What is special in Melidoni?
The cave of the same name, also called Gerontospilios
The Melidoni cave is just 2 km away from the village of Melidoni and it is situated at an altitude of 220m. It lies on the south side of Kouloukonas Mountain, within the municipality of Mylopotamos. The cave and the village are named after Antonios Melidonis, one of the main characters in the opposition against the Ottoman Turks in 1824.
Another name for the cave is Gerontospilios and as such it’s very important due to the archaeological artifices that are found in the cave. Some of these treasures are to be seen in the Archaeological museum of Rethymnon.Among the findings was a double copper axe, which is dated back to the middle Minoan period, which was around 2.000 BC. The cave was in those days used as a worship site. Other tools and items that were found indicate that the Melidoni cave was already inhabited in the Neolithic period.
Bronze robot Talos lived in the Melidoni Cave
The Melidoni cave is also mentioned in the Greek mythology. It is said that Talos, a giant bronze robot, which was given by Zeus to King Minos, lived in the Melidoni cave. To protect Crete from their enemies Talos ran around Crete twice a day. He did so in only a few steps.
During the Roman period the Gerontopolis cave was used as a shrine to honour the mythological god Hermes. Sacrifices were performed to honour this Olympian god, which was the son of Zeus. He was the protector and patron of many things as for example the herdsmen, but also thieves, athletes, traders and travellers. The myths say that he moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine. For the Romans the cave was of importance as it was the middle point of three ancient cities: Eleftherna, Grivilonand and Axos.
Human tragedy during the Greek independence war in 1824
In October 1823 during the Ottoman Turk occupation, more than 300 women and children took shelter in the cave as they were attacked by the Ottoman Turks under siege of Hussein Pasha. The inhabitants of Melidoni sheltered here before and the former Pasha had left without success. Finally in January 1824 Hussein Pasha was so furious that after a siege of three months and heavy resistance, he gave orders to throw burning materials into the cave and seal the entrance so that the Cretans would die from suffocation due to lack of oxygen.
Only eleven years later an English explorer went into the cave together with the only survivor of the massacre and discovered all the bones of the deceased. These bones were later collected and put together in a sarcophagus in the central hall of the cave. At the entrance of the cave a small chapel was build to commemorate this tragic event. Every year the locals come together to honour their ancestors with their strong urge to independence.
Available Routaki routes:
The wells and waterfalls of Argyroupoli – have a look at in Routaki Route 32 – ‘Myriokefala’
You have the chance to visit a typical Cretan kafeneon in route 38 – ‘Agia Galini’
‘Oxi day’ on the 28th of October is e.g.mentioned in Mirtos in route 59 – ‘Kalamafka’.
Visit the Heroes Room in the Melidoni Cave
As a visitor you can admire only the first hall of the cave, which is called ‘the Heroes Room’. It’s one of the largest cave halls in Crete and shows amazing stalactites and stalagmites. This impressive hall can be reached by more than 60 steps, which can be slippery, so please be careful. The whole of the Melidoni cave consists of three separate rooms, of which one is accessible for tourists, because the rest of the halls are closed for archaeological excavations.
this topic is mentioned in….
Excerpt from ROUTE 42 – ‘Margarites’ – Discover Authentic Crete: Heraklion to Margarites via Anogeia and Axos in which the following is being told…..
“While parking your car, listen to this horryfying story;
[3 seconds pause]
In October 1823, during the Ottoman Turk occupation, over 300 women and children sought refuge in the cave when they were attacked by the Ottoman Turks led by Hussein Pasha. The inhabitants of Melidoni had previously sought shelter here, and Hussein Pasha’s earlier attempts to conquer them had failed. However, in January 1824, Hussein Pasha, frustrated by a three-month-long siege and fierce resistance, ordered the entrance to be sealed and set the cave on fire, resulting in the suffocation of the Cretan refugees due to a lack of oxygen.
What may interest you:
City walk Heraklion – GPS audio tour.
You can experience this vibrant city with the interactive GPS app VoiceMap. Install the app for free and select ‘Heraklion’.
In the webshop on this site, you can purchase a code that provides access to all the information you need to enjoy a fantastic day in Iraklio.
Would you like to get an impression first? Then start by reading this page about Heraklion.
Or read one of the next articles:
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Wait till sun set and admire the Egyptian lighthouse of Rethymnon.