Crete: Difference between revisions

| rank              = 88

| country            = {{Flag|Greece}}

| ethnic_groups      = [[Greeks]];<br/>historically, [[Minoan civilisation|Minoans]],<br/>[[Eteocretan language|Eteocretans]],<br/> Cydonians and [[Pelasgians]]

| timezone1          = GMT +2

| additional_info    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022) '''0.882'''<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2021-07-20}}</ref><br/>{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Greek regions by Human Development Index|3rd of 13]]

'''Crete''' ({{IPAc-en|k|ɹ|iː|t}} {{respell|KREET}}; {{langx|el|Κρήτη|translit=}}, <small>[[Modern Greek|Modern]]:</small> {{Lang|el-Latn|Kríti}} {{IPA|el|ˈkriti|}}, <small>[[Ancient Greek|Ancient]]:</small> {{Lang|grc-Latn|Krḗtē}} {{IPA|grc|krɛ̌ːtεː|}}) is the largest and most populous of the [[Greek islands]], the [[List of islands by area|88th]] largest island in the world, and the [[List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area|fifth largest island]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], after [[Sicily]], [[Sardinia]], [[Cyprus]], and [[Corsica]]. Crete is located approximately {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of the [[Peloponnese]], and about {{convert|300|km|mi|abbr=on}} southwest of [[Anatolia]]. Crete has an area of {{convert|8450|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} and a coastline of 1,046&nbsp;km (650&nbsp;mi). It bounds the southern border of the [[Aegean Sea]], with the [[Sea of Crete]] (or North Cretan Sea) to the north and the [[Libyan Sea]] (or South Cretan Sea) to the south. Crete covers 260&nbsp;km from west to east but is narrow from north to south, spanning three degrees of longitude but only half a degree of latitude.

Crete and its surrounding islands and islets form the Region of Crete ({{langx|el|Περιφέρεια Κρήτης|links=no}}), which is the southernmost of the 13 [[Modern regions of Greece|top-level administrative units of Greece]], and the fifth most populous of Greece's regions. Its capital and largest city is [[Heraklion]], located on the island's north shore. {{As of|2021}}, the region had a population of 624,408.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population on 1 January by NUTS 2 region|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00096/default/table?lang=en|url-status=live|website=Statistics Eurostat|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121060511/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tgs00096/default/table?lang=en |archive-date=21 January 2021 }}</ref> The [[Dodecanese]] are located to the northeast of Crete, while the [[Cyclades]] are situated to the north, separated by the [[Sea of Crete]]. The [[Peloponnese]] is to the region's northwest.

Crete was the center of [[Europe]]'s first advanced civilization, the [[Minoan civilization|Minoans]], from 2700 to 1420 BC. The Minoan civilization was overrun by the [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean civilization]] from mainland Greece. Crete was subsequently ruled by [[Roman Empire|Rome]], then successively by the [[Byzantine Empire]], [[Al-Andalus|Andalusian]] Arabs, the [[Byzantine Empire]] again, the [[Republic of Venice|Venetian Republic]], and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the [[Cretan State]]. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.

Crete is predominantly mountainous, characterized by a range that crosses the island from west to east. It includes Crete's highest point, [[Mount Ida (Crete)|Mount Ida]], and the range of the [[Lefka Ori|White Mountains]] (Lefka Ori) with 30 summits above {{Convert|2000|m|ft}} in altitude and the [[Samaria Gorge]], a [[World Biosphere Reserve]]. Crete forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece, while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own [[Mantinada|poetry]] and [[Cretan music|music]]). The [[Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis"|Nikos Kazantzakis airport]] at Heraklion and the [[Chania International Airport|Daskalogiannis airport]] at [[Chania]] serve international travelers. The [[Minoan palace]] at [[Knossos]] is also located in Heraklion.<ref name="Ancient Crete">[http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/display/id/obo-9780195389661-0071 Ancient Crete] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530225110/http://oxfordbibliographiesonline.com/display/id/obo-9780195389661-0071 |date=30 May 2020 }} Oxford Bibliographies Online: Classics</ref>

 

