Aptera

Excursion into the rich history of Crete

Aptera was once one of the most important city-states on Crete. It is already mentioned in the Linear B tablets (14th - 13th century BC) and existed until the 7th century AD, when it was destroyed by a strong earthquake in connection with Saracen attacks. Today there is an important historical site on the site of its former heyday.

The excellent location on the vast plateau of the hill, which dominates the southeast of the bay of Souda and at the same time controls the surrounding area, proved to be ideal for the development of the city into a powerful economic and political center. With its two harbors, Minoa (today Marathi) and Kissamos, located on either side of the entrance to the bay of Souda, it controlled all maritime activities.

The written sources and the results of the excavations carried out so far indicate that the city's greatest heyday was the early Hellenistic period (end of the 4th to 3rd century BC), when it became economically and politically stronger and began to mint its own currency. The period of the Roman Empire with the imposition of the "Roman Peace" marked the economic and political decline of the city, but at the same time its development in agricultural production according to the program of Roman power. The city was also inhabited during the Byzantine period without any particular prosperity.

The monastery of St. John the Theologian was founded at a central point of the old city and mentioned in a chronicle from 1181 AD. It belonged to the Patmos Monastery and was in operation until the mid-1960s. In 1866-69, a castle was built by the Turkish conquerors to suppress the Cretan revolution.

In recent years, the Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities has carried out systematic excavation research in the archaeological site of Aptera and rescue excavations in the wider area. Within the framework of the 2nd and 3rd Community Support Framework, extensive work has been carried out to enhance the archaeological site.

More information on Crete: www.incrediblecrete.gr/de/

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