CRETE TRAVEL GUIDE

Crete Travel Guide
Gortys
Top 10 Sights
1
Basilica of Agios Titos
The impressive remains of the tree-aisled basilica
indicate that Christianity was already well established on
the island by the 5th century, when the basilica was built.
It is named after St Titus (Agios Titos), who accompanied
St Paul the Apostle to Crete in AD 59 and became the
first bishop of Crete.
2
Roman Odeion and Code of Laws
Built into the walls of a Roman odeion are stone
slabs inscribed with a code of laws, dating from about
500 BC. This is regarded as Gortys’ most significant
archaeological feature.
3 Praetorium
A courtyard and stumps of marble columns are all
that remain of the palace of the Roman governor of Crete
and Libya.
century AD.
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4
Temple of Pythian
Apollo
Built in the 7th century BC,
the temple had a
monumental altar added in
the Hellenistic period and
was converted into a
Christian church in the 2nd
Roman Baths
Remnants of the baths, which would have been a
social hub of the Roman city, can be seen among olive
groves south of the Praetorium.
6
Temple of Isis and Serapis
Ancient Crete had links with ancient Egypt, as
shown by the remains of this temple dedicated to the
Egyptian deities.
7 Museum
A collection of marble statuary unearthed at Gortys
is on display in a small pavilion on the site, though many
of the more impressive finds are held at the Irakleio
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The ruins of Gortys, in the middle of the fertile Messara
plain, date from a much later era than Crete’s Minoan
palaces. The large site, surrounded by trees, is less
crowded than Crete’s other top archaeological attractions,
though it is just as impressive. It was probably first settled
by the Minoans, but flourished later during the period of
the Dorian city-states in the 6th century BC. In the 2nd
century BC, Gortys defeated its rival Phaestos to become
the leading Cretan city.
Archaeological Museum. The onsite collection includes
images of gods, emperors and Roman notables.
Roman Amphitheatre
The Roman
amphitheatre is surprisingly
small for a settlement as
important as Roman Gortys,
but its tiers of stone seats
are well preserved and it is
easy to imagine it in use as
a venue for drama, oratory or gladiatorial combat.
9
Roman Agora
An impressive statue of the god of healing,
Asklepios (now in Irakleio Archaeological Museum), was
discovered at the Roman Agora. The agora, or
marketplace, was the heart of any ancient Greco-Roman
city.
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10
Acropolis (Kastro)
Outside the main site,
formidable Roman ramparts
and a small tower, known as
the Kastro (“castle”) stand
guard on a low hilltop. Come
here for a bird’s-eye view of
Gortys and the countryside.
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Top 10