Falasarna port was a few meters above sea level, making it totally unusable. Gradually, the city was depopulated and the inhabitants of that time moved to other parts of Crete in search of a place to live. At present, the ruins of the port and the former commercial city are about 100 meters from the sea. Currently, visiting this place you have to use a lot of imagination to "see" on this overgrown area the former international port and neighboring with it a bustling city. A large facilitation may be information boards, which also include computer visualizations showing how the place used to be.
The contemporary history of Falasarna begins at the end of the 19th century, when British travelers came to the remains of the city and the port. The first excavations began in 1966, and regular excavation works began only at the end of the twentieth century. In 1986, the Greek Ministry of Culture, with the support of local institutions, began to clean up the area and carry out archaeological work. They continue until now, gradually revealing more areas of the former city and port. From what we saw in April 2016, two new fragments have been prepared and cleaned, at which scientists will appear at any moment.
So far, the remains of the Acropolis have been discovered, and in addition to the port, workshops have been unveiledtwo basins, 40 cm above sea level and two of the four port towers built in 350 BC. One tower was built on a 9-meter-long circular plan, 4.5 meters high, the other built on a square plan. The south-eastern tower is definitely better preserved.
In addition to the remains of the Acropolis located at the top of the headland, two temples were probably found there, dedicated to Artemis Diktynna, water cisterns and public buildings, including baths. An important find was the cemetery, located outside the city walls, in the south-east direction from the port. Archaeologists have found here 43 graves from a very large period: from archaic times to the Hellenistic period. Such a wide time section through which this cemetery was used allowed for the discovery of various tombs and various funeral customs. Found here both clay pots, which were used as coffins, as well as small structures built of stone, graves of natural depressions in the rock, and ordinary graves and urns. Between the tombstones, imported red and black vases with figures were found.
An interesting find is the ancient throne, which is located just off the road leading to the excavation site. The sculptured stone and definitely exceeding the size of an ordinary man was probably dedicated to Poseidon. Another theory is that it was used as a podium during public speeches. Regardless of which theory is closer to the truth, stop the car here and take a closer look at this interesting find. In this region there are also the remains of the "aquarium" and old quarries.
The area of the excavations is fenced and to visit the remains of the port you should come here in the morning between 9 and 15 from Tuesday to Friday.
↤ click the appropriate part of the island to change the bottom map
W 2002 roku Falasarna zdobyła tytuł najlepszej plaży w Grecji. Wyróżnienie to nie jest bynajmniej przypadkowe, gdyż miejsce to jak na standardy Krety jest naprawdę unikalne.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
Elafonisi is a small island located at the end of the southwestern edge of Crete. A characteristic feature of Elafonisi is the shallow lagoon connecting it with Crete.
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
Aptera is a city whose history dates back to at least a thousand years before our era. In the peak period, about 20,000 lived in it. people, of which only 1/5 were free people.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion.
Frangokastello is a small fortress that was built by the Venetians over four years from 1371. Initially, the castle was named after Saint Nikitas.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
(Χρυσοσκαλίτισσα) The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Golden Step from the 17th century is the westernmost church building of this type.
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
Located 47 km from the city of Chania, it is the only freshwater lake in Crete. Its area is about 580 thousand. sqm. and the maximum depth is about 45 meters
Omalos is a perfect starting point for exploring the Samaria Gorge. Located over 1,100 m above sea level extends over an area of 25 km2. Its size corresponds more or less to the size of the Lasithi Plateau.
The steel crossing, which in the central part is separated from the ground by nearly 150 m, is at the leading position of the places where the longest bungee jumps are made.
Chania (Χανιά) is the second largest (after Heraklion) city of Crete. The biggest advantage of Chania is the area of the Old Town and the beautiful Venetian Harbor.
The genesis of the name of this poviat will not surprise anybody who will break the road from the Imbros gorge to Hora Sfakion. Word
This is the second largest airport (IATA code: CHQ) in Crete. In 2010, the airport in Chania served a total of over 1.65 million passengers.
Chora Sfakion is an extremely picturesque mountain village of the mountainous and wild Sfakia region
Loutro is famous for the fact that you can get to it only from the sea or walk on the mountain trail, because there is no other road here.
Stavros used to be a small fishing village. Today, it is primarily a tourist destination, but in a positive sense.
The cave is less than 1 km from Moni Gouvernetou Monastery. You will reach it using the pedestrian trail that has been marked out along the slope of the Avlaki Gorge.