The current name ''Crete'' is first attested in the 15th century BC in [[Mycenaean Greek]] texts, written in [[Linear B]], through the words ''ke-re-te'' {{Script|Linb|𐀐𐀩𐀳}}, *''Krētes''; later Greek: {{lang|grc|Κρῆτες}} {{IPA|grc|krɛː.tes|}}, plural of {{lang|grc|Κρής}} {{IPA|grc|krɛːs|}})<ref>Found on the [[Pylos|PY]] An 128 tablet.</ref> and ''ke-re-si-jo'' {{Script|Linb|𐀐𐀩𐀯𐀍}}, *''Krēsijos''; later Greek: {{lang|grc|Κρήσιος}} {{IPA|grc|krέːsios|}},<ref>Found on the [[PY Ta 641]] and PY Ta 709 tablets.</ref> 'Cretian').<ref>{{cite web |title=The Linear B word ''ke-re-si-ji'' |website=Palaeolexicon |url=http://www.palaeolexicon.com/ShowWord.aspx?Id=16779 }}</ref><ref>{{LSJ|*krh/s|Κρής}}, {{LSJ|krhsi/ai|Κρήσιος s.v. κρησίαι|ref}}.</ref> In [[Ancient Greek]], the name Crete ({{lang|grc|Κρήτη}}) first appears in [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]''.<ref>Book 14, line 199; Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek–English Lexicon''</ref> Its etymology is unknown. One proposal derives it from a hypothetical [[Luwian language|Luwian]] word {{lang|xlu-Latn|*kursatta}} (compare {{lang|xlu-Latn|kursawar}} 'island', {{lang|xlu-Latn|kursattar}} 'cutting, sliver').<ref>Edwin L. Brown, "Linear A on Trojan Spindlewhorls, Luvian-Based ϜΑΝΑΞ at Cnossus", in ''Qui miscuit utile dulci: Festschrift Essays for Paul Lachlan MacKendrick'', eds. Gareth Schmeling & Jon D. Mikalson (Wauconda, Ill.: Bolchazy-Carducci, 1998), 62.</ref> Another proposal suggests that it derives from the [[ancient Greek]] word ''"κραταιή" (krataie̅)'', meaning strong or powerful, the reasoning being that Crete was the strongest [[thalassocracy]] during ancient times.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|date=2018-12-08|title=Τι σημαίνει το όνομα "Κρήτη" τελικά και γιατί ονομάστηκε έτσι το νησί μας;|url=https://www.daynight.gr/kriti/krhth-etymologia-onomatos/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-14|website=Daynight.gr|language=el|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714201715/https://www.daynight.gr/kriti/krhth-etymologia-onomatos/ |archive-date=14 July 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Λελάκης|first=Γεώργιος|title=Αιγαίο-ετυμολογίες νήσων|year=2008|language=Greek}}</ref>

The mountains have been seen as a key feature of the island's distinctiveness, especially since the time of Romantic travellers' writing. Contemporary Cretans distinguish between highlanders and lowlanders; the former often claim to reside in places affording a higher/better climatic and moral environment. In keeping with the legacy of Romantic authors, the mountains are seen as having determined their residents' 'resistance' to past invaders which relates to the oft-encountered idea that highlanders are 'purer' in terms of less intermarriages with occupiers.  

Average annual temperatures reach up to 21.6&nbsp;°C in [[Psari Forada]] which is located in South Crete. Crete holds the record for the highest temperatures ever recorded in [[Europe]] during October, November, January and February among most European weather stations.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://meteo.gr/article_view.cfm?entryID=2999 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105083816/https://meteo.gr/article_view.cfm?entryID=2999 | archive-date=5 November 2023 | title=Meteo.gr: Πανευρωπαϊκό ρεκόρ θερμοκρασιών οι 35 βαθμοί στην Κρήτη το Σάββατο 04/11 - Μεγάλο πλήθος και διασπορά φαινομένων στη χώρα }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://e-kairos.gr/records | title=Greece and Cyprus weather records - Temperature and precipitation records in Greece }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.meteo.gr/article_view.cfm?entryID=1591|title = Meteo.gr: Τα δύο ακραία πρόσωπα του καιρού στην Ευρώπη το Σ/Κ 9-10 Ιανουαρίου 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/vrysses/NOAAYR.TXT | title=32.1C February record Vryses NOA | publisher=[[National Observatory of Athens]] | access-date=14 February 2024 | archive-date=23 February 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223061409/http://penteli.meteo.gr/stations/vrysses/NOAAYR.TXT | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://stratus.meteo.noa.gr/data/bulletins/deltio_noa022010.pdf | title=NOA February 2010 climate bulletins | publisher=[[National Observatory of Athens]] | access-date=14 February 2024}}</ref> According to the [[Hellenic National Meteorological Service]], South Crete receives the most sunshine in [[Greece]] with more than 3,257 hours of sunshine per year.<ref name="Climatic Atlas of Greece">{{cite web | url=http://climatlas.hnms.gr/sdi/ | title=Climatic Atlas of Greece | publisher=[[Hellenic National Meteorological Service]] | access-date=4 August 2022}}</ref>

| blank_emblem_type  = Logo flag

| demographics2_footnotes  = <ref>{{citation|title=Population on 1 January by age, sex and NUTS 2 region|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/DEMO_R_D2JAN/default/table?lang=en|website=www.ec.europa.eu}}</ref>

|demographics2_info1      = €8.913 billion (2021)

