ANTIQUITIES IN LASITHI
- Gournia (C10), 19 km. southeast of Agios Nikolaos, 15 km. north
of lerapetra, the best preserved of the Minoan settlements, and
one of the most noteworthy archaeological sites in Crete. It
appears to date from 1550-1450 B.C. The ruins of the town
include small houses and a small palace on top of a hill, even
the narrow streets and connecting stairways have survived amidst
the foundations of the houses.
- Dreros (Driros) (C9-10), 16 km. northwest of Agios Nikolaos. The
archaeological site of this ancient Greek city comprises two
acropolises with an Archaic agora between them. South of the
agora is a temple from the Geometric period, the Delphinion,
dedicated to Apollo, as well as a large cistern dug between the
late 3rd and early 2nd century B.C.
- Kato Zakros (C12), 117 km. southeast of Agios Nikolaos is the
site of a luxurious Minoan palace, the fourth in significance on
the island, which produced a number of important finds, now in
the Iraklio Archaeological Museum. This palace, which covered
7.000 to 8.000 sq.m. and contained royal apartments, storerooms
and various workshops, and the nearby city were destroyed around
1450 B.C. by a violent earthquake, most probably the one that
caused a whole section of the island of Santorini to sink into
the sea. Zakros was a major Minoan naval base, which
established trading connections with Egypt and Anatolia. It was
from here that Minoan farming estates, two sacred peaks, a
cemetery and cave tombs have been discovered.
- Lato (C10), 15 km. west of Agios Nikolaos, is spread out on the
slopes of two acropolises. Founded in the 7th century B.C., it
was one of the most powerful cities in Crete in its heyday. The
ruins include the city walls, houses and shops from different
periods built on terraces.
- Palekastro (C12), 90 km. east of Agios Nikolaos, 20 km. from
Sitia, at Roussolakos, has some remains of a port settlement.
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