Tylissos

Tylisos (Τύλισος, also Pyrgos Tylissos, Tylissos, Tylissus, Tilissos) is a modern town in central Crete (population 3,941 in 2001), a Grecian island, and the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan peak sanctuary and Minoan town. "Pyrgos" is Greek for "tower". "Tylissos" is a pre-Greek name, and has been found on Linear B tablets from Knossos.The Municipality of Tylisos is effectively running as a municipality since 1999 and nowadays includes 11 villages that were unified under one municipality under the "I. Kapodistrias" program.The municipality belongs the Maleviziou Province that was named after the castle found at the village Keramoutsi. Its total population is 3.491 people. Its economy is based in agriculture, mainly grape cultivation (4,8% of the island’s production) and olive cultivation. At the same time, one can find two types of stock farming namely: domestic stock farming and professional stock farming of sheep, goats and chickens. There are also more than 4,568 registered beehives in the area with more than 2,000 of them in the area of Damasta.

Geography

* Province: Malevizio
* Prefecture: Heraklio

Archaeology

Tylissos was excavated 1909-1913 by Joseph Hadzidakis, 1953-1955 by Nicholas Platon and in 1971 by A. Kanta. The town was in use Early Minoan II to Late Minoan IIIA, and the peak sanctuary was in use until at least Late Minoan IA. Structures include houses, a cistern and an aqueduct with clay pipes. Excavation finds have included a pithos with Linear A inscriptions, stone horns, and clay human and animal figurines.

Tourism

You can visit the nearby minoan archeological sites. Nice beaches as Amoudara, Lygaria and Agia Pelagia are also in a very short distance.The broader area of the Municipality of Tylisos has a wide variety of interesting natural beauties for the visitor to explore. As a matter of fact, the villages Kamariotis, Aidonohori and Astiraki are found in the middle of what could be called typical Mediterranean woods. The pinecone woods of Damasta, in particular, have been characterized after governmental decision as an area of natural beauty.

The area also has a significant number of caves for the fans of speleology to explore. These are:

1)The Kamilari Cave (width 10m, hight 4,5 m). Beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Interesting archeological finds. It is believed that it could have been used an ancient worship temple.

2) The Hainospilios Cave has 200 meters length and it probably has been an underground riverbed. Beautiful formations of stalagmites

3)The Doxsa Cave has a total length of 50 m. Impressive stalactites and stalagmites while further to the west are two gulches namely Tafkos and Xsetripi.

4)The Trapeza Cave has an entrance of 1,85m high and 1,20 m width. It has been used a worship temple during the Metaminoan era.

5)The Arkalospilios Cave has an entrance of 1 m high and 2,10 m width.

At the same time, the visitor can visit the areas two gorges which are namely: the Almiros gorge, the Gonies gorge. There are also a number of gulches that the visitor can see. Only at the village Gonies there are in total 26 with several more in other villages such as Aidonohori, Astiraki, Damasta, Marathos and Tylisos.

Agrotourism is also a very popular among Tylissos visitors, Greeks and Foreigners all year round : Arolithos village, Ktima Kares (Kares Domain), Agrotikon are the most visited sites for agrotourism and other leisure activities.

References

* Jones, Donald W. 1999 "Peak Sanctuaries and Sacred Caves of Minoan Crete" ISBN 91-7081-153-9
* Swindale, Ian http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/tylisos.htm Retrieved 15 January 2006

External links

* [http://www.uk.digiserve.com/mentor/minoan/tylisos.htm Tylissos]