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The Island Civilization of Minoan Crete 
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The wild and lovely island of Crete, set in the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea, has been the birthplace of countless legends retold over many centuries: King Minos ruling its dark blue seas and ninety splendid cities; the sacrifice of seven youths and seven maidens every nine years to the monstrous man-headed bull, the Minotaur, kept in the Labyrinth designed by the great engineer Daedalus. Yet these fantastic tales were shown to have at least some links with the past, as archaeological excavations at the start of the 20th century uncovered the remains of a civilization long buried and forgotten. The civilization, known as Minoan (so named by Sir Arthur Evans, the man who unearthed Knossos, the best-known of its ruined palaces), lasted over a millennium and a half, from around 3000 BC, spanning the transition from the Neolithic to the more sophisticated Bronze Age. The brilliant Minoan civilization reached a high level of prosperity for several centuries before its ultimate demise which may have been touched off by the earthquake, infernos and ash-falls associated with the catastrophic Thera (present-day Santorini) eruption.
The Minoans can be said to have ushered in the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean, that period when men discovered how to manufacture bronze by smelting copper alloys and tin ores. Bronze was used not only to manufacture beautiful and deadly swords, but also many other fine artifacts. Nowadays, historians and archaeologists regard Bronze Age Crete as of great significance; the first naval power known to history, a land where people lived in unwalled cities in peace and prosperity, a culture able to create and support the finest art, from tiny carved sealstones to the superbly detailed frescoes adorning the walls of the great palaces. The Minoan civilization left its mark on many aspects of the societies around it, and those that came after it. With good reason it has been hailed as the first experiment in European civilization: its inhabitants invented an efficient administrative system, with records probably based on an early alphabet (Linear A); their fine ships and seafaring knowhow supported thriving export and commercial activities; their skilled artisans were at the heart of a flourishing fine arts and craft industry. Little wonder that we see Minoan Crete as enjoying an attractive, even sophisticated life style.
The sea around Crete also deeply influenced the Minoan civilization and style. Crete became a major maritime power, and their development of maritime technology allowed the Minoans to trade with all the then known world in the eastern Mediterranean. Its commercial links with the main trading centres stretched from the Greek world to the Middle Eastern enclaves and the great kingdom of Egypt, creating important political and cultural bonds. The marine element had a marked influence on Minoan art and artifacts, as can be seen in the detailed and complex representations of sea life in a rich variety of vases, sealstones and many other beautiful objects.
Santorini 1957 Volcano eruption
Though Minoan Crete suffered from repeated volcanic eruptions from volcanoes in the central Aegean, it was able to recover from the destruction and damages caused, not only restoring Minoan Crete to its previous glory but enlarging and even improving it. However, the final eruption of the Thera (Santorini) volcano (perhaps around 1450 BC) was so devastating that it annihilated towns, villages and settlements and laid waste the surrounding countryside. It must also have caused havoc to the ships of the Minoan navy, and completely destroyed its thriving commerce. The downfall of the Minoan civilization was compounded by the invasion of the warlike Myceneans from the Peloponnese and mainland Greece, though these were to be conquered in their turn by other invaders from the north.
The Minoans and their civilization passed out of the realm of history and were totally forgotten, apart from the myths and legends that lived on in folk memory. However, in the late 19th century several eminent archaeologists came to Crete, each pursuing different archeological goals. Their activities provided an impetus which, after painstaking excavations, led to the stunning rediscovery of the legendary world of the Minoans. Proof again that the epic poetry of Homer was not entirely based on fantasy.
"Out on the dark blue sea there lies a rich and lovely land called Crete that is densely populated and boasts ninety cities. One of the ninety cities is called Knosos and there for nine years King Minos ruled and enjoyed the friendship of the mighty Zeus".
The Cretan sea, celebrated in so many ways by the Minoans in their art, is still a source of inspiration to us today. We keep alive the spirit of the past by means of up-to-date and state-of-the-art facilities.. Thalassocosmos, a modern sea-water aquarium, the largest of its kind in the eastern Mediterranean, is dedicated to research and education as well as touristic activities, always carried out in the spirit of the seafaring Minoans. The aquarium is located at the former US army base in Gournes and is easily accessible from Heraklion.
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