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Minoan seaport
Matala, which is now mainly a tourist resort with a beautiful beach, was a small fishing village until the middle of the 20th century. Still, its past is definitely more interesting.
In the Minoan period Matala was the port of Phaistos. And later in Hellenistic and Roman times, it was the port of Gortyn. According to Homer, it was here that the ship of Menelaus crashed while returning from Troy.
Roman catacombs in sandstone cliffs
However, the most characteristic here are the sandstone cliffs with caves visible from a distance.
In Roman times, the dead were buried in them. Later as many other Roman catacombs they were used by the first Christians.
Beautiful beaches and ruins of the Minoan town of Kommos
Matala and its surroundings with many beautiful sandy beaches attract crowds of holidaymakers. One of those beaches hides the ruins of the Minoan town of Kommos. It was probably the main port of Phaistos, once alongside Knossos, one of the most important Minoan towns in Crete.
Photographs of Matala and the surrounding area
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Carly BB
I am a passionate enthusiast of travel, archeology, photography and dancing 🙂 On this page I try to combine the first three elements: P and show you that travelling becomes definitely more interesting when we discover visited places, and often inconspicuous ruins hide the most fascinating stories 🙂