Balos is one of Crete's flagship beaches if not all of Greece. We can assure you that the landscapes you see during your trip to Balos will remain with you for a very long time.
Moni Katholiko is probably the oldest and most spectacular monastery in Crete. It is located 20 km north-east of Chania.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
The Orthodox monastery of Agia Triada, located on the northern part of the Akrotiri peninsula, is one of the most beautiful and richest monasteries in Crete.
Gouverneto Monastery is probably the oldest active Greek Catholic monastery located on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania.
The length of the trail leading through this place is about 8 kilometers and the difference in altitude is about 600m.
Agia Roumeli znajduje się na południowym wybrzeżu Prefektury Chania, pomiędzy miejscowościami Chora Sfakion i Paleochora.
Until the early nineties, this place was known only to few tourists and local residents.
Paleochora is a quite well-organized tourist town, with a beautiful large sandy beach
Ruiny starożytnego miasta Lissos znajdują się około 3,5 km od miejscowości Sougia na południowym wybrzeżu Krety.
Samaria is one of the most important tourist attractions located in the western part of Crete.
On the north-western coast of Crete, at the foot of the Gramovous peninsula, there are ruins of the ancient port of Korikos, later known as Falassarna.
Krios Beach is located about 9 km west of Paleochora and it is also the last beach on this stretch of the southern coast
Between the villages of Topolia and Koutsamatados there is an interesting cave known as Agia Sofia
Milia is an authentic mountain settlement, which most probably dates from about the seventeenth century.
On the edge of the village of Potamida grows a complex of clay mounds called Komolithi (Komolithoi)
Grammeno (Γραμμένο) is a beach that can be counted among one of the best and most beautiful beaches in this part of Crete.
Platanias is a popular tourist destination. It is here that there are very interesting tunnels from World War II.
Polyrinia was one of the most important city-states of western Crete during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It was built amphitheater on a steep hill, rising to a height of 481 meters above sea level
The Agia Irini gorge, just a short distance from the village of Sougia, is one of the most popular hiking destinations.
The island of Gramvousa, or in fact Imeri Gramvousa (Ήμερη Γραμβούσα), is an inseparable point of a trip that combines a stay in the Balos Lagoon with visiting the remains of a fortress located on the top of the island of Imeri Gramovousa.
Agia Roumeli is located on the south coast of Chania Prefecture, between Chora Sfakion and Paleochora.
The Byzantine church of Agios Pavlos was erected on the remote Selouda Beach in the south of Crete.
There is a beach in Crete that literally makes some people shiver. This place is Seitan Limania which can be translated as Satan's Ports or Cursed Ports.
Aspri Limni means White Lake, although the lake is just a conventional name. Under this term there is a small bay.
Agia Triada is a small Minoan archaeological site in the south of Crete, located near Timpaki, located on the western slope of the hill about 40 meters above sea level. To inquisitive tourists, the Christian name (Holy Trinity) of the Minoan position may seem at least strange, but this is only an expression of the ignorance of Italian archaeologists who were the first to discover this place. Not knowing what they found, they borrowed the name from a nearby abandoned village and gave it to excavations. The original name is still unknown. The first excavations were carried out at the beginning of the 19th century.
Most of the people who were in Crete heard of the great Minoan palaces, and a significant part certainly visited even Knossos. However, in addition to the famous grand palaces on the island in the Minoan period, a number of smaller residences were created. One of the most important examples is the Vathipetro discovered about 5 km north of Archanes, on the southeastern slope of Mount Juchtas in the central part of Crete.
When, in 1960, heavy building equipment entered the small headland of Trypitos next to Sitia, no-one expected the land to hide the ruins of the ancient Hellenic city. To this day, this area is still being examined by archaeologists, and the found treasures feed the resources of the Archaeological Museum in Sitia. These niche excavations located just off the road to Vai are a must stop for any archeology enthusiast.
Komentarze
Wykopaliska Falasarna - jak tam trafić i inne...
Odwiedzając Falasarnę można zasugerować się widokami i odwiedzić jedną z plaż i nie odnaleźć wykopalisk. Dlatego chyba warto dopisać jak tam dojechać.
Trzeba jechać na sam koniec miejscowości aż do zakończenia drogi asfaltowej (równolegle do morza) i dalej szutrową aż do "parkingu" przy wejściu.
Wstęp w 2016 r. był bezpłatny.
Te kamienne kuwety na jednym ze zdjęć prawdopodobnie służyły do obróbki ryb.
Pozdrawiam.
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