CRETE - history

The Prince
Minoan mural painting. HISTORY
Crete is particularly interesting for his history and its archeological sites. The Minoan Kingdom developed a civilization that distinguished Crete as Europe’s earliest civilization and lasted from about 2000 to 1400 B.C. The Minoans had an advanced society, based on a maritime trading empire. They were lively, pleasure loving and sensuous people. They liked the bright colors, the complex games (they played a version of backgammon) and the elegant clothes. Their art costitutes the most qualified phenomenon of the protostoric culture and consists an introduction to the classic Greek culture. Their homes, sometimes five storeys high, had light-wells and set-back terraces. Their palaces contained a plumbing system (they even had water closets) unmatched for sanitery nicety until victorian times. The most important cities from that era are Festos and Knossos. This civilization survived 3 major natural disasters. Every single time the cities were destroyed, but each time they were rebuilt in a unique way and based on stronger grounds.
Because of Crete’s position, close to North Africa (Egypt) and to Asia Minor, the island’s culture and history was greatly influenced by different civilizations during the centuries and was the meeting point between east and west.

Minoan mural painting.		HISTORY Crete is particularly interesting for his history and its archeological sites. The Minoan Kingdom developed a civilization that distinguished Crete as Europe’s earliest civilization and lasted from about 2000 to 1400 B.C. The Minoans had an advanced society, based on a maritime trading empire. They were lively, pleasure loving and sensuous people. They liked the bright colors, the complex games (they played a version of backgammon) and the elegant clothes. Their art costitutes the most qualified phenomenon of the protostoric culture and consists an introduction to the classic Greek culture. Their homes, sometimes five storeys high, had light-wells and set-back terraces. Their palaces contained a plumbing system (they even had water closets) unmatched for sanitery nicety until victorian times. The most important cities from that era are Festos and Knossos. This civilization survived 3 major natural disasters. Every single time the cities were destroyed, but each time they were rebuilt in a unique way and based on stronger grounds. Because of Crete’s position, close to North Africa (Egypt) and to Asia Minor, the island’s culture and history was greatly influenced by different civilizations during the centuries and was the meeting point between east and west.

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