As in many regions of Greece, [[viticulture]] and [[olive]] groves are significant; [[Orange (fruit)|oranges]], [[Greek citron|citrons]], [[avocado]]es and [[banana]]s<ref>{{Cite web |last=Τζιάλλα |first=Χριστίνα |date=2018-03-23 |title=Μπανάνες Κρήτης {{!}} |url=https://www.gastronomos.gr/agora/proionta/mpananes-kritis/54021/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Gastronomos.gr |language=el}}</ref> are also cultivated. Dairy products are important to the local economy and there are a number of specialty cheeses such as [[mizithra]], [[anthotyros]], and [[kefalotyri]]. 20% of Greek wine is produced in Crete, mostly in the region of Peza.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.crete.org.uk|title=Crete information|website=Crete}}</ref>

The island has three significant airports, [[Heraklion International Airport, "Nikos Kazantzakis"|Nikos Kazantzakis]] at Heraklion, the [[Chania International Airport|Daskalogiannis]] airport at Chania and the smaller [[Sitia Public Airport|Sitia]] airport. The first two serve international routes, acting as the main gateways to the island for travellers. Heraklion International Airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” served **4,610,002 passengers during the summer months of June–August 2024** (a 4.5 % increase year-over-year) and reached approximately **9,984,655 passengers from January to September 2024**, maintaining its status as Greece’s second-busiest airport.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-29 |title=Heraklion Airport Leads Greece’s 5% 2024 Summer Passenger Traffic Surge |url=https://cretorama.com/tourism-data/heraklion-airport-leads-greece-2004-summer-passenger-traffic-surge/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Cretorama |publisher=Cretorama.com}}</ref>Work has begun plan to replace Heraklion airport with a new airport at [[Kasteli Airport|Kasteli]], where there is presently an air force base, and the new Kasteli Airport is due to open by 2027.

Stone tools suggest that [[archaic humans]] may have visited Crete as early as 130,000 years ago, but there is no evidence of permanent settlement of the island until the [[Neolithic]], around 7,000 BCE.<ref>{{Citation |last=Day |first=Jo |title=Crete, Archaeology of |date=2018 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_1434-2 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology |pages=1–18 |access-date=2023-05-08 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-51726-1_1434-2 |isbn=978-3-319-51726-1|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Settlements dating to the [[aceramic]] Neolithic in the 7th millennium BC, used [[cattle]], [[Domestic sheep|sheep]], [[Domestic goat|goat]]s, [[pig]]s and [[dog]]s as well as domesticated [[cereal]]s and [[legume]]s; ancient [[Knossos]] was the site of one of these major Neolithic (then later Minoan) sites.<ref>C. Michael Hogan. 2007 [http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/10854/knossos.html#fieldnotes Knossos fieldnotes] The Modern Antiquarian</ref> Other neolithic settlements include those at [[Kephala]], [[Magasa, Crete|Magasa]], and [[Trapeza, Crete|Trapeza]].

During the [[Bronze Age]], Crete was the centre of the [[Minoan culture|Minoan civilization]], notable for its [[Minoan art|art]], its writing systems such as [[Linear A]], and for its massive building complexes including the palace at [[Knossos]]. Its economy benefited from a network of trade around much of the [[Mediterranean]], and Minoan cultural influence extended to [[Cyprus]], [[Canaan]], and [[Egypt]]. Some scholars have speculated that [[Greek mythology|legends]] such as that of the [[minotaur]] have a historical basis in Minoan times.

 

During the 6th to 4th centuries BC, Crete was comparatively free from warfare. The [[Gortyn code]] (5th century BC) is evidence for how codified [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] established a balance between aristocratic power and civil rights. In the late 4th century BC, the aristocratic order began to collapse due to endemic infighting among the elite, and Crete's economy was weakened by prolonged wars between city states. During the 3rd century BC, [[Gortyn]], Kydonia ([[Chania]]), [[Lyctus|Lyttos]] and [[Polyrrhenia]] challenged the primacy of ancient Knossos.

