Gortys the Roman mitropolis

Gortys or Gortina is a large place in the centre of the Messara plain. Just outside the village of Aghia Deka is the vast city. A road to the left, to the site of mitropolis, crosses the site.
You find here all the major building of Gortys.
Basilica of Saint Titus Back to the mainroad you passes one of the most ancient churches still existing in Crete. The basilica of St. Titus. Only the nave of the church has survived time.
Behind the church is the famous Odeon with, behind a fence, the laws of Gortys. The laws were made during Roman time, but are written in Greek. The roots of the laws goes back to Minoan time They give an idea, what justice was in those days.
The famous lawcode of Gortyna If you go further in the valley to the slope of the maintain, you find a big plane-tree. It is said, that Zeus, after arriving in Crete, brought Europe to this place. Here Zeus made love for the first time with Europe. And after nine moths little Minos was born.
And a custom is, that young we Odeon of Gortyna dded couples have to come to this place and pick a leave of the plane-tree for fertility.
Looking up to the top of the maintain you can see the acropolis. From here you have a magnificent view over a large part of the Messara plain and the city of Gortys.
The famous law-code From the mountain you can still see part of the aquaduct, that brought water to Gortys from the well of Zaros about 15 km away from Gortys. Today the wells are still active.
a part of the low-code text And in Zaros the running water provides a good possibility to breed trout. In and around Zaros there are taverns where you can eat the fish (Pestrofas) in all kind of variations.
But back on the ground again.
Opposite the Odeon and the church, a little back to Aghia Deka, you find the city of Gortys, where the public baths are and the Praetorium.
During the Roman occupation in Crete the old Greek and Minoan habits still remain. That's why you find beside the Roman deities also the Greek ones, like Britomartis and Dyktynna.

	Gortys Gortys or Gortina is a large place in the centre of the Messara plain. Just outside the village of Aghia Deka is the vast city. A road to the left, to the site of mitropolis, crosses the site. You find here all the major building of Gortys. Back to the mainroad you passes one of the most ancient churches still existing in Crete. The basilica of St. Titus. Only the nave of the church has survived time. Behind the church is the famous Odeon with, behind a fence, the laws of Gortys. The laws were made during Roman time, but are written in Greek. The roots of the laws goes back to Minoan time They give an idea, what justice was in those days. If you go further in the valley to the slope of the maintain, you find a big plane-tree. It is said, that Zeus, after arriving in Crete, brought Europe to this place. Here Zeus made love for the first time with Europe. And after nine moths little Minos was born. And a custom is, that young wedded couples have to come to this place and pick a leave of the plane-tree for fertility. Looking up to the top of the maintain you can see the acropolis. From here you have a magnificent view over a large part of the Messara plain and the city of Gortys. From the mountain you can still see part of the aquaduct, that brought water to Gortys from the well of Zaros about 15 km away from Gortys. Today the wells are still active. And in Zaros the running water provides a good possibility to breed trout. In and around Zaros there are taverns where you can eat the fish (Pestrofas) in all kind of variations. But back on the ground again. Opposite the Odeon and the church, a little back to Aghia Deka, you find the city of Gortys, where the public baths are and the Praetorium. During the Roman occupation in Crete the old Greek and Minoan habits still remain. That's why you find beside the Roman deities also the Greek ones, like Britomartis and Dyktynna.