This location is #5 on our Best Travel Destinations In Greece & Greek Islands Map!
Discover Ancient Gortyna: A Timeless Journey for First-Time Visitors.
For first-time tourists to Greece, Ancient Gortyna in Crete offers an unforgettable dive into the island’s rich history, set against the stunning backdrop of the Messara Plain. Located just 45 km south of Heraklion, this sprawling archaeological site is one of Crete’s most significant, blending Minoan, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine heritage. Unlike the crowded ruins of Athens, Gortyna feels like a hidden gem, where you can wander among olive groves and ancient stones with the hum of crickets as your soundtrack. From the legendary plane tree tied to the myth of Zeus and Europa to the famous Gortyn Law Code, this site invites you to step into a living history book, perfect for those eager to explore Greece beyond the usual tourist trails.Facts and Historic Information: The Rise of Gortyna Gortyna’s story begins around 7000 BC in the Neolithic era, with evidence of continuous habitation through the Minoan period (2600–1100 BC).
While not a major Minoan center, it grew into a powerful city-state by the Classical and Hellenistic periods, rivaling Knossos for dominance over Crete. Its strategic location in the fertile Messara Plain, near the river Lethaeus (now Mitropolianos), and access to harbors like Lebena and Matala fueled its prosperity through agriculture and trade. By the 5th century BC, Gortyna produced the Gortyn Law Code, inscribed in the Dorian dialect on a wall in the agora. This remarkable legal text, dating to 525–400 BC, is the oldest and most complete Greek law code outside Athens, covering property, marriage, and slavery, offering a window into ancient Cretan society. In 67 BC, Gortyna allied with Rome, avoiding destruction and becoming the capital of the Roman province of Creta et Cyrenaica, flourishing with a population possibly reaching 300,000 at its peak in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD.
Facts and Historic Information: Roman Grandeur and Beyond
Under Roman rule, Gortyna transformed into a bustling metropolis, adorned with grand structures like the Praetorium, amphitheater, and the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods. The city’s Odeon housed the Gortyn Law Code, while the Temple of Pythian Apollo and the Basilica of St. Titus, one of Crete’s earliest Christian churches from the 6th century AD, marked its religious evolution. Gortyna’s prominence continued into the Byzantine era, but devastating earthquakes in 46 AD and 365 AD, followed by Arab invasions in 828 AD, led to its decline. The site, excavated since 1884 by the Italian Archaeological School, spans 4 million square meters, making it Crete’s largest archaeological site. Visitors can explore ruins like the Agora, the Acropolis with its 7th-century BC temple, and artifacts like a statue of Europa on a bull, tying Gortyna to its mythological roots as the site where Zeus, disguised as a bull, seduced Europa under an evergreen plane tree.
