Gortys or Gortyn or Gortyna

Gortys or Gortyn or Gortyna

Gortys, the site of the first human habitation of Crete at the end of the Neolithic period (5th millennium BC).

The name Gortys or Gortyna

According to one tradition, Gortys was named after its founder Gortys, the son of Radamanthys, king of Phaistos and brother of Minos.

Another story is that it was founded by Gortys from Tegea in Arcadian Gortynia.

A third variation on the same myth has Gortys founded by Queen Gortyna of Crete, mother of King Taurus.

In 1884 the discovery and preservation of the Great Inscription by Iosif Hatzidakis, Stefanos Xanthoudides and Italian Federico Halbherr led to excavations in the Gortys area.

Excavations in the wider area of Gortys brought important buildings and finds to light, although a large part of the Roman city still remains unexplored today. The most important finds are displayed in Heraklion Archaeological Museum, while some will be housed in the Mesara Archaeological Museum once this is built in a few years time.

The city of Gortys extended across a wide area, but unfortunately only a small part of it has been excavated. 

• The plane tree of Gortys (1)
• The Great Inscription with the Law Code of Gortys (2)
• The Odeon
• The church of St Titus (3)
• The statues display
• The Great Basilica (4)
• The Temple of Apollo and the Temple of the Egyptian Gods
• The Roman baths (5)
• The Praetorium of Gortys (6)
• The Nymphaeum of Gortys (7)

http://www.explorecrete.com/archaeology/gortys.html

Gortys was one of the oldest and strongest cities in Crete during the prehistoric and historic period. The population of ancient Gortys is believed to be 300.000 people. The Gortynians occypied Phaistos during the 3rd century B.C. During the Roman period reached the peak of its glory and it was the capital of Crete. Gortys was the first city of Crete to accept Christianity, and maintained its glory until 828 A.D. when it was occupied and destroyed by the Saracens. Since then it was never inhabited again.