While the cities continued to prey upon one another, they invited into their feuds mainland powers like [[Macedon]] and its rivals [[Rhodes]] and [[Ptolemaic Egypt]]. In 220 BC the island was tormented by a [[Lyttian War|war between two opposing coalitions of cities]]. As a result, the Macedonian king [[Philip V of Macedon|Philip V]] gained [[hegemony]] over Crete which lasted to the end of the [[Cretan War (205–200 BC)]], when the [[Rhodes|Rhodians]] opposed the rise of Macedon and the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] started to interfere in Cretan affairs. In the 2nd century BC Ierapytna ([[Ierapetra]]) gained supremacy on eastern Crete.

In the 820s, after 900 years as a Roman island, Crete was captured by Andalusian [[Muwallad]]s led by [[Abu Hafs (pirate)|Abu Hafs]],<ref name="Iberia">Reinhart Dozy, ''Histoire des Musulmans d'Espagne: jusqu'à la conquête de l'Andalousie par les Almoravides'' (French) pg. 711–1110, Leiden, 1861 & 1881, 2nd edition</ref> who established the [[Emirate of Crete]]. The Byzantines launched a campaign that took most of the island back in 842 and 843 under [[Theoktistos]]. Further Byzantine campaigns in 911 and 949 failed. In 960–61, [[Nikephoros II|Nikephoros Phokas]]' [[Siege of Chandax|campaign]] restored Crete to the Byzantine Empire, after a century and a half of Arab control.

In 961, [[Nikephoros II Phokas|Nikephoros Phokas]] returned the island to Byzantine rule after expelling the Arabs.{{sfn|Panagiotakis|1987|p=XVI}} Extensive efforts at conversion of the populace were undertaken, led by [[John Xenos]] and [[Nikon the Metanoeite|Nikon "the Metanoeite"]].{{sfn|Gregory|Kazhdan|1991|pp=545–546}}{{sfn|Treadgold|1997|p=495}} The reconquest of Crete was a major achievement for the Byzantines, as it restored Byzantine control over the Aegean littoral and diminished the threat of [[Saracen]] pirates, for which Crete had provided a base of operations.

[[File:I Creta - Buondelmonti Cristoforo - 1420.jpg|thumb|250px|right|upright|Fifteenth century map by [[Cristoforo Buondelmonti|Buondelmonti]].]]

[[File:Bell tower of church Megali Panagia -2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|View of the Old Venetian Town of [[Rethymno]].]]

[[File:Kreta - Iraklion - Venezianische Loggia.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Venetian Loggia, [[Heraklion]].]]

Under the rule of the Catholic [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]], the city of [[Heraklion|Candia]] was reputed to be the best fortified city of the [[Eastern Mediterranean]].<ref name="Greene">M. Greene. 2001. Ruling an island without a navy: A comparative view of Venetian and Ottoman Crete. ''Oriente moderno'', 20(81), 193–207</ref> The three main forts were located at [[Gramvousa]], [[Spinalonga]], and [[Fortezza Castle|Fortezza]] at Rethymnon. Other fortifications include the [[Kazarma fortress]] at Sitia and [[Frangokastello]] in Sfakia.

[[File:Aerial view of the Old Venetian Harbour in Chania, Greece.jpg|thumb|right|250px|View of the Old Venetian Harbour of [[Chania]].]]

[[Islamic]] presence on the island, aside from the interlude of the [[Emirate of Crete|Arab occupation]], was cemented by the [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Ottoman conquest]]. Most [[Cretan Muslims]] were local Greek converts who spoke Cretan [[Greek language|Greek]], but in the island's 19th-century political context they came to be viewed by the Christian population as Turks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Tziovas |first=Dimitris |title=Greece and the Balkans: Identities, Perceptions and Cultural Encounters Since the Enlightenment |publisher=Routledge |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-7546-0998-8 |location=London }}</ref>{{pages needed|date=November 2024}} Contemporary estimates vary, but in 1830, as much as 45% of the population of the island may have been Muslim.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Yale |first=William |url=https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.537153 |title=The Near East: A Modern History |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=1958 |location=Ann Arbor |pages=129–145 |chapter=IX: Trouble in Crete and the Balkans |lccn=58-62524 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

