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Discovering Ancient Itanos and the Palaiokastro of Lasithi

In the northeastern outskirts of Crete, almost next to the world famous Palm Forest of Vai, the ruins of an ancient city, little known to the general public, are preserved. It is Ancient Itanos, which, together with Praisos and Ierapetra, ruled the whole area of Eastern Crete. The founding of the city dates back to prehistoric times, while Herodotus mentions the first historical evidence for the existence of Itanos.

Text: Θεόφιλος Μπασγιουράκης
Photos: Άννα Καλαϊτζή
Discovering Ancient Itanos and the Palaiokastro of Lasithi
Categories: Monuments
Destinations: CRETE, Lasithi

Ancient Itanos

In the northeastern outskirts of Crete, almost next to the world famous Palm Forest of Vai, the ruins of an ancient city, little known to the general public, are preserved. It is Ancient Itanos, which, together with Praisos and Ierapetra, ruled the whole area of Eastern Crete.

The foundation of the city dates back to prehistoric times, while Herodotus mentions the first historical evidence of the existence of Itanos.

We leave the Phoenician forest of Vai in its hibernation and set off for our last destination in the region, ancient Itano, almost two kilometers to the north. Earlier, however, a short detour to the left of the road leads us to a banana plantation. We have long appreciated the small Cretan bananas for their taste and delicate aroma. However, this is the first time we have ever encountered a Cretan banana plantation(1).

We wander through the narrow aisles of the plantation, observe the low, densely planted trees, and spot bunches of green bananas among the large leaves. For us northerners, it’s an unprecedented experience. We return to the main road and, heading north, we reach in two minutes the vast area with the remains of the once great city of Ancient Itanos. Which, together with Ierapetra and Praisos, ruled the whole area of Eastern Crete.

According to N. Papadakis, the foundation of the city dates back to prehistoric times, with the first inhabitants being the Phoenician colonists, in the period 1,500 to 800 BC. Stefanos Byzantios (2) even believes that the city took its name from the phoenix Itanos. However, the first historical evidence of Itano is given by Herodotus (3), who links the city with the colonisation of Libya by the inhabitants of Thera. According to tradition, the Theraeans stopped at Itano – after an oracle of the Oracle of Delphi – in order to learn from the locals the route to Libya. There they founded Cyrene, an event that is historically placed around 631 BC.

During the period of historical times, Itanos was an autonomous city that held for a long time the cities of Grammio, Abelos and Dragomos. It even possessed the famous Sanctuary of Dikthaios Zeus in Palaiokastro, which was a steady source of income. All the surrounding islands belonged to its territory, from Dionysades, to the north-west of Cape Sidero, to the island of Lefki, far to the south. It was also an important port of transit trade, exporting, in addition to purple, glass, sponges and fish.

The prosperity of Itanos in Classical times is shown by the large number of temples and buildings, including the temples of Asclepius, Fortune, Athena of Itania and Athena of Samonia.

The coins of the city were also very characteristic, all silver and really elegant works of coinage with representations of the Tritons, sea orbs, the head of Athena, the head of Eagle and the word “Itania”.

In Roman times, Itanos continued to maintain a prominent position in Eastern Crete, also participating in the ‘Commonwealth of the Cretans’.

It is worth noting that the Romans allowed it to mint its own currency, a privilege that only certain cities had. The coins of Itanos at that time bear the Head of the Emperor on one side and on the reverse side various representations with Greek inscriptions.

In the 5th century AD the city is mentioned by Hesychius (4) and seems to have flourished in the early Byzantine years, as the ruins of its large churches show. Since then, all evidence of Itano has been lost and only speculations about its fate exist. According to H. (5) The antiquities in the coastal location of Eremoupoli, north of the Toplou Monastery and south of Cape Sidero, were known to the scientific community as early as the mid-19th century. These ruins were depicted in 1853 in a nautical chart of the Bay of Hermoupolis, which was drawn up under the supervision of the navigator Th. Spratt. Spratt, however, had wrongly assumed that the ruins belonged to the city of Etera.

