Omalos () is a small village in western

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

, in the Mousouroi unit of the Chania region. The Greek word Ομαλός means even, plain, regular, or smooth, referring to the plateau.

Description

Omalos is situated at the northeastern corner of the Omalos Plateau (''οροπέδιο του Ομαλού''), 38 km south of

Chania Chania (, , ), also sometimes romanization of Greek, romanized as Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania (regional unit), Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno ...

in the White Mountains ( Lefka Ori). The plateau has an area of 15 km², and lies on the intersection of three districts, namely the Mousouroi unit of Platanias (previously

Kydonia Kydonia ( or ), also known as Cydonia (, ''Kydōnía'') was an ancient city located at the site of present-day Chania near the west end of the island of Crete in Greece. The city is known from archaeological remains dating back to the Minoan e ...

), Sfakia and East Selino. Although the settlement is in Mousouroi, most of the plateau lies in East Selino. The plateau has three approaches, from the west, from the Chania-Sougia road, from the north at Omalos and from the south where one descends through the Samariá Gorge to the coast at Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea. Omalos itself is about 5 km from the entrance to the gorge at Xyloskalo, and derives most of its importance from its association with trekking. An old stone mule track connects Omalos with Agia Eirini to the west, from whence access to the next gorge to the west, the Agia Eirini Gorge is made. The cooler climate and fertile soil lends itself to growing vegetables and fruit such as potatoes and apples, together with cereals. Small round stone houses ('' mitata'') are used for making local cheese ( graviera). In the warmer seasons shepherds bring their flocks onto pastures (''madares'', μαδάρες) on the slopes of the Lefka Ori.Loraine Wilson. The High Mountains of Crete: A walking and trekking guide. 2nd ed. Cicerone Press Limited, 2010

Geography

Originally a lake, it is thought to have lost its waters through the Tzani Cave. The cave is found to the right of the winding road from Omalos, descending towards Chania, about 1.6 km from Omalos. At Xyloskalo (1250m), two peaks rise - Gingilos (2080m) and Volakias (2116m), which legend associates with the throne of

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

, who was born in Crete. Further west are Agathopi (1768m) and Psilafi (1984m), supposedly Zeus' racing grounds, but now slalom ski racing.

History

During the uprisings against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. the Turks rarely managed to penetrate the plateau. The name Omalos is said to have derived from a revolutionary song "''Πότε θα κάνει ξαστεριά πότε θα Φλεβαρίσει να πάρω το τουφέκι μου...να κατεβώ στον Ομαλό''" The Tzani cave is named after Tzanis Markos a revolutionary chieftain in the early years of the Turkish invasion who made it his lair. He was nicknamed "Fobos" (fear). The cave is about 2.5 km long, and descends 241 metres. It is actually a covered gorge. The Cretan revolutionary Hatzimichalis Giannaris (1833-1916) was born in nearby Lakkoi, and was prominent in the 1855-1869 conflicts, captured but escaped from prison in Chania and then exiled to

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

. In 1912 he was elected to the Greek parliament. Although he died in Chania his wish was to be buried in Omalos, where by the Tzani cave stands a church dedicated to him.Institute for Neohellenic Research
/ref> During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the plateau was used as an airfield.

References

{{Reflist, 3

External links

Wikimapia

Mapcarta

EALO (ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗΣ ΛΑΚΚΩΝ ΟΜΑΛΟΥ)
Populated places in Chania (regional unit) Platanias Plateaus of Crete