A number of [[Sufi]] orders were widespread throughout the island, the [[Bektashi]] order being the most prevalent,<ref name="Morrow2019–28">{{Cite book |last=Morrow |first=John Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LTWEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA28 |title=Finding W. D. Fard: Unveiling the Identity of the Founder of the Nation of Islam |date=2019 |publisher=[[Cambridge Scholars Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-5275-2489-7 |page=28 |language=en |quote=...Cretan Muslims used Greek to express their Bektashi Islamic sentiment. After all, Islam in Crete was profoundly influenced by the Bektahi Sufi Order.}}</ref> possessing at least five [[tekkes]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} Many Cretan Muslims fled Crete because of sectarian violence, settling in Turkey, Rhodes, Syria, Libya and elsewhere.<ref name="Ionian">{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Michael Llewellyn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E4OuoSFztt8C&pg=RA1-PA86 |title=Ionian Vision: Greece in Asia Minor, 1919–1922 |date=1998 |publisher=Hurst |isbn=978-1-85065-368-4 |pages=87–88}}</ref> By 1900, 11% of the population was Muslim. Those remaining were relocated in the 1924 [[population exchange between Greece and Turkey]].<ref name=":0" />{{pages needed|date=November 2024}}

 

The [[Cretan Revolt (1866–69)|Cretan Revolt of 1866–1869]] or Great Cretan Revolution ({{langx|el|links=no|Κρητική Επανάσταση του 1866}}) was a three-year uprising against Ottoman rule, the third and largest in a series of revolts between the end of the Greek War of Independence in 1830 and the establishment of the independent Cretan State in 1898. A particular event which caused strong reactions among the liberal circles of western Europe was the ''Holocaust of Arkadi''. The event occurred in November 1866, as a large Ottoman force besieged the [[Arkadi Monastery]], which served as the headquarters of the rebellion.{{cn|date=July 2025}}  

 

Following the collapse of fronts elsewhere in Europe, German forces evacuated most of Crete in October 1944 leaving an area including Chania under occupation. The following year the day after [[VE Day]] the remaining Germans under Generalmajor [[Hans-Georg Benthack]] surrendered at [[Knossos]] to British Major-General [[Colin Callander]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Crete: The Battle and the Resistance |first=Antony |last=Beevor |author-link=Antony Beevor |page=176 |publisher=John Murray |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7195-6831-2}}</ref>

Crete is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Greece. In 2023, Crete welcomed exactly 6.3 million visitors, who stayed on average 5.4 days on the island, reflecting significant overtourism pressure on coastal infrastructure.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-10 |title=The Undesired Impacts of Overtourism in the Island of Crete, Greece |url=https://www.multiresearchjournal.com/admin/uploads/archives/archive-1729330231.pdf |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies (via MultiResearchJournal.com) |publisher=CIHEAM‑MAICh & Technical University of Crete}}</ref>15% of all arrivals in Greece come through the city of Heraklion (port and airport), while charter journeys to Heraklion make up about 20% of all charter flights in Greece.<ref>{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729001912/https://greece4u.com.gr/destination/crete/|date=29 July 2020}}</ref> The number of hotel beds on the island increased by 53% in the period between 1986 and 1991.  

There are museums throughout Crete, most notably the [[Heraklion Archaeological Museum]] which displays most of the archaeological finds from the Minoan era.<ref>[http://www.explorecrete.com/archaeology/antiquities-crete.html Archaeological sites and Museums in Crete] ExploreCrete.com</ref> Other notable museums include the [[Maritime Museum of Crete]], the [[Archaeological Museum of Chania]], and the WW2 museum in Platinias.<ref>{{Cite web |last=AllinCrete |date=2018-11-10 |title=World War 2 Shelter of Platanias in Chania |url=https://www.allincrete.com/war-shelter-of-platanias-chania/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=AllinCrete Travel Guide for Crete |language=en-US}}</ref>

