The most famous caves in Crete
There are over 3000 caves in Crete out of which only 850 have been
explored. People used caves as places of worship and also as dwellings
as far back as the Paleolithic Times. The Minoans began to worship their
gods in small shrines in sacred caves or in shrines built on mountain
peaks and tops of hills. In the caves there are stalagmites and
stalactites which hang majestically and form various impressive
decorations.
The most famous caves in Crete:
The cave of Sentoni
Zoniana . This is Crete’s richest cave in terms of natural decoration
Rethimno, 13 km. west of Anoghia and 1 km. from the village of Zoniana
at an altitude of 800 m.
The Diktian Cave (Dikteon Andron) .The legendary birthplace of Zeus.
The
Idaian Cave (Ideon Andron). 20 km. south of Anogia, on the plain of
Nidas, on Mount Psiloritis, lies this sacred cave, where according to
mythology, Goddess Rhea hid the baby Zeus from the murderous Kronos.
Cult objects have been found here along with statues and bronze shields
and other finds are displayed in the Heraklion Archaeological Museum.
The
Cave of Eileithyia (Ilithiia). This cave was used for cult rituals from
the Neolithic era up to the 5th century B.C. Lying 1 km. south of
Amnissos, it was dedicated to Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth.
Archaeological excavations uncovered idols of a woman in the act of
giving birth or praying. Figures of animals, neolithic fossils and tools
were also found.
The Cave of Aghia Paraskevi Skotinou. 22 km. from
Heraklion. This very interesting cave was used for cult worship both in
antiquity and during the Christian era.
The Kamares Cave. Northeast
of the village of Kamares (57 km. from Heraklion) lies the Cave of
Kamares, established during the Minoan period as a sacred spot, possibly
dedicated to the worship of the goddess Eilethyia. The impressive
Kamares vases found in this cave are displayed in the Archaeological
Museum of Heraklion. Reaching the cave entails a 4-hour walk from the
village.
The Gerani Cave. 6 km. from Rethimno, this is a cave of
prehistoric, paleontological and archaeological interest. Finds from
this cave can be seen in the Rethimno Archaeological Museum.
The
Melidoni Cave. 3 km. from the village of Melidoni (26 km east of
Rethimno), this was used for cult worship during the Neolithic, Minoan
and Archaic periods.
