Crete a Greek Island Rich in Ancient History

South of the Aegean Sea, Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. Crete is the second largest on the Eastern Mediterranean. It is a popular tourist destination, which brings in about two-thirds of it's revenue.

Crete has about 1,000 kilometers of coastline. The geography of Crete consists of sandy beaches, breathtaking coves and vast mountains ranges. Crete was occupied by many empires which makes it's history the most diverse of the Greek Islands.

The Minoan civilization settled in Crete around 1400 B.C. This civilization was the first in Crete history and the oldest in European civilization. Crete is filled with many Minoan ruins. This is one of the reasons many tourist flock to this Greek island.

Crete was attacked by Marcus Antonius Creticus, who was Mark Antony's father, around 71 B.C., but the island wasn't conquered by Rome until 69 B.C. Crete was held by the Byzantine empire until 1204. You can see the Byzantine monasteries, which are also a deep part of Crete's history.

The Vatican claimed the island during the fourth crusade. The Vatican held onto the island for four centuries. It held the island during the Renaissance period and it created magnificent art works which still remain a deep part of Crete history. They also built a fortress around Crete which is one of the Greek islands most spectacular sights.

As you can see, the Greek island of Crete is overflowing with ancient history. Another visitors advantage is its sandy white coastline, vast mountain peaks and glacial caves. One of these caves according to Greek mythology is where Zeus is said to have lived.