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Read the island low by low: from agricultural communities and palace centers to war, memory and the daily life of today.
Global periods; transitions vary by location. The timeline is not on scale.
Before ca. 3000 BC.
Agriculture, storage and habitation are the long run-up to the bronze age. A pottery barrel not only tells about style, but also about preparation, storage and sharing. Compare in a museum form, size and usage traces before looking at the decoration.
Continue reading in the guide →Ca. 3000.19100 BC.
Crete is developing urban centres and palace complexes. The UNESCO selection connects Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, Zakros, Zominthos and Kydonia. Pitches, warehouses and workspaces show organization; myths about Minos do not provide a direct description of the bronze age. Start with the separate guide to keep archaeology and later imagination apart.
Continue reading in the guide →After the Bronze Age to the Roman time
After the palaces, history continues in separate city communities and later in the Roman world. Don't read every remnant in Crete as Minoan: compare writing, building materials, pottery and museum datings. The succession of halls in Heraklion helps to recognize changes.
Continue reading in the guide →Early Middle Ages - Flower Delivery 1204
The Middle Ages consist of several periods: Byzantine rule, an Arab emirate and from 961 onwards Byzantine rule again. Church buildings, defenses and trade routes belong to different moments. Ask at a monument what stage of construction you see: a building may be older than its current decoration.
Continue reading in the guide →13th January 17th century
The Venetian period leaves recognizable traces in cities and ports. A fortress is about defense and about governance, trade and supervision. Look at the relationship between port, city gate and hinterland. In Sitia Kazarma is a starting point; on Spinalonga you can read how a strategic place later became a completely different meaning.
Continue reading in the guide →17th Centuries "7" 1898
The Ottoman conquest gradually changed the island; the fall of Candia in 1669 is an important turning point. Islamization and the growth of national movements marked the following centuries. In addition to conflicts, view everyday objects, religious buildings and administrative documents: they make society visible outside the battlefield.
Continue reading in the guide →1898–1913
After the Ottoman period, an autonomous Cretan state was formed. In 1913 the association followed with Greece. Autonomy and connection are thus several steps. A flag, portrait or newspaper in a museum shows how political expectations were depicted; such sources also tell who was talking and who remained less visible.
Continue reading in the guide →1941–1945
The German invasion in May 1941 was followed by occupation, resistance and heavy violence against civilians. Remembrance sites are not a scene for a hero's story: read also about civilian life, persecution and loss. The Historical Museum uses personal documents and objects to approach this period from different experiences.
Continue reading in the guide →After 1945
Use the present as your own observation assignment. What professions do you see besides tourism? How do water use, agriculture, heritage and seasons touch each other? Write your impression in the travel book and mark what you saw and what you later searched. A travel note is a personal source, no proof that the whole of Crete is the same.
Continue reading in the guide →NEW · TWO WAYS TO SLIDE
Four theme evenings with menu, music, table ideas and messages on number of guests.
Four historical windows with sources and modern test menu.