File:Ophrys cretica-001.jpg|The ''[[Ophrys cretica]]'' orchid

Crete has a strong association with ancient [[Greek gods]] but is also connected with the [[Minoan civilization]]. According to [[Greek mythology]], the [[Psychro Cave|Diktaean Cave]] at Mount [[Dikti]] was the birthplace of the god [[Zeus]]. The [[Paximadia]] islands were the birthplace of the goddess [[Artemis]] and the god [[Apollo]] {{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}. Their mother, the goddess [[Leto]], was worshipped at [[Phaistos]]. The goddess [[Athena]] bathed in Lake Voulismeni. Zeus launched a lightning bolt at a giant lizard that was threatening Crete. The lizard immediately turned to stone and became the lizard-shaped island of [[Dia (island)|Dia]], which can be seen from Knossos. The islets of [[Souda (island)|Lefkai]] were the result of a musical contest between the [[Siren (mythology)|Siren]]s and the [[Muses]]. The Muses were so anguished to have lost that they plucked the feathers from the wings of their rivals; the Sirens turned white and fell into the sea at [[Aptera, Greece|Aptera]] ("featherless"), where they formed the islands in the bay that were called Lefkai (the islands of [[Souda (island)|Souda]] and [[Leon (Souda Bay)|Leon]]).<ref>Caroline M. Galt, "A marble fragment at Mount Holyoke College from the Cretan city of Aptera", ''Art and Archaeology'' '''6''' (1920:150).</ref> [[Heracles]], in one of his labors, took the [[Cretan bull]] to the Peloponnese. [[Europa (consort of Zeus)|Europa]] and Zeus made love at [[Gortys]] and conceived the kings of Crete: [[Rhadamanthys]], [[Sarpedon (brother of Minos)|Sarpedon]], and Minos.

The [[labyrinth]] of the [[Palace of Knossos]] was the setting for the myth of [[Theseus#Minotaur|Theseus and the Minotaur]] in which the Minotaur was slain by Theseus. [[Icarus]] and [[Daedalus]] were captives of King Minos and crafted wings to escape. After his death, King Minos became a judge of the dead in [[Hades]], while [[Rhadamanthys]] became the ruler of the [[Elysium|Elysian fields]].

Crete has many football clubs playing in the local leagues. During the 2011–12 season, [[OFI Crete]], which plays at [[Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium]] (Iraklion), and [[Ergotelis F.C.]], which plays at the [[Pankritio Stadium]] (Iraklion) were both members of the [[Superleague Greece|Greek Superleague]]. During the 2012–13 season, OFI Crete, which plays at [[Theodoros Vardinogiannis Stadium]] (Iraklion), and [[Platanias F.C.]], which plays at the Perivolia Municipal Stadium, near Chania, are both members of the [[Superleague Greece|Greek Superleague]].

* [[Vitsentzos Kornaros]], Renaissance author from Sitia, who lived in Heraklion (then Candia)

* [[Domenikos Theotokopoulos]] (El Greco), Renaissance artist, born in [[Heraklion]]

* [[Nikos Xilouris]], famous composer and singer.

* [[Psarantonis]], Cretan folk singer and [[Cretan lyra]] player and brother of [[Nikos Xilouris]].

* [[Nikos Kazantzakis]], author, born in Heraklion, 7 times suggested for the Nobel Prize

* [[Odysseas Elytis]], poet, awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1979, born in [[Heraklion]]<ref>[http://www.cretanbeaches.com/en/home/577-elytis.html Odysseas Elytis]{{Dead link|date=September 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by Alexandros Roniotis, CretanBeaches.com.</ref>

* [[Eleftherios Venizelos]], former Greek Prime Minister, born in [[Chania Prefecture]]

* [[Konstantinos Mitsotakis]], nephew of [[Eleftherios Venizelos]] and father to [[Kyriakos Mitsotakis]], the [[Prime Minister]] of [[Greece]].

* [[Daskalogiannis]], leader of the [[Orlov Revolt]] in Crete in 1770

* [[John Aniston]] (Giannis Anastasakis), Greek-American actor, father of [[Jennifer Aniston]]

* [[Nana Mouskouri]], singer, born in Chania

* [[Michalis Kourmoulis]], leader of the [[Greek War of Independence]] from [[Messara Plain|Messara]].

* [[Eleni Daniilidou]], tennis player, born in Chania

* [[Louis Tikas]], Greek-American labor union leader

* [[Tess Fragoulis]], Greek-Canadian writer, born in Heraklion

* [[Nick Dandolos]], a.k.a. Nick the Greek, professional gambler and high roller

* [[Joseph Sifakis]], a computer scientist, laureate of the 2007 [[Turing Award]], born in [[Heraklion]] in 1946

* [[Constantinos Daskalakis]], Associate Professor at MIT's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department

* [[George Karniadakis]], Professor of Applied Mathematics at Brown University; and Research Scientist at MIT

* [[George Psychoundakis]], a shepherd, a war hero and an author

* [[Georgios Kalaitzakis|Georgos Kalaitzakis]], [[Greeks|Greek]] professional basketball player for the [[Tigers Tübingen]] of the German [[Basketball Bundesliga]] is from [[Heraklion]], Crete

 

[[Category:Aegean islands]]