Gortys

Gortys, also known as Gortyn or Gortyna is one of the most important cities in Crete with an unbroken history of 6,000 years and one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Greece. It lies in south central Crete in the fertile Mesara plain, the site of the first human habitation of Crete at the end of the Neolithic period (5th millennium BC). One of the remarkable characteristic of the area is the Ancient Palace of Gortyna that was the Ancient Roman Capital of Crete. There exists the intact Inscription of the code of ancient Greek law written on stones, dating back to 450 B.C and also one can see the site of the “Odeon”, a Roman Amphitheatre and the ruins of the Saint Titus Church – the first Christian Church on the island. Gortys is about 40 minutes drive south of Heraklion.