Crete: Cable Car to Make Diktaean Cave More Accessible

The Diktaean Cave.

The Diktaean Cave at Lasithi, Crete, one of the world’s most important caves, will soon be equipped with a cable car to make it fully accessible, the Greek Culture Ministry announced earlier this month.

During a working meeting held at the ministry, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni requested for the study involving the construction of the cable car to be ready by the beginning of September so the project can secure its approved funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.

According to the ministry, the cable car will offer people with disabilities access to the renowned archaeological site and the accompanying works will improve the site’s overall infrastructure and quality of services.

The Diktaean Cave.

Besides the cable car construction, the project includes stabilization works inside the cave and its outer slopes, the creation of a new lighting design for the site, the redevelopment of the nearby Europe Square and the restoration of the cave’s visitor paths.

The Diktaean Cave: The birthplace of Zeus, King of Gods

The Diktaean Cave is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete. The cave is located near the village Psychro, in the rocky northern sides of Mount Dikti at an altitude of 1025 meters.

The Diktaean Cave. Photo source: VisitGreece/Skoulas.

According to Greek mythology, Titaness Rhea hid her son, Zeus, in the Diktaean Cave to protect him from his father Cronus, who had a habit of eating his children. The same site was also used by Zeus to hide Phoenician princess Europa after he abducted her.

A limited number of excavations have taken place at the site since the 19th century. The cave’s artefacts housed at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum and Oxford, UK are products of illegal excavations that took place by locals and visitors

The cave was continuously used through time which explains that may of the artefacts found are from the Neolithic, Minoan, Subminoan, Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman times.