Ancient Aptera

Ancient Aptera was a powerful city-state in ancient Minoan Crete, and for many centuries the most important trading center in the island. It is in a distance of about 15 km east of Chania city, next to today's village of Aptera. It was built in an excellent, strategic location with great view, overlooking the whole of the long Souda Bay and a large part of the plains of Apokoronas. Aptera means "featherless" in Greek and there is reason for this: According to the Greek mythology, in the local temple a musical competition took place between the Muses and the Sirens. The Sirens lost, and were so sad that their feathers fell off into Souda Bay, forming the small islands in it. Aptera in ancient Minoan years had amassed immense wealth from maritime trade, and issued its own coin. The city flourished for many centuries, and it was a trading center in the Roman and even in the Byzantine era of the island.