Ancien Minoa Amorgos
The beautiful and important site of Minoa, is located just above the Katapola port on the west side about the middle of the island, on the hill of Moundoulia.
Source of archaeological studies, ancient Minoa reveals from its excavations that it was one of the most significant centers of human activity in Amorgos in the period from XI BC to IV AD and one of the most extensive and impressive. It is said that ancient Minoa was actually born as a holiday residence for Minos, the first king of Crete.
The Moudoulia hill, about three kilometers from Katapola, has caves and rock formations inhabited since the late Neolithic, as evidenced by the findings of domestic artefacts and obsidian stone finds. In the 10th century BC the agglomeration was moved south to be more protected from the winds, giving rise to grandiose Hellenistic buildings still present today. The settlement developed further thanks to the colonizers of the Samos island and for this reason the summit was fortified as an acropolis. Its apogee reaches it in the 4th century BC when it is enlarged even more '. In the period of Roman domination, on the other hand, greater importance was given to the port due to the ease of trade with the consequence that the citadel was gradually abandoned.
The site is divided into two main areas, the lower one with Hellenistic remains to the south, the upper one with archaic remains to the north. In the southern part on the right we find the terracing wall that supported the 4th century BC gymnasium with grooved corners., To the left of the gymnasium and the drainage of the latrines. The limestone roof and benches are visible and fairly well preserved. Above the gymnasium there are massive walls that delimited a large water tank from the 2nd century BC dating back to the Roman period. It is assumed that the water was used to supply the gym, the spa and to clean the toilets. On the left there is a trapezoidal-shaped recess with bastions on both sides, a pedestal and a channel for rainwater. And again a small temple of Apollo above a platform with three marble steps and the lower part of a cult statue in the center of the room. Still on the left side under the gymnasium there are houses, shops, wells from the Hellenistic age, in addition to the bastion, the walls that follow the slope to the port.
At the top the scenario changes markedly. The geological formation shows the presence of natural rocky terraces, caves and archaic walls of the VIII / VII century BC. On the north-east side the base of an ancient tower. A sanctuary 255 meters above sea level on the rocky tip, with a deep cave underneath accessible from a tiny opening imaginatively called "Tomb of Minos" where Neolithic artifacts, charcoal, animal skeletons, horns and objects were found. they suggest the use of the cave as an altar for propitiatory cults for the God Serapis, symbol of fertility. The entrance to the sanctuary from the peribolos, a courtyard enclosed by a wall surrounding a sacred area, dates back to the Hellenistic period and in the underlying part towards the southwest you can see parts of the settlement inhabited between the 7th and 6th centuries BC.
A beautiful walk to do with the added value of admiring this precious site rich in history and legend where your mind will wander among the ruins, and your gaze on the landscape that is certainly no less beautiful. One of the things to do in Amorgos, to be marked and not to be missed.