Page 271 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

in Crete, it is home to many
A man hiking the sanctuaries including the CRETAN CAVES AND
THE MYTH OF ZEUS
winding mountain famous Idean Cave. To reach
paths near Plakiás the cave from Anógia, follow The island of Crete is
the paved road towards the home to 4,700 caves, of
Nída plateau, a walk of 23 km which some 2,000 have
gorge. The most impressive of (14 miles) through rocky been explored. Since
its buildings is the double- terrain, punc tuated by the Neolithic times, caves
naved church with an ornate occasional stone shepherd’s have been used as cult
Venetian façade that figured hut. Here a lone taverna caters centres by successive
on the retired 100 -drachma to visitors en route to the religions. Bound up
Greek banknote. cave, a further 20-minute hike with ancient Cretan
The monastery provided a up hill. This huge cavern is mytho logy, the Diktian
safe haven for its followers in where Zeus was said to be and Idean caves are two
times of religious persecution. reared, and has yielded of the island’s most
It came under attack from the artifacts including remarkable visited. According to
Ottoman army in 1866, when bronze shields dating from legend, Rhea gave birth
its buildings were crowded around 700 BC. From the to the infant god Zeus
with hundreds of refugees. plateau, marked trails lead up in the Diktian Cave.
The outer wall was breached, to the peak of Mount Ídi. The He was protected by
and the defenders torched trek to the summit and chapel kourítes (warriors)
their gunpowder store, killing of Timios Stavros is an 8-hour and nurtured by a goat,
Christian and Muslim alike. round trip from the Nída before being concealed
This crea ted instant martyrs plateau taverna. and raised in the Idean
who are remembered in a On the mountain’s southern Cave. This was to pro­
small museum, which also face, a 3.5-hour scramble tect him from his
displays sacramental vessels, from Kamáres village leads father, Kronos, who
icons and vestments. A scul- to the Kamáres Cave, where had swallowed his
other offspring after a
pture outside the monas tery Minoan pottery known as
is a memorial to the only sur- Kamáres ware was discovered. warning that he would
be dethroned by one
vivor, a girl, and the abbot who of his sons .
lit the gunpowder.
18
Anógia Modern Anógia runs along a
17 Ανώγεια rocky ridge. Its square has a war
Mount Ídi memorial – a bronze statue of
Ψηλορείτης ⌂ 46 km (29 miles) SE a Cretan hero in traditional
of Iráklio @ dress – in scribed with signif-
⌂ 58 km (36 miles) The village of Anógia was icant dates in Crete’s recent
SE of Réthymno established in the 12th past. Shops and tavernas are
@ To Anógia & Kamáres
century, high up the Psilorítis also in the new village.
At 2,456 m (8,080 ft) the moun tains. It has had a The old village tumbles
soaring peaks of Mount Ídi turbulent past; destroyed by down the steep slopes into a
(or Psilorítis) are the crown ing the Muslims in 1822, and then warren of narrow stepped
glory of the massive Psilorítis by the Germans in 1944, the alleys, ultimately converging
range. The highest mountain town has since been rebuilt. on a little square of stalls and
tavernas. Here, a marble bust
of local politician Vasilios
Skoulas stands next to a
woodcarving of his friend
Eleftherios Venizelos, by local
artist Manolis Skoulas.
The stalls in the old part
of the village abound in lace,
rugs and embroidery, and
form one of Crete’s main
centres for embroidered and
woven goods. Fans of the
1970s singer Nikos Xylouris
can pay homage at his white-
washed house that over looks
the main square.
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