For the first time the ruins of Hermoupolis were identified with the ancient city-state of Itanos by Fr. Halbherr in 1891.This identification was made possible by a large number of inscriptions found either “in situ” (in the same place) or in the Toplou Monastery, whose monks had been supplying building material from the ruins of Hermoupolis for centuries. The history of Itanos has been written mainly on the basis of these most important epigraphic texts, which document the prosperity of the city during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.  However, the latter period of the history of Itanos is not based on texts but on archaeological research. Thus, Christian churches and parts of the settlement dating back to the early Byzantine period show that this coastal settlement continued to prosper until the 7th century, when, according to all the evidence, it was abandoned. According to Ch. The first excavations in Itano were carried out by the French archaeologist J. Demargne in 1950. However, his poor health will not allow him to continue his research in Crete. He will simply publish two short articles, one on Lato and one on the inscriptions of Itanos. Only from a later report by St. Xanthoudidis in the Archaeological Bulletin, we know that in Itano, Demargne uncovered “three Byzantine churches of this ancient city, namely two royal triclinia and one small circular church (perhaps a baptistery)”.

The excavations will be continued by A. J. Reinach in 1911. The French Archaeological School would return in 1950, revealing the Hellenistic cemetery that had been closed, as well as part of the early Byzantine settlement in the ‘eastern citadel’ and the ‘lower town’. It was not, however, possible, despite extensive research, for the excavators to locate the ‘pre-Hellenic’ civilisation they were looking for. New data on early Byzantine Itano emerged from the research carried out by the French School of Archaeology and the Institute of Mediterranean Studies in 1994-2005.

The early Byzantine settlement, built around a small bay, extends between and on two low hills to the east and west, referred to in the literature as the ‘eastern and western citadels’ respectively. To the south it is bounded by a higher hill, on which the most important traces of the city wall, which probably dates back to Hellenistic times, are preserved. A prominent place in the settlement is occupied by the Basilica I, which was built on a site with pre-existing buildings, some of which were incorporated into the basilica and others destroyed during its construction. The basilica was part of a larger ecclesiastical complex. The walls associated with this complex are easily distinguishable, as they are the only ones on the hill where mortar was used as a binding material.

For the construction of the basilica, sandstone and grey limestone blocks were used, which the craftsmen obtained exclusively from older buildings.

On the ground, among the ruins of the basilica, we find several columns of various sizes, made of various stones such as ash granite, off-white marble or reddish-white marble. The masonry of the basilica, which consists mainly of carved limestone, incorporates architectural elements of granite columns or rectangular columns of an earlier period. About 100 metres further south, a sandy cove is formed with a few large palm trees. According to modern navigation guides, this cove is considered the safest natural anchorage in the area. A few dozen metres above the basilica is the flat top of the hill of the so-called ‘eastern citadel’, at an altitude of about 30 metres above sea level. The eastern slope of the hill towards the sea is completely inaccessible, with vertical cliffs. From this elevated point, with its unobstructed view, we can see the entire coastline of the bay of Eremoupoli, the Palm Forest of Vai, the desert island of Elasa in the open. Then we turn our gaze to the vast archaeological site from the excavation of which, according to Ch. Tsigonaki, no traces of violent destruction have been found. On the contrary, the findings reveal a picture of abandonment of the site, which probably dates from after the middle of the 7th century AD.

The abandonment of coastal settlements appears as a widespread phenomenon in the Eastern Mediterranean in the 7th century. The Arab invasions are considered the main cause of the phenomenon. They became more frequent on the Aegean islands after the capture of Alexandria in 642 and the building of the Arab fleet. Theophanes, referring to the naval operations of the Arabs in the Aegean in the year 674, writes that the Arabs wintered in Crete.

Itanos, therefore, was probably abandoned because of the threat of Arab raids. Its geographical position, which gave it prosperity in times of peace, made it extremely vulnerable to Arab raids. At the same time, most of the southern coastal settlements of Crete will be abandoned. The seismic frenzy of the 7th century must also have had a catalytic effect on the operation of the ports. When the port of Itanos ceased to function, the settlement ceased to exist.

Itanos would never be inhabited again. The place name Eremoupoli, which dates back to 1583, characterises in an absolute manner the abandonment of the area.

This picture of abandonment is confirmed by surface research in the wider area of Itanos, as no ceramic finds or architectural remains of the Middle Byzantine period have been found. Characteristic is the absence even of single-roomed temples, which were usually built on the ruins of basilicas in later periods, a phenomenon that is common in the rest of Crete. Besides, the known churches in the wider area date back to the Venetian occupation, such as the one-room church of Agios Isidoros in the neighbouring cape of Samonio, as well as the catholic church of Toplos Monastery.

