Minoan Settlement of Kastelli
The Minoan settlement of Kastelli is the remains of a Bronze Age town within the modern town of Kastelli, in the Pediada district about 40 km from Heraklion. Kastelli’s main Minoan building, a large two-storey structure, can still be seen in the town’s square of Agios Georgios.
People lived on this low hill on the east side of the Pediada plain as early as the Neolithic period. The Municipality of Minoa Pediada records finds from the Neolithic, Minoan, Hellenistic, Byzantine and Venetian periods.
The first settlements at Kastelli
The first settlements at Kastelli stood where the town’s central square, Meidani, is today. Excavation there has produced Neolithic objects, together with buildings and finds from Early Minoan I and II and from Middle Minoan I and II.
The central building in Agios Georgios square
The central building in Agios Georgios square is the core of the Neopalatial settlement, the town of the later Minoan palace period. The settlement grew up around this two-storey building, which was of monumental size and carefully built.
The building had 8 rooms. One of them appears to have served as a store for vessels. Another was a hall with a polythyron, a Minoan partition of several doorways side by side, and it was used for religious activities.
The central building remained in use until Late Minoan IB, the period that ended around 1450 BC, when it was destroyed. In Late Minoan III the settlement came under the influence of Knossos.
Kastelli after the Minoans
Kastelli after the Minoans remained a settlement. Its Hellenistic town seems to have been destroyed around 220 BC, perhaps in the same raid in which Knossos destroyed the neighbouring city of Lyktos.
Remains from the Byzantine and Venetian phases of the town have also been excavated.
A different find at Kastelli in 2024
A different Minoan find at Kastelli made news in 2024, and it is a separate site from the settlement described here. The Greek Ministry of Culture announced a structure about 48 m across, covering about 1,800 m² on a hilltop at Kastelli, as a find without parallel in Minoan archaeology.
Things to do near Kastelli
The Kastelli settlement has 8 villages and sites within 6 km, listed below from nearest to furthest.
- Explore the rest of Kastelli town, around the square.
- Visit the village of Kato Karouzana, 2.6 km north-east.
- See the remains of ancient Lyktos, 3.5 km east.
- Drive to Kastamonitsa, 3.9 km south-east.
- Head south to Agia Paraskevi, 4.1 km away.
- Stop in the village of Askoi, 4.3 km east.
- Continue north to Lagou, 4.9 km away.
- Visit Geraki, 5.7 km south.
Getting to Kastelli
Kastelli lies about 40 km from Heraklion, on a low hill on the east side of the Pediada plain. The Minoan remains are in the town itself, in the square of Agios Georgios.
Heraklion airport is the nearest airport. Further west, Agarathos Monastery stands 8.5 km from the settlement.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Minoan settlement of Kastelli?
The Minoan settlement of Kastelli is within the modern town of Kastelli in Pediada, about 40 km from Heraklion, and its main building can be seen in Agios Georgios square.
How old is Kastelli?
Kastelli was first settled in the Neolithic period, and its main Minoan building dates from the Neopalatial period.
What is the central building at Kastelli?
The central building is a monumental two-storey Minoan building with 8 rooms, including a hall with a polythyron used for religious activities.
When was the Minoan building at Kastelli destroyed?
The building was destroyed at the end of Late Minoan IB, around 1450 BC. The later Hellenistic town was destroyed around 220 BC.
Is this the same site as the 2024 find at Kastelli?
This settlement is a different site from the structure announced in 2024, which stands on a hilltop at Kastelli and measures about 48 m across.
Location
Minoan Settlement of Kastelli is located at Minoan Settlement of Kastelli, in the Heraklion region of Crete. The map below shows the exact spot; Google Maps and Waze give turn-by-turn directions.
