Dia ( ), also pronounced locally Ntia ( ), is an uninhabited island off the northern coast of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

island of

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 ...

. The island is 5 km long, 3 km wide and is located approximately 13 km north of Heraklion. Administratively, Dia is part of the community of Elia within the municipal unit of Gouves, Hersonissos municipality in

Heraklion Heraklion or Herakleion ( ; , , ), sometimes Iraklion, is the largest city and the administrative capital city, capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion (regional unit), Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in G ...

. In the south coast of Dia there are four coves, from west to east Agios Georgios, Kapari, Panagia (Madonna) and Agrielia. One more cove, Aginara, is to the east.

History

The island was formerly known as Standia, by juncture loss in the phrase (Greek for 'on Dia'). It was the principal port of Crete for centuries. Its four south coves have been used as anchorages since the

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 ...

period.

Mythology

The islet looks like a giant lizard when viewed from the city of

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

tells of a giant lizard that tried to destroy the island of Crete, however, Zeus turned it into stone with a thunderbolt, thus creating the island. The island is visible from Crete's capital city of Heraklion, as it would have been in the time of the Minoans, from

Knossos Knossos (; , ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is a Bronze Age archaeological site in Crete. The site was a major centre of the Minoan civilization and is known for its association with the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur. It is located on th ...

. Because of this, it was sometimes identified as the island that

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

escaped to after killing the

minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur (, ''Mīnṓtauros''), also known as Asterion, is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "par ...

Environment

On Dia there are a number of protected wildlife species including the snail Albinaria retusa, the lizard '' Podarcis erchardii schiebeli'', a wild subspecies of the

European rabbit The European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus'') or coney is a species of rabbit native to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal and Andorra) and southwestern France. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Oryctolagus''. The European rab ...

(''Oryctolagus cuniculus cnossius''), and Eleonora's falcon, known as in Greek. The island has been recognised as an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding i ...

because it supports a breeding population of 300–380 pairs of the Eleonora's falcons. Dia is part of the European Network of Nature (

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectiv ...

) and is a protected hunting ground. There are also a number of protected plants such as '' Carlina diae''.

Ancient port

Isola della Standia - Francesco Basilicata - 1618

In 1976,

Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful open-circuit self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), called the ...

carried out underwater exploration around Dia and found the remains of an ancient port in the waters between Heraklion and Dia.

Visiting

Day trips, but no camping, is allowed to Dia. Swimming, snorkeling and walking along the beach are popular activities. No cars are allowed. Dia Island: History, Myth, Attractions, Beaches and Car Rental
/ref>

References

External links

''Standia'' map
by Marco Boschini {{DEFAULTSORT:Dia (Island) Populated places in Heraklion (regional unit) Hersonissos Islands of Crete Landforms of Heraklion (regional unit) Mediterranean islands Islands of Greece Places in Greek mythology Important Bird Areas of Crete