Itanos, a settlement ignored by archaeological research because no Minoan antiquities could be found, turns out to be an extremely interesting site of the Early Byzantine period. The systematic archaeological research carried out in recent years in Eremoupolis allows us to understand the particular conditions under which coastal settlements in Crete entered the last phase of their economic prosperity in the 5th century, only to be abandoned after the middle of the 7th century.

We leave Itano with mixed feelings: bitterness on the one hand for the absolute desolation of the area but at the same time a relaxing peace for the lack of crowding from a noisy and motley crowd, common in famous archaeological destinations.

(1) According to the prevailing view, banana cultivation in Crete dates back to the 1920s, when the monk Luke of the Monastery of Agios Antonios Arvi brought with him some banana plants from the Holy Land and planted them in the monastery. Today the Cretan banana is grown mainly in Arvi and also in Tertsa, Sitia, Malia and – in smaller quantities – in some other areas. Total annual production is estimated at around 3 000 tonnes.

(2) Stephen Byzantius was a Greek writer who lived at the end of the 5th century AD. He wrote an important geographical dictionary entitled ‘Ethniki’, of which only a few extracts have survived.

(3) Herodotus was born in Halicarnassus and was a famous historian, traveller and geographer of the 5th century BC. Cicero was the first to give him the nickname ‘Father of History’.

(4) Hesychius of Alexandria was a Greek grammarian, linguist and lexicographer of the 5th century AD. He wrote the famous ‘Dictionary of Hesychius’, which is considered the greatest and richest of all the surviving dictionaries of antiquity.

(5) Christina Tsigonaki is Assistant Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Crete. The data mentioned in the article are contained in her publication ‘Itanos’. History and topography of a coastal site in eastern Crete during the Early Byzantine period’.

 

 

Palaiokastro

Archaeological site and beaches

The beach of Palaiokastro, known as Chiona, is located in the area of Roussolakkos, named after the reddish colour of the soil.

In this place, with the opposite deserted Grantes and the imposing trapezoidal hill of Kastri, important Minoan and Post-Minoan ruins have been uncovered, with findings of exceptional importance.

In the morning the sky is ashen, the colour of lead. The temperature, however, is high, hovering around 15 degrees. In early January, here in the greater Sitia area, it is an authentic spring day. Following the now so familiar yet so idyllic route to the east coast, we arrive at the junction of the road that branches off to Palaiokastro and Moni Toplou. Today we do not continue towards the monastery but head right towards Palaiokastro. Calm landscapes, deserted with small plains and low hillsides, flowering heather and thyme, grassy olive trees, evenly pruned almost to the boot of man.

We drive slowly, taking maximum visual and driving pleasure from this beautiful place, colourful and refreshed by last night’s rain.

Six and a half kilometres after the fork, we arrive at the head village of Palaiokastro. According to N. Papadakis, Palaiokastro is not mentioned in the census of Castrofylaca, (1) but maps of the Venetian era mention the name Palecastro. St. Spanakis also states,(2) that the settlement did not exist in the Venetian period. Instead, the name Paleocastro was given to the present isolated hill ‘Kastri’, which, with its characteristic trapezoidal shape and 90 m high, dominates near the sea, west of the deserted islands of ‘Grande’. (3)

As a newer settlement, Palaiokastro is mentioned for the first time in the 1881 census as ‘Paleokastro’, with a population of 143 Christian inhabitants. In 1900 Paleokastro had 302 inhabitants, and since then the growth has been rapid, since the 2011 census found 953 inhabitants.

We cross the main street of the lively village with many restaurants and cafes, as well as some houses of traditional architecture. A narrow road, through olive groves, leads us after about two kilometres to the sandy beach of Chiona. Before the shore, an elongated, shallow depression of land is formed, covered with water. It is the wetland of Chiona, referred to in ancient times as “Elia Chora”, from the marshes that existed there. The wider area is called ‘Roussolakkos’, a place name common in Crete, due to the ‘rousso’, the reddish colour of the soil.

A short dirt road leads to the archaeological site of the important Minoan settlement which flourished mainly during the Late Minoan period, while ruins of the Early Minoan and Middle Minoan periods have also been found (4).

Schoina, carob and wild olive trees, yellow wildflowers and a thick layer of clover cover the ground of the site. Numerous ruined buildings survive at a low level and among them a deep circular well and abundant pottery. Stones with an impressive variety of colour tones of grey, ochre, bordeaux and tile have been used in the walling of the houses. The quality of the masonry varies, with some of the brickwork rectangular but most of it crudely carved.

