ANCIENT CITY OF GURNIA (GURNIA MINOIKI POLISHED)
Ancient city preserved in Gournia near the isthmus of Ierapetra and overlooking the bay of Mirabello.
The ancient city of Gournia was discovered in 1901, about the same time as Knossos. Its state of conservation is rather correct (from where the nickname "the Cretan Pompey") since one can stroll between the lanes and go up to the Minoan palace which overhangs a hill. The site, located near the isthmus of Ierapetra, is superb and overlooks the bay of Mirabello. In the background, on the left, you can see Agios Nikolaos.
It is probable that the ancient city reached as far as the sea. The numerous objects found on the spot attest that Gournia was an important city, probably a big economic and social center in the region, especially around 1500 B.C. These are the ruins that we see today: the palace (where the local archon sat) dominating a city with many craftsmen, a relatively large square must have served as a market. The city was definitively abandoned in 1200 BC.
The location of Gournia certainly made it an exceptional place, only 12 km from the south coast, at the narrowest point between the two coasts. It is therefore likely that a road connected Gournia, in the north, to Ierapetra, in the south, to ensure connections between the two seas. Little visited, this site is very evocative. We advise you to go there early in the morning for a nice light and not too much sun. In the evening, at sunset time, the vision of this site from the road going up to the east is simply magical.
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