Lyttos, Minoa Pediada, Herakleion,Crete
Acropolis of Lyktos
or Acropolis of Lyttos
| Location: |
| East of the village Lyttos, south of Heraclion in Crete |
| Region > Prefecture: |  |
| Crete Herakleion | |
| Municipality > Town: | |
| City of Minoa Pediada • Lyttos | |
| Altitude: | |
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Elevation ≈ 618 m (Relative Height≈30 m) |
| Time of Construction | Origin | |
| 7th or 8th cent. AD | BYZANTINE  |
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| Castle Type | Condition | |
| Ancient City |
In Ruins
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Remains of byzantine walls in a very ancient city of Crete.
Lyktos is mentioned my Homer in Iliad, by Hesiod in Theogony and by many other ancient writers. According to Theogony, this is the place where Rea gave birth to Zeus.
The city was destroyed by its neighbor and rival Knossos in 221-220 BC but it was rebuilt and flourished during the Roman period. Its Roman theater was the largest in Crete.
There are no traces of ancient walls. The Byzantine fortification was probably constructed in the 7th or 8th century AD. It was a typical medieval fortress-state until the Arabian conquest. Then it vanishes from history. Perhaps it had been inhabited -in decline- in the second Byzantine period as well, but by the end of the 12th century, it is known that it was deserted.
Several parts of the fortification at a maximum height of 4 m are still visible today, while at three points there are ruins that might have been towers.
| First entry in Kastrologos: | June 2015 |
Sources
- Nikos M.Gigourtakis , Monograph in the History Department of the University of Crete, “Byzantine fortifications in Crete in the 2nd Byzantine period (961-1204)”, Rethymno 2004
- Website archaiologia - Η Λύκτος και τα μνημεία της στα κείμενα των περιηγητών
- Website Destination Crete - Αρχαία Λύττος
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| Access |
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| Entrance: |
| Free access |
| Other castles around |
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| Belvedere castle |
| Inadiye fortress |
| Kastelos of Katalagari |
| Keraton |
| Castle of Meleses |
| Tower of Stamnoi |
| Fortress of Tholoi |
| Castle of Vitsilia |