Classical Greece: Crete, Rhodes

The Palace of Minos at Knossos (below), Crete, is considered as Europe's oldest city. The palace proves the advanced level of technology attained by the Minoans. Impressive features of it are the variety of building materials used, painted plaster, marble revetment and wall-paintings adorning the rooms and passages. It is also demonstrated by some original architectural and structural features, such as the use of beams to reinforce the masonry, the complex drainage and water-supply systems.

The numerous finds from the palace, all of exceptionally high quality art, pottery, vessels, figurines, the archie of Linear B tablets, and the original wall-paintings, are all housed in Herakleion Archaeological Museum. The storage jars (below) were used for storing wet and dry consumables, such as oil, wine and grain.

The Palace of Knossos (below) is connected with thrilling legends, such as myth of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur, and the story of Daidalos and Ikaros.

The acropolis of Lindos (below), Rhodes, is a natural citadel, which was fortified successively by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Knights of St. John and the Ottomans. This makes the site difficult to excavate and interpret archaeologically.

 

 

The highest point at the acropolis is the temple of Athena (below), which together with the buildings from the Byzantine period and the period of the Knights creates an attractive mix.

The acropolis offers spectacular views (below) of the surrounding harbors and coastline.

 

 

      If you don't want to climb up to the acropolis, then you can take a donkey.

Rhodes has been famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, which stood over 98 feet high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world. It was destructed in the earthquake of 226 BC.

The citadel of Rhodes (below) is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe.                          

 

 

Inside the medieval walls (below).

 

 

The Palace of the Grand Master (below) was built in the early 14th century by the Knights of Rhodes. The rooms are filled with mosaic floors, medieval furniture, mirrors, paintings and candlesticks.

When the Rhodes was occupied by Italy, the palace was a holiday residence for Italian king, Victor Emmanuel, and later for a fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

 

 

 

Classical Greece: Olympia, Delphi

Olympia (below) is the birthplace of the summer Olympic games. However, it all started with worshiping the gods. The sanctuary at Olympia flourished from the 10th BC to AD 426 and was devoted mainly to Zeus. It was a major religious, cultural and sporting center.

In the ancient Greece, the athletes competing in the games had to be true-born, free Greek men. Women were not allowed to watch the games. Victors in the games were crowned with an olive wreath that stood near the temple of Zeus. This crown bestowed the greatest honor on the competitor, his family and his native city, and could not be compensated for by either money or high office.

The dirt path (picture above) and the path under the stone arch (below) led to the first Olympic stadium.
However, it all ended with a Christian emperor Theodosius II, who put the end to the pagan believes.
The modern Olympic Games started at the end of the 19th century with over 200 nations participating today.

Delphi (below) was the site of the Delphic oracle and a major site for the worship of the god Apollo; remaining columns of the Temple of Apollo above. It was the religious and spiritual center of the ancient Greek world. According to tradition, Delphi was the geographical center of the world, the meeting point of two eagles dispatched by Zeus (Apollo's father) from the ends of the universe to find the center of the world.

Ancient Delphi extends over a series of terraces in the foothills of Mount Parnassos.

The Tholos was part of the Athena's Sanctuary at Delphi. Athena was Apollo's sister.

Classical Greece: Epidavros, Mycenae, Sparta

Epidavros was the most celebrated healing center of the ancient world, where the ill people went in hope of being healed. Asklepios was the god of medicine and healing. He was the major god of the healing site, which brought great economic prosperity for the sanctuary. However, after 1000 BC, Apollo displaced the prehistoric deity, and assumed his name. He was worshipped until the end of the ancient world.

Theater at Epidavros (above) is one of the most perfect and the best preserved of the ancient Greek theaters. The theater is marveled for its exceptional acoustics.

Mycenae is an archaeological site (below), which was one of the major centers of Greek civilization, a military stronghold, which dominated much of southern Greece. It gave its name to a period and a civilization that evolved throughout the entire Greek world between the 16th and 12th BC.

Sparta was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece. Around 650 BC, it rose to become the dominant military land-power in ancient Greece. Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. Spartan women enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men than elsewhere in the classical world.

Ancient Sparta with a view of modern Sparta (above). Modern Sparta is a center for processing of goods such as citrus and olives.