The Asterousia Mountains are a range in southern

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 ...

separating the Messara Plain from the

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. Evidence of ancient Cretan cultures have been found in excavations performed within sites contained in this range; moreover, one of the most significant

Minoan The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age culture which was centered on the island of Crete. Known for its monumental architecture and Minoan art, energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. The ruins of the Minoan pa ...

sites on Crete has been excavated at nearby

Phaistos Phaistos (, ; Ancient Greek: , , Linear B: ''Pa-i-to''; Linear A: ''Pa-i-to''), also Transliteration, transliterated as Phaestos, Festos and Latin Phaestus, is a Bronze Age archaeological site at modern Faistos, a municipality in south centr ...

to the north; apparently, the Phaistos palace was designed to permit views over the expansive Messara Plain and the Asterousi Mountains. A further historical name for this range is reported by

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as the Kofinos Range, named after the highest peak of Asteroussia, Kofinas (1231 m). The village of Kapetaniana sits on the southern slope of the mountains.

References

Mountain ranges of Greece Landforms of Crete Landforms of Heraklion (regional unit) {{Crete-geo-stub

See also

References