 

Although the settlement is generally developed at a low altitude, it provides an unobstructed view of the sea, the islands of Grantes and the imposing trapezoidal hill of Kastri.

  1. Papadakis, in his book on Sitia, states that systematic excavations were carried out in the area of Palaiokastro in the years 1902-1904 by the English archaeologist R. C. Bosanquet, a researcher of eastern Crete. The excavations were continued in 1906 by the Englishman R. M. Dawkins. The cemeteries found contained large quantities of bones in wonderful preservation, which allowed anthropologists to make important scientific announcements about the Minoan physical structure. Despite the various popular beliefs of today about the stature of the ancients, the average height of the Minoans did not exceed 1.60 meters for men and 1.50 meters for women.

A long main road that intersects with other vertical roads crosses the settlement, thus dividing it into nine districts. According to one version, each of them was inhabited by a clan and its branches, as is common today in many Cretan villages. The houses of the districts facing the main road have magnificent and imposing facades, while an excellent sewage system branches out to all the districts. Life ceased to exist in this area when Zakros, a little to the south, became deserted.

Returning from the beach we pass the small settlement of “Agathia”,(5) built in the olive trees, with several traditional houses and taverns. A simple and pleasant place, it brings back images of the past.

A short walk after Agathathias, takes us to the sandy beach “Plakopoules”. Earlier the road passes near the southwestern foothills of Kastri. Here we come across a plantation of young, cactus-shaped Aloe plants, some of which are already in bloom with yellowish flowers.  A rocky shore, next to it a tiny sandy beach and, a few metres further up, two picturesque little tavernas, which in the summer months must be very desirable. The most impressive sight in the area, however, is created by the southern, high and vertical slope of the Kastri hill, consisting of a stunning reddish-brown, solid rock with very spectacular erosions. Continuing our coastal tour, we find, a little further north, the beach of “Kouremenos”. A beautiful sandy beach and next to it a well-built harbour of considerable capacity, which protects from almost all weather conditions a remarkable – for the region’s standards – fishing fleet of small boats and boats. From here we look at the northern, completely steep face of Kastri.

We leave the main asphalt road, take a northerly direction and in about a kilometre, we find the dirt road to the beach of Maridati.

A passable – relatively – dirt road crosses a narrow valley – a gorge with short olive trees, grills and tamarisk trees, while clusters of reeds indicate the existence of a stream with water. Very quickly an unusual sight of rare beauty begins to unfold before us, especially on the steep northern slope of the ravine. These are continuous, solid rock formations, made up of rocks of varying composition and different shades of colour, among which shades of bordeaux, yellowish, grey and brown predominate. What is strangest is that these colour combinations are separated from each other by distinct vertical lines, as if they obeyed the powerful and unmistakable demarcation of nature.

Unseen until the last moment, the beach of Maridati suddenly appears at the end of the gorge. It is a wonderful combination of fine pebbles, small stones, coarse sand and shallow, clear waters. A rudimentary wetland is formed near the shore with brackish water, reeds and tamarisks. The existence of this permanent water in the area attracted Venetian ships for refuelling, as can be seen from the mention of the place name Maridati in a 1618 engraving. A few orchards, a cottage and the tavern ‘Maridatis’ from 1993 are the only human presence in this little-known desert area.

During the summer months, with its tavern and the few rooms to let, it can be an ideal destination for those who seek a private, almost private, holiday.

But here, a few kilometers north of Maridati, at the northeastern tip of Crete, another place is ready to surprise us with its uniqueness and unparalleled beauty: The world-famous Vai Palm Forest.

 

(1) Pietro Castrofylaca was a Venetian notary, a notary public, who carried out a census of the Venetian-occupied islands of Greece and Crete at the end of the 16th century, with 53 recorded villages of Sitia.

(2) ‘CRETAN TOWNS AND VILLAGES THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES’, VOLUME B, HERAKLION 2006.

(3) The area of the islands of Grantes is 302 hectares.

(4) According to N. Papadakis, the Early Minoan Period has a chronological range from 3000 to 2200 BC or Middle Minoan from 2200 to 1550 BC and Late Minoan from 1550 to 1050 BC.

(5) Built at an altitude of 40 metres, Agathias is a new settlement. According to the “GEOGRAPHICAL GLOSSARY OF GREECE”, by the Stamatelatos couple, in 1928 the settlement had 109 inhabitants. In the 2011 census, 138 inhabitants are mentioned.

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