Gortyn (Gortys) Archaeological Site

Gortyn, or Gortys, is the archaeological site of the Roman capital of Crete, set among olive groves on the Messara Plain at Agioi Deka, about 46 km southwest of Heraklion in Crete, Greece. After the Roman conquest of the island in 67 BC the city became the seat of the governor of Crete and Cyrenaica, and it grew into a large settlement of public buildings, baths and temples. The most famous feature is the Gortyn Code, a law inscription of the 5th century BC cut into the stones of a curved wall now sheltered in the Odeon, and regarded as the oldest surviving European legal code. The ruined Basilica of Agios Titos, a large early Christian church associated with the first bishop of Crete, rises with its tall brick apse, and the Praetorium, the governor's residence, and the Roman theatre lie nearby. Visitors walk along paths between fragments of columns, mosaics and walls, with information boards in Greek and English, and the site continues across the road into fields where more excavation is visible. A visit takes one to one and a half hours. Summer opening is reported at about 08:00 to 20:00, with shorter winter hours, and admission is listed at EUR 6 full and EUR 3 reduced; hhticket.gr is the official ticketing service. A KTEL bus toward Moires or Phaistos takes about an hour from Heraklion, and driving takes around 55 minutes. Shade is limited, so summer visitors should go in the morning and carry water. Gortyn is often combined with the Minoan palace of Phaistos on the same day, and crowds are light compared with Knossos, with tour groups arriving mostly in late morning.