South of the centre of Crete are the remains of a ruined basilica, the Christian remains of Gortys’ former glory.

For the construction of the basilica in the 6th and the 7th centuries many of the architectural elements of the surrounding ancient ruins were also used. During construction there was no lack of decorative old capitals, as Gortys was once one of the most important cities in Crete.

Gortys became famous among archaeologists due to a sensational discovery within the walls of a nearby Roman Odeion. Twelve stone blocks that bore inscriptions from the Classical period of around 500 years B.C. were built into the wall of a small amphitheatre by its Roman creators. The stones contained sections of the great legal code of Gortys. In using this material the Romans managed to preserve one of the best kept legal texts of ancient Greece.

Although nature has buried many of its treasures, even today a few magnificent statues still manage to reflect the former size and wealth of the city of Gortys.