Matala
Mátala ( Greek Μάταλα ( n. Pl. )) Is a village on the south coast of the Greek island of Crete . According to the Greek myth , Matala was the place where Zeus in the form of a bull went ashore with the Phoenician princess Europe he had kidnapped . He turned into an eagle here and brought Europe on to Gortyn .
Matala had 67 inhabitants in 2011 and is now a settlement in the village of Pitsidia in the municipality of Tymbaki in the municipality of Festos .
In the Neolithic Age , numerous caves were dug into the soft, porous rock of the bay , which were used as burial sites during the time of the Roman occupation of Crete. To this day, they have remained Matala's most famous attraction. In the Minoan epoch the port of Phaistos was probably located here ; in Roman times Matala was the port of Gortyn. The Saracens under Abu Hafs Omar, who conquered Crete in 824, first went ashore in Matala.
In the 1960s, hippies from all over the world settled in the Neolithic caves (including many young US citizens who refused to participate in the Vietnam War ) and founded a large commune there. Joni Mitchell lived here at times . Her famous song "Carey" refers to life there and mentions the "Mermaid Cafe" on site.
To the south of Matala is Kokkini Ammos (“ Red Beach ”), a reddish, fine-grained sandy beach that is only accessible via a steep, narrow footpath.
Matala plays an important role in David Bielmann's novel Escape from the Dead , which takes place in the 1960s .
Rock caves on the northern cliff
Walkable living and grave caves
Residential cave with sleeping alcove (right) and opening to the neighboring cave
Grave cave with deepenings for bedding the dead
"Name tag" at the entrance
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
Coordinates: 34 ° 59 ′ 41 ″ N , 24 ° 44 ′ 57 ″ E