Ierapetra (Greek Ιεράπετρα in ) is a municipality on the South-eastern coast of the Greek island of Crete. It belongs to the department of Lassithi. The municipality has a surface of 394.774 km ² and counts 23.800 inhabitants (2001). The municipality is consisted of the town of Ierapetra, several villages and hamlets, as well as island of Chrissi.

Economy

The economic main activities are agriculture in winter and tourism the summer. The agricultural production can be divided into two principal activities. Whereas the Olive oil is produced in the area since at least the Minoan time, of great quantities of fruit and vegetables have exported themselves for the thirty last years. They are cultivated in Serre S out of plastics which recover 13.000.000 m ² between the town of Ierapetra and Nea Myrtos. They were introduced by Dutch Paul Kuypers. The inhabitants of Ierapetra are on average richest of the island mainly thanks to the cultures under greenhouses.

Town of Ierapetra

The town of Ierapetra ( Gerapetro in the local dialect) is located on the southern part of the Crete, in bay of Ierapetra. It is located at the south of Agios Nikolaos and at the south-west of Sitia and is an important regional center. With 15.313 inhabitants (2001), it is the most populated city department of Lassithi and is the fourth town of Crete. Ierapetra is known like the southernmost city of Europe, called the bride of the Mer of Libya, because of its position and being only on the southern part of Crète.
Ierapetra is present in the history since the Minoan period. The Greek city then Roman of Hierapytna was on the same site as the city today. For the traditional period, the city becomes most important of the part is island. To the III E front century JC, Hierapytna was sadly famous for its inclinations for piracy. Its importance was completed when it was destroyed by the Romains in -67. It quickly was rebuilt but quickly exceeded by the city of Gortyne. Today, the vestiges of the Roman port are always visible in not very deep water of bay.
In 824 of our era, the city is again destroyed by the Arab and is rebuilt to be used as a basis to the pirates. For the Venetian period , of XIIIe in the XVIIe century, Ierapetra was known under its current name, and finds its prosperity. The fortress of Kales, built in 1626 in order to protect the port, goes back to this time, although the local myth wants that it was built by the pirate génois Pescatore in 1212. In July 1798, Napoleon remained at a local family on the way towards the Egypt. The house where it remained is always visible. During the Othoman period, a mosque was built in the city. The Museum of antiquities shelters the vestiges of last of Ierapetra. This museum is an old school for children Turkish. The major piece is a statue preserved very well Perséphone.
Nowadays, Ierapetra is made up of two distinct districts, Kato Mera and Pano Mera . Kato Mera is the old city on the headland in south-west. It is characterized by a medieval fitting of the streets, with narrow alleys, culs-de-sac and small houses, thus creating an atmosphere of small village. The mosque and the “house of Napoleon” can be found in this district. Pano Mera is the new city, much larger, with broad streets and buildings with three or four stages. Pano Mera continues to extend towards the west, north and the est.
The commercial main artery is Koundouriotou . In the center, one also finds the town hall, two cinemas, the museum and the hospital of the city. In the west of the city, is the headland with the fortress and a port for the fishing vessels. More in the east one finds a small beach gone along of bars and restaurants, followed quays whose the ferries leave for the island Chrissi. Further still, one finds the boulevard principal, with his hotels, bars restaurants and souvenir shops. At its end, a new walk continues skirting the long beach of bay of Ierapetra.
The local authorities envisage the development of a new international port. This plan attracts the opposition of part of the inhabitants who think that will destroy the local environment and the landscape. They are supported by Ecocrete.gr .

Chrissi

Chrissi (gilded in Greek) or Gaidhouronis (the island of the asses) is an uninhabited island with approximately 12km of the coast. It is long of 5km and broad of 1km. The island rises approximately with 10 meters with the top of the sea level: Kefala, while being the highest point with 31 meters. The island is re-elected for its sand beaches white, its dunes and its forest of pines and Genévrier s.
The western part of the island has some vestiges of an old occupation: Minoan ruins and a vault of XIIIe century dedicated to Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicolas). The island was inhabited for the Byzantine period. The independent sources of richnesses were fishing, the export of salt and the export of will porfira (crimson of Tyr), a made scarlet dyeing of shells. After the Byzantine period, the island was abandoned but was sometimes used like hiding-place.
Nowadays, the island is protected as a zone from natural beauty. In particular the summer, the island attracts many tourists. The camp-site being prohibited there, only the one day stays are possible. The ferries leaves Ierapetra daily with 10:00 to return from there to 17:00. the visitors cannot traverse the island freely, but only while following specific paths and on some beaches in the oriental party of the island. A small tavern is with the landing stage of the ferries.

Other natural sites

  • dam Bramania and its lake: the lake was creates in order to supply out of water the greenhouses during the summer. The lake and its neighborhoods are the greatest wetland of Crete and thus became a natural reserve considered for its birds.
  • Mount Dikti
  • Mount Thryptis
  • Forest of Selakano
  • Throat of Sarakina
  • Throat of ha
  • Throat of Avgo

Minoan sites

  • Gournia
  • Pyrgos
  • Vasiliki

Others

  • In 1964, the scene of the film Zorba the Greek in whom Anthony Quinn dance the Sirtaki was turned on the beach of Ierapetra.
  • the type-setter Giannis Markopoulos (born in 1939) lived in Ierapetra until it leaves the college in 1956 to study the music with Athens.

External bonds

  • municipal Site (in Greek)
  • Ierapetra
  • interactive chart
  • Seen of Ierapetra
  • Chart of Chrissi
  • geographical Information and statistics (in English)
  • Ecocrete (in Greek)

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