Crete "The Largest Greek Island"

History of Crete
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History of Crete, Greece

Crete is believed to have been home to the earliest civilisation in Europe dating back 4000 years to the Minoans who were the first to inhabit the island until they were wiped out in the 15th century BC by a Tsunami after a volcano on the nearby island of Thera erupted. The island then fell into the hands of the Greeks during the Hellenic period until the intervention of the Romans 69BC. The city of Gortyn became the capital of Crete until it fell into the hands of Iberian Muslims whose attack on the island devastated the city to the point it was uninhabitable. Instead Heraklion was built and is still the capital today. In 960BC the Byzantines took control of the island until 1204 when it fell into the hands of the Venetians. They controlled the island for over four centuries and it was during this period that many cultural places of interest that are still standing today were built. It was also a period of Renaissance when literature and art thrived on the island. In the 17th Century Venice was squeezed of the island by the Turkish who were beginning to spread the Ottoman Empire further south. There was a lot of civil unrest during the reign of the Ottoman Empire which came to a head during the Greek War of Independence in 1821. In Crete, the Christian uprising was met with fierce opposition by the Ottoman authorities and many bishops and holy men were executed. The Muslim population however were forced into the north part of the island and it is believed many died there from disease and famine. The Turkish maintained control of Crete until 1897 when the Ottoman Empire declared war on Greece after several fierce uprisings. The Super powers of Britain, France, Russia and Italy intervened in order to restore order on the island and it fell under International Administration with Britain and France fearing it would otherwise be used as a centre for piracy as it had been in the past or a military base in the Eastern Mediterranean for the Russians. In 1913, Crete officially became part of Greece.