Crete Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Crete Περιφέρεια Κρήτης
Region of Greece
Crete

Country	Greece
Capital	Heraklion
Regional units	List Chania Heraklion Rethymno Lasithi
Area
• Total	8,336 km² (3,219 sq mi)
Highest elevation	2,456 m (8,058 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	621,340
• Density	74.537/km² (193.050/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	GR-M

A satellite photo of Crete

Crete is the largest island in Greece. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea. Long ago, Crete had rich soil, a warm climate, and plenty of water. This helped its people, called the Cretans, focus on creating new things. They collected saffron from wild crocus flowers. Saffron was used for yellow dye, in food, and as medicine.

The Cretans learned many things from other cultures. They got rich cloth and jewels from the Egyptians. They learned how to use iron from the Hittites. From the Lydians, they learned about using money. The Phoenicians shared their alphabet, which is similar to what we use today.

Ancient Crete: The Minoan Civilization
- Knossos: Capital of the Minoans
Life in Ancient Crete
Crete's Conquest
Images for kids
See also

Ancient Crete: The Minoan Civilization

Greece and Crete

About 4,700 years ago, the Minoan civilization began on Crete. This was a very advanced culture. The Minoans chose kings to rule them, each for seven years. These kings were known as Minos, and the people were called Minoans.

Knossos: Capital of the Minoans

The capital city of Crete was Knossos. The palace at Knossos was very grand. Its walls had beautiful decorating bands called friezes. A special symbol used often was the double-ax. This symbol is thought to show the king's power.

The king's throne was a simple seat with a high back. Nobles sat on benches covered with red and white plaster. The walls of the palace were painted with pictures of fish, dolphins, and seaweed. The queen even had her own private staircase. This allowed her to go upstairs without disturbing the men. Many rooms in the palace had huge jars, about six feet tall. These jars were used to store important things like wheat, oil, and dye.

Life in Ancient Crete

Landscape in Crete

The Minoans had a unique way of life. They loved games, good food, and athletics. Music and beautiful clothes were also very important to them.

Minoan Religion and Beliefs

The palace of Knossos was also known as a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a maze where visitors could easily get lost. People said that a creature called the Minotaur lived there. The Minotaur was half bull and half man. Some stories say that young men and girls were sacrificed to this creature every year. Many historians believe that sacrifices to a bull were made because the Cretans thought the sound of an earthquake was an angry bull.

The Cretans also worshipped a goddess called the Great Mother Cybele, or the Snake Goddess. Statues of her often showed gold decorations and snakes wrapped around her arms. Snakes were believed to protect homes. Because of this, each house had a special room for snakes. Sometimes, a small table with grooves was placed for snakes to sip milk from a cup.

Games, Art, and Clothes

The Minoans were the first people to build stone theaters. In these theaters, many people watched parades and enjoyed music. Girls even took part in bullfighting. Unlike modern bullfighting, the Minoans did not kill the bull. A male fighter would grab the bull's horns, flip onto its back, and then land on the ground. Girls helped the bullfighter keep their balance during this daring act.

Women wore long, full skirts with very tiny waists. They also had fancy hairstyles and lots of jewelry. Men wore small belts around their waists. They used stones to shave and rubbed their teeth with pumice stone. Barbers would even burn off their body hair.

What the Cretans Ate

The Cretans ate fish, birds, and beef. They cooked barley in many ways. They also ate lots of cheese, nuts, and honey. They believed that only uncivilized people drank cow's milk. So, they drank goat's milk instead. The Cretans enjoyed singing, playing games, and guessing riddles. Even though they ate with their fingers, their food was cut into tiny pieces before being served.

Crete's Conquest

The Cretans were generally peaceful people. They did not build strong walls or fortifications to protect their cities from attacks. Around 1450 B.C., the Greek Mycenaeans attacked and captured Crete. This happened after Knossos, the capital, had been damaged by a powerful earthquake.

Images for kids

Messara Plain
The palm beach of Vai
Lefka Ori
View of Psiloritis
European route E75 near Malia
Minoan rhyton in the form of a bull, Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Minoan fresco from Knossos, Heraklion Archaeological Museum
Palace of Knossos
Arkadi Monastery
The Byzantines, under the general Damian, attack Crete but are defeated by the Saracens, c. 828, as depicted by Ioannes Scylitzes (see Skylitzes Chronicle).
Frangokastello was built by the Venetians in 1371–74.
The Siege of Candia, regarded as one of the longest sieges in history, lasted from 1648 to 1669.
Nicolas Sanson. Crete in 1651
Greek Orthodox (blue) and Cretan Muslim/Turkish (red) ethnic makeup of the island in 1861
Kara Musa Pasha mosque, Rethymno
Revolutionaries at Theriso
German paratroopers landing on Crete during the Battle of Crete
Matala beach
The loggerhead sea turtle nests and hatches along the beaches of Rethymno and Chania and the gulf of Messara.
"Diktaean Cave"
Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco)
Eleftherios Venizelos
Ha Gorge
Samariá Gorge
Aradaina Gorge
Venetian Bridge over Megalopotamos River
Venetian fortress in Heraklion
Chania cathedral
Rethymno Fortezza Mosque
View of Gortyn
Archaeological site of Phaistos
Ruins of the Palace of Knossos
Archeological Museum of Chania
Archaeological Museum of Chania
Crete Naval museum
Pluto and Persephone in Heraklion Museum
Jars in Malia, Crete
The Kri-kri (the Cretan ibex) lives in protected natural parks at the gorge of Samaria and the island of Agios Theodoros.
Male Cretan ibex
Cretan Hound or Kritikos Lagonikos, one of Europe's oldest hunting dog breeds
Snake lily (Dracunculus vulgaris)
The Ophrys cretica orchid.
Dancers from Sfakia
Old man from Crete dressed in the typical black shirt
Dakos, traditional Cretan salad