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Prefecture: Heraclion
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Kokkini Hani
The Village of Kokkini Hani is a 10 minutes (17km) drive to east from the airport of Heraklion. The village hosts many types of activities directed at visiting tourists any returning each year. Kokkini Hani is typical of the tourist resorts on Crete.
Kokkini Hani beach is the focus of a holiday in Kokkini Hani; two fine long beaches popular with swimmers and children as the beach slopes gently to the sea and is a mix of sand and shingle. The beach at Kokkini Hani is unlikely to be crowded. Children will enjoy the nearby waterpark at Hersonissos. Surfing, windsurfing and canoeing are popular beach activities. Holidays in Kokkini Hani can also enjoy the sandy beaches at neighbouring resorts like Gouves and Amnisos.
Gouves beach has a selection of watersports and is a favourite with sunbathers and swimmers. Kokkini Hani is just 3 miles from Gouves and linked by bus. Another important Kokkini Hani neighbour is the busy resort of Hersonisos which outdoes Gouves for shops and nightlife should your Kokkini Hani holiday get too tame.
Places near Kokkini Hani
The resorts of Kokkini Hani and Vathianos Kambos all makeup this peaceful resort the ideal location to relax, in the sun. The old national road from the capital Heraklion run through the resort give access to the national bus services. Kokkini Hani was mentioned in the first census of 1940 noted as a small fishing village being part of the municipality of Gouves.
The luxury resort hotels, as well as the family owned apartments host a friendly atmosphere along with the breach and village taverns, bars, and shops.
The archeological Minoan Megaron site is within easy walking distance from all the resorts accommodation. The dwelling house was built to two storey high, built of large ashlars stones. The timber-framed paneling to the wall were covered with an insulation layer of plaster and marble cladding. The building is particularly noted for the paved courtyard, a worshiping shrine, agricultural produce cold store, and staircase. During the excavations, ceremonial vessels were found predicting that this villa belonged to High Priests. Today the site is open to the public Daily: 8:30 -15:00, Monday: closed Entrance Fee.
The history of the village dates back to the centuries since it is first mentioned in 1271. Anoplios is typical old Cretan village narrow streets, courtyard gardens, tavernas, and kafeneon makeup the village life. Surrounded buy olive and vineyards makes for an afternoons trip to the village.
The village Holly Trinity church is memorial Cretan freedom fighters where the locals enjoy sitting debating in the village square.
The Monastery of Saint John Theologos is found the village of Anoplios. The monastery is noted for the trees surrounding the monastery land.During the Turkish occupation, a "secret school" was founded in the monastery, which was also a hide out for rebel fighters.
On the east of Heraklion, right after the Vatianos valley, almost right on the highway to Agios Nikolaos, one can find the Niros Chani, or Kokkini Chani or Armylides, that belongs to the municipality of Gouves. Niros mansion is one of the best examples of Minoan architecture that can be easily visited after contacting the guard of the site.
An almost square building, extending over 1000m , the mansion was excavated by the archaeologist N. Ksanthoudidis.
The two storey building complex comprises about 40 rooms on the ground floor, corridors and two paved yards depicting all the features of Neo-Palatial villas. The main entrance is situated in the eastern yard, at the south side of which is a platform used for worship or for awarding the winners of races that might have occurred in the courtyard. There is a second entrance in the south courtyard.
The most important room is the so called room of figurines, or room of the benches, with low benches all along the south and eastern wall, with two doors (dithira) leading towards a corridor and possessed of an internal sky light opening.
Of great interest are also the rooms where 4 bronze axes, sacred Minoan symbols, and remains of ashes and coal were discovered. The excavator suggests that this room was probably a Minoan workshop of metal artefacts rather than a sanctuary. He concluded that this mansion housed a priest of the highest possible rank who had the power to manufacture and dispose holy objects of worship to the faithful.
Two climaxes in the south wing of the building complex in the north-western corner led to the second floor, while the storage rooms with wheat, oil and wine in clay containers (pitharia) were found in the north wing of the building.
The walls on the outside are built with porous stones while on the inside stones were used and unbaked clay. The horizontal and vertical wooden knots suggest that they might have had the technical knowledge of building earthquake resistant buildings.
The walls were strengthened by timber-frames and covered with a thick layer of plaster and marble slabs.