Overview:

Gortyna was first inhabited at the end of the Neolithic period (3000 B.C.) and flourished much later, in the Late Minoan period (1600-1100 B.C.), when the villa with the shrine was founded at the site of Kannia, near Metropolis. Relics of the Archaic habitation (7th century B.C.) were located in the area of the Acropolis, while the large inscription, the Gortyna Law Code, dated to the 5th century B.C., testifies the prosperity of the city, which continued until the Hellenistic period (3rd-2nd century B.C.).

Gortyna became an ally of Rome and during the Roman period (1st-5th centuries A.D.) reached the peak of its prosperity as the capital of the province of Crete and Cyrene. Here, Apostle Titus preached Christianity and in A.D. 250 the Ten Saints martyred. In A.D. 824 the city, which had become the seat of an Archbishop, was destroyed by the Arabs.

The first investigations on the site were conducted in 1884 by the Italian archaeologist F. Halbherr. Since then, excavations have been carried out by the Italian Archaeological School and the 23rd Ephorate.

  Address:

Gortyna

 Location:

Agioi Deka, Heraklion

  Telephone:

(+30) 2892031144

  Fax:

(+30) 2892031390

  E-mail:

—

 Url:

www.culture.gr

  Operating Period:

JAN-DEC

  Operating Days & Hours:

MON-SUN: 08:00-15:00 (Last admission: 14:45)
During summertime closing at 20:00

  Admission Fee:

• General admission: 6,00 €
• Senior citizens (E.C.): 3,00 €
• Students (E.C.) & children: FREE

  Notes:

• Parking area
• Coffee shop

* The above information, are subject to change without prior notification from the institution. In any case, visitcrete.com has no responsibilities for any occurred changes.