Crete

The largest Greek island and birthplace of Minoan civilization/Islands

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth-largest in the Mediterranean, covering 8,450 square kilometers. It was the center of the Minoan civilization (2700-1450 BC), the first advanced civilization in Europe, which built the famous Palace of Knossos. The island is 260 km long but only 12-60 km wide, with a mountainous interior reaching 2,456 m at Mount Ida (Psiloritis). Crete's strategic location in the eastern Mediterranean has made it a prized territory for Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Ottomans, and Germans throughout history.