Phaistos
A Bronze Age Minoan palace and town in south central Crete, set on a ridge above the Messara plain. It is where the Phaistos Disc was found in 1908, a clay disc stamped with a spiral of still undeciphered symbols.
- Where
- Matala, Crete, Greece
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 35.0513, 24.8109
Get the Phaistos stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Phaistos. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Crete volume with your photos and a note.
Near Phaistos
Gortyn 20 km
An archaeological site on Crete about 45 km from Heraklion, the Roman capital of the province of Crete and Cyrenaica. It holds the Gortyn Code, a law text carved into a wall in the fifth century BC, and the ruins of the Church of Saint Titus.
Mount Ida 20 km
The highest mountain on Crete at 2,456 metres, also called Psiloritis. In myth Zeus was raised in a cave on its slopes, and the Nida plateau and Ideon Cave are popular with walkers and climbers.
Arkadi Monastery 33 km
An Orthodox monastery on a plateau 23 km southeast of Rethymno on Crete. Its church dates from the 16th century. In 1866 Cretans sheltering inside blew up the powder store rather than surrender to Ottoman forces, and it became a symbol of Cretan resistance.
Preveli 34 km
A site on the south coast of Crete in the Rethymno region, known for its monastery above the Libyan Sea. A palm lined stream runs down to a sheltered beach below, reached by a footpath from the car park.
Knossos 42 km
The largest Bronze Age site on Crete, about 5 km south of Heraklion, occupied from the Neolithic period. Its reconstructed Minoan palace, excavated by Arthur Evans from 1900, has painted halls, storerooms and the legend of the Minotaur's labyrinth.
Heraklion Archaeological Museum 44 km
One of the largest museums in Greece, in the centre of Heraklion on Crete. It holds the most complete collection of Minoan art in the world, including the Phaistos Disc and frescoes from Knossos.
Fortezza of Rethymno 47 km
A Venetian citadel on a hill above the old town of Rethymno on Crete, built in the 16th century. The Ottomans captured it in 1646, and its ramparts now enclose a mosque and the remains of the Venetian church.
Malia 67 km
A Minoan palace site on the north coast of Crete, built around 1900 BC and rebuilt after an earthquake. Its central courtyard, storerooms and a round stone table used for rituals can still be seen near the sea.
More UNESCO World Heritage sites in Crete
Questions
Where is Phaistos?
Phaistos is in Matala, Crete, Greece. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Gortyn (20 km), Mount Ida (20 km), Arkadi Monastery (33 km).
How do I get the Phaistos stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Phaistos and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Crete volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Phaistos before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Crete volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.