Search:
taxis

The Labyrinth of Crete

The Labyrinth of Crete is situated circa 3 km northeast from the archaeological site of Gortys at central Crete. It is an underground quarry in marly limestone, excavated probably during the Roman Period. It was first described and mapped in the 18th and 19th centuries. More detailed descriptions have been published recently. The cave comprises 2.5 km of corridors, leading to or connecting small and larger rooms covering almost an area of one hectare.The Labyrinth of Gortys is connected to Greek Mythology and more especially to Theseus and Minotaurus, at least from the 9th century A.D.. According to many Travellers' reports and 16th century maps, the Labyrinth of Gortys was one of the first and most significant Cretan attractions, at least from the beginning of the 15th century. Visits were relatively organized, with Greek guides leading the visitors inside to the cave. These guided tours were carried on until at least the Second World War. From the beginning of the 15th century, many Travelers to Crete visited the Labyrinth, and stressed the existence of the numerous inscriptions they were shown on the cave's walls. The first was that of Christophoro Buondelmonti who visited Labyrinth on 1415. The inscriptions made by the visitors of the famous cave are found mostly on the walls of the rooms -especially the more distant ones- but also on the walls of the corridors and the rubble-stone interior walls.In 1999 the Department of Crete of the Hellenic Speleological Society started a project for the inventory of the inscriptions found in the so-called Labyrinth of Gortys. More than 2,000 inscriptions have been inventoried so far.

Channel: Travel & Events
Uploaded: January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am
Author: Ferrumequinum

Length: 08:36
Rating: 4.81
Views: 20105

Tags: cave caves Crete Greece Labyrinth speleology

Video Comments

HER2PIT (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

paidia afto to meros eine telio xanese exo pai eine 45 klm apo to heraclio konta stis moires.

Charmanderdude001 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

Did u see the minotaur???? i want to see bit some day or even the cyclops cuz we are learning greek mytholegy in soc. studies

zaratan88 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

which song is this?

nixter888 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

this is not[correction].

nixter888 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

This not the only place that the labyrinth exists!!!!The entire CRETE,IN A LABYRINTH!!!TSOUTSOUROS,INSIDE THE ASTEROUSIA MOUNTS,KERATOKAMPOS,and more!!!there lies the TRUTH of the world!!!THE GOLDEN BOAT!!!! THE GOLDEN TREES, THE ASCLEPION,the workshop of DAIDALOS,the ancient port with electricity,the U.F.O,the astrophysical finds,the pyramids,the secret of Epimenides,who slept for 57 years,inside the cave,and more!!!

ellasAZ (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

Only God knows what "used to exist" in there, the whole of Crete is a labyrinth, Americans in the 60s have taken 6 trucks full of ancient archeological finds from the Tsoutsouros caves, and they paid to rebuild 3 universities in Greece! Can anyone imagine the value of these artifacts? Many of these artifacts are stored in the basements of the Heracleion museum too, and no one is talking about it, but we know, many Greeks know! Why are they hiden? Maybe it is time to show the world?

fotoman4u2 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

I used to play in there when I was a child....spooky!

fasatos (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

i live in Moires city 2 Km from this place ....i remember my self when iam a kid with my friends to be in the Labyrinth and take small bombs and i sell them for the metal ...the Germans they have made Labyrinth a storeage full of weapens and when they lost the war the last day they destroy this 2000 years memory of Crete History ....now they come the sons of the wgho they make so many terrorism in our Country and they talk for "Crete History"...

Katana991 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

And why did they do that?

ellada08 (January 1, 1970 at 12:59 am)

germans filled the labyrinth with bombs...Still there..