Ancient Zominthos

Zominthos is a Minoan mountain site in the Psiloritis range of central Crete, above the road that climbs from Anogia to the Nida plateau. The site is a single large building rather than a town, and its position on the old route to the sacred cave of Ideon Andron is what makes it unusual. Excavation began in the 1980s and has not finished.

Where Zominthos is

The ancient site of Zominthos lies in the Psiloritis range, 7km west of Anogia, on the road leading to the Nida plateau. Zominthos was discovered in 1982 and is considered one of the most significant archaeological finds in Crete, often compared to Knossos.

The nearest village is the mountain town the road starts from. Anogeia lies 4.7 km east of the site and is where most visitors stay, eat or turn around, since there is nothing but pasture between the village and the plateau.

How Zominthos was found

During archaeological work in the cave of Ideon Andron in 1982, the archaeologist Yiannis Sakellarakis spoke with a local shepherd who mentioned the name Zominthos. Sakellarakis realised at once that the name referred to an ancient location. He visited the site the next day and identified traces of a Minoan mansion.

What the excavation has uncovered

Excavations are still running, conducted by the Greek Archaeological Service and the University of Heidelberg. Archaeologists have so far uncovered a large and richly built structure covering 1360 square metres, constructed from local stone and made up of around 80 rooms. The building stood two or three storeys high, and its walls were plastered with clay for insulation and painted with murals. A smaller Mycenaean building has been found nearby.

A complex of that size at an altitude of 1200m is unusual. It is believed to have been closed during the winter months because of snow.

Dates and the route to Ideon Andron

The building was constructed around 1900 BC, reached its peak in 1600 BC and was destroyed in 1400 BC, likely by an earthquake. Zominthos was one of the most prominent Minoan settlements, and it is thought to have been a station for Minoans visiting the sacred cave of Ideon Andron. The site sits on the ancient trail that began at Knossos, passed through the gorge of Kroussonas and the Livadi Plateau, and then through Zominthos, where a sacred spring rose at the site of the current church of Saint Marina. According to Homer, King Minos visited Ideon Andron every nine years to receive laws for his people, so Zominthos may also have been built to accommodate Minos on those visits.

Zominthos as a trading station

Zominthos also appears to have served as a financial and organisational centre for trading Cretan cypress, along with the agricultural products and livestock of the Ida range. Scripts from Knossos mention thousands of sheep, which likely came from Ida.

The landscape around the site

Archaeologists are working to reconstruct the physical environment Zominthos stood in. The task is comparatively straightforward, because there has been no human presence here for centuries and the natural environment has remained intact. A large hawthorn tree inside the archaeological site has been officially declared a monument of nature.

Things to do around Zominthos

Four places worth building a day around lie within 10 km of the site, listed nearest first.

1. Stop in Anogeia, 4.7 km east, the mountain village the road to Nida starts from.
2. Visit Halepa Monastery, 9.5 km from the site on the northern slope of the range.
3. Walk Rouvas Gorge, 9.9 km south, which cuts down the far side of Psiloritis.
4. See Diskouri Monastery, also 9.9 km away, on the Rethymno side of the mountain.

Other sites on the Psiloritis roads

Six more sites and monasteries lie on the mountain roads out of the Psiloritis range. Each is a longer drive from Zominthos than the four places nearest the excavation, so they suit a second day rather than the same afternoon.

• Saint George Gorgolainis Monastery stands on the Heraklion side of the massif.
• Agios Nikolaos Monastery sits above Zaros, at the mouth of the Rouvas gorge.
• Vrontissi monastery at Vorizia lies on the southern foothills.
• Archaeological Area Tylissos holds three Minoan villas on the road back towards Heraklion.
• Ancient Rizinia and the Silva Daskalaki Winery are both further southeast, near Venerato.

Getting to Zominthos

Drive up to Anogia and take the Nida plateau road west for 7 km, and the site lies beside it. The route is a mountain road with no bus service, so a car is the only practical way to arrive. Snow closes the plateau road in parts of winter, which is the same reason the Minoan building is thought to have stood empty in the cold months.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Zominthos?

Zominthos lies 7 km west of Anogia in the Psiloritis range, on the road to the Nida plateau. The site stands at an altitude of 1200 m, which is high enough that the building was probably shut through the winter.

How was Zominthos discovered?

A local shepherd mentioned the name Zominthos to the archaeologist Yiannis Sakellarakis in 1982, during work at the cave of Ideon Andron. Sakellarakis recognised the name as an ancient one, went to the spot the next day and found traces of a Minoan mansion.

How big is the building at Zominthos?

The excavated building covers 1360 square metres and has around 80 rooms. It was two or three storeys high, built of local stone, plastered with clay for insulation and decorated with murals, and a smaller Mycenaean building stands nearby.

How old is Zominthos?

The building went up around 1900 BC, peaked in 1600 BC and was destroyed in 1400 BC, probably by an earthquake. Excavation continues today under the Greek Archaeological Service and the University of Heidelberg.

Why was Zominthos built so high in the mountains?

Zominthos sits on the ancient trail from Knossos to the sacred cave of Ideon Andron, and is thought to have been a station for Minoans making that journey. The building also worked as a centre for trading Cretan cypress, farm produce and the livestock of the Ida range.