Gortyna, Crete
7th-cent. Basilica of St. Titus, Gortyna. Photo © www.HolyLandPhotos.org.
Temple of Pythian Apollo at Gortyna. Photo © www.HolyLandPhotos.org.
Stepped altar of the Temple of Apollo. Photo © www.HolyLandPhotos.org.
Temple of the Egyptian Deities. Photo © www.HolyLandPhotos.org.
Gortyna (also called Gortyn), in southern central Crete, was a major Roman city and later became the seat of the first Christian bishop of Crete.
Greco-Roman Gortyna
Gortyna was the chief city of Crete during the Roman period. Its city walls were nearly 6 miles long, and its population may have reached 100,000 people. According to Greek legend, Zeus married Europa under the plane tree in Gortyna; thus this tree was permitted to remain forever green.
The major ancient site of Gortyna is the ruins of the Temple of Pythian Apollo. The rectangular outline of the sanctuary and most of the altar remain. Other ancient Greek sites of interest in Gortyna include the Temple of Isis and Serapis and the Odeon, where archaeologists found the famous law code of Gortys (500 BC).
Christian Gortyna
St. Titus, a fellow-worker with the Apostle Paul, preached the Christian Gospel in Crete (Titus 1:5), and the Basilica of St. Titus (Agios Titos) in Gortyna marks the traditional site of his martyrdom.
The Basilica of St. Titus represents the best remaining example of an early Christian basilica in Greece. The 6th- and 7th-century basilica was destroyed by the Arabs in 824 and now lies in ruins, but some of the apse and transept remain.
Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Gortyna. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Crete Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- Personal visit (March 2000).
- Gortyna - Zeus of Crete Travel Guide for Crete
- Gortyn - Hellenic Ministry of Culture
- The archaeological site of Gortys in Crete - Explore Crete
- Gortyna – Holy Land Photos
- Gortyn - Crete Island Guide
- Odion and Code of Gortyn - Crete TOURnet
- Why Go to Gorytn? - About.com
- The Law Code of Gortyn - Ancient History Sourcebook
More Information
- Crete Accommodation - HotelTravel
