In 1898 Crete, whose people had for some time wanted to join the Greek state, achieved independence from the Ottomans, formally becoming the Cretan State. Crete became part of Greece in December 1913.
Crete is the largest and most southerly of all the Greek islands. It is also one of the most visited, due to both its beauty and its famous ancient sites.
In the wake of the Candia massacre, the Great Powers decided that all Ottoman influence on Crete had to cease. On 6 November 1898, under the orders of the Powers, the last Ottoman troops withdrew from the island, marking the end of 253 years of Ottoman rule.
Standing at the crossroads of three continents, and at the heart of many classical myths, Crete is part of Greece but also boasts its own unique history and character.
Yes, the Cretans are Greek. However, the islanders strictly refer to themselves as Cretans. All in all, there is something about the Cretans that set them apart from the rest of Greece, and you notice it in their food, culture, traditions and lifestyle.
Due to aggravated tensions related to the 1897 uprising, new hostilities broke out in Candia in September, 1898. Subsequently, the European Powers forced the Ottoman troops out of Crete and the Powers proclaimed the island an autonomous state under the protection of an international commissioner.
The official language spoken in Crete is in fact Greek, but you will find that many locals speak English – they are keen to make you feel at home, so why not do the same? The Greek language is one of the oldest European languages, featuring in written documents from around 3,400 years ago!
The term "Cretan Muslims" (Turkish: Girit Müslümanları) or "Cretan Turks" (Greek: Τουρκοκρητικοί; Turkish: Girit Türkleri) refers to Greek-speaking Muslims who arrived in Turkey after or slightly before the start of the Greek rule in Crete in 1908, and especially in the context of the 1923 agreement for the Exchange of ...
In contrast, without the airfield, Britain depended on supply and troop reinforcements via the sea. German planes could take out such convoys from the air, and so further Allied reinforcements were not likely to reach Crete. Limited RAF support was another factor that ensured Britain's defeat.
The Turks, however, commanded by the nationalist leader Mustafa Kemal (Kemal Atatürk), defeated them at the Sakarya River (August 24–September 16, 1921). A year later the Turks assumed control of Smyrna (September 1922) and drove the Greeks out of Anatolia.
The dispute escalated with Greece's coup in Cyprus, which led to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In 1974, Greece reacted with the militarisation of the Greek islands off the coast of Turkey, the legality of which is challenged by Turkey. In 1975, Turkey created Izmir army base. Military buildups in 2022 have continued.
I've been to various islands and coastlines in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus many times and noticed that Crete has always been cooler in the summer. It's usually around 30C while the other places are usually around 35C.
Crete, island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that is one of 13 administrative regions (periféreies) of Greece. Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean and the largest of the islands forming part of modern Greece.
Cretan Muslims were descendants of ethnic Greeks who had converted to Islam after the Ottoman conquest of Crete in the seventeenth century. They identified as Greek Muslims, and were referred to as "Turks" by some Christian Greeks due to their religion; not their ethnic background.
The Turkish Cypriots are mainly Moslems and the Greek Cypriots are mainly adherents of the Greek Orthodox Church. Cyprus lies 40 miles from the coast of Turkey, and Turkish people have inhabited the island since the 12th century.
The three great powers—Russia, Britain, and France—decided to intervene, sending their naval squadrons to Greece in 1827. They destroyed the Ottoman–Egyptian fleet at the Battle of Navarino, and turned the tide in favor of the revolutionaries.
The Jewish presence in Crete dates from the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE when Jews arrived from Egypt, perhaps part of Egyptian military campaigns, and from Palestine during the Maccabean Revolt. These early communities were Hellenised, that is, culturally Greek.
These extraordinary regions, known as Blue Zones, have captured the attention of scientists and health enthusiasts worldwide, offering a glimpse into the secrets of longevity. Crete, although not officially a Blue Zone, it has has several Blue Zone characteristics worth exploring.
Genetic distances (DA) calculations, Neighbour-Joining dendrograms and correspondence analysis were also performed by using HLA-DRB1 frequencies of Cretans and other 20 different populations; results show that Mediterraneans like Sardinians, Iberians, Basque, North Africans like Algerians and Berbers, the genetically ...
As of 2020, about 5,000 Jews live in Greece, mostly in Athens (2500), with less than 1,000 in Thessaloniki. The Greek Jewish community has traditionally been pro-European.
The minority enjoys full equality with the Greek majority, and prohibition against discrimination and freedom of religion are provided for in Article 5 and Article 13 of the Greek constitution. In Thrace today there are 3 muftis, approximately 270 imams and approximately 300 mosques.
The Church of Crete (Greek: Εκκλησία της Κρήτης) is an Eastern Orthodox church, comprising the island of Crete in Greece. The Church of Crete is semi-autonomous (self-governing) under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The current archbishop of Crete is Eugenios II.
