greek hotels - Itanos One of the most important ancient cities, Itanos, flourished in this area. Herodotus mentions Itanos in the following story: when the Therans decided to form a new colony, they consulted the Delphi oracle. Pythia divined that they should colonise Libya. However, as the Therans did not know that land, they sent emissaries to Crete, and specifically to Itanos, to ask for directions on how to get to Libya. In Itanos they found a murex (mollusc that secretes a deep red liquid used for dying fabrics) fisherman, Korovios, who had travelled to Libya, and volunteered to show them the way, and get paid for it of course... Eventually the Therans reached their destination, and built Kyrini in 630 BC Itanos was initially a Phoenician colony, and its name probably originates from the Phoenician Itanos. The city was fairly developed in antiquity, and was an important port for the region. Its inhabitants were merchants, seamen, fishermen or glass and murex artisans, and became rich and prosperous. This prosperity caused the envy of its subjects, the Dragmians, who signed an alliance with lerapytna, harmed Itanos and restricted its development. Nevertheless, Itanos was able to recoup and maintain its prosperity even after the Roman occupation, which is proved by the fact that coins continued to be minted. However, it was destroyed in the 9th century AD by Saracen corsair invasions, and finished off by the bad earthquake of 795 AD. It was settled again, but the frequent pirate raids made its inhabitants seek safer residence in more mountainous areas. Today only scattered ruins have been saved from the destruction caused by man and nature. The archaeological findings are exhibited in the Heraklion Museum and Toplou Monastery.

Summer-Hotels > Lassithi > Itanos

One of the most important ancient cities, Itanos, flourished in this area. Herodotus mentions Itanos in the following story: when the Therans decided to form a new colony, they consulted the Delphi oracle. Pythia divined that they should colonise Libya.
However, as the Therans did not know that land, they sent emissaries to Crete, and specifically to Itanos, to ask for directions on how to get to Libya. In Itanos they found a murex (mollusc that secretes a deep red liquid used for dying fabrics) fisherman, Korovios, who had travelled to Libya, and volunteered to show them the way, and get paid for it of course...
Eventually the Therans reached their destination, and built Kyrini in 630 BC Itanos was initially a Phoenician colony, and its name probably originates from the Phoenician Itanos. The city was fairly developed in antiquity, and was an important port for the region.
Its inhabitants were merchants, seamen, fishermen or glass and murex artisans, and became rich and prosperous. This prosperity caused the envy of its subjects, the Dragmians, who signed an alliance with lerapytna, harmed Itanos and restricted its development.
Nevertheless, Itanos was able to recoup and maintain its prosperity even after the Roman occupation, which is proved by the fact that coins continued to be minted.
However, it was destroyed in the 9th century AD by Saracen corsair invasions, and finished off by the bad earthquake of 795 AD. It was settled again, but the frequent pirate raids made its inhabitants seek safer residence in more mountainous areas. Today only scattered ruins have been saved from the destruction caused by man and nature. The archaeological findings are exhibited in the Heraklion Museum and Toplou Monastery.