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ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA OF ANCIENT LYKASTOS

The area between Mount Giouchtas and Prophet Elias.

Ancient Lykastos.

From the ancient city remains merely the name of the settlement that meets for the first time in 1212 as a property of the monastery of Panagia of Sina. Site which today is believed located west of Giouhtas, 2 km. by kanli Kastelli (Prophet Elias) and 300 m. from the 'Temenos', to the NORTHEAST.

In this region, and specifically in the place there is Bitsila or Bisala property already documented from late Antiquity which indicate a continuous human presence in space. Refers to the cities that participated in the Trojan campaign, while in historical times the captured and destroyed the Knossos. Later conquered by the Gortinioi, who granted the town Rafkos. In 185 BC, the Roman Ambassador Appius yielded a part of town (the Lykastio) at Knossos and the rest (the Diatonio) to Lyktioys.

Post Bitsila-Bitsiles or Bisala is located west of Giouhtas, 2 km. by Kanli Kastelli (Prophet Elias) and 300 m. from the mosque, to the NORTHEAST. Researchers report that in this place there was a Minoan settlement and possibly Acropolis. In 1956, the SP. Marinatos uncovered ruins of a Minoan settlement with evidence of palatial building. The study of movable findings and building relics led him to formulate the opinion that the settlement flourished from the beginning of the AM season to LM III years.

Little research has been done in this area. The first excavation was made by Stylianos Alexiou in 1950 and brought to light vases and bronze objects. In 1955-56 the archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos, revealed remains of a Minoan settlement with evidence of palatial building. The study of movable findings and building relics led him to formulate the opinion that the settlement flourished from the beginning of the AM season to LM III years. The area was surveyed later by G. and E. Sakellarakis who reached similar conclusions. They found that the settlement extending over an area of approximately 18 acres, has a powerful AM and LM wall in the South propylon, LM "Holy" with column, "sacred house" with carved stones, drain and ladder. In all of the places found significant findings (e.g. bell cup figurines which justify the hypothesis regarding the existence of a sanctuary in the area).

Today, apart from the scattered shells there is something else that is reminiscent of the ancient city. The visitor can admire the wonderful nature of the region and to continue to the castle of Temenos or to the sacred mountain in the opposite direction.

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