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9-830: Located in the Rethymno regional unit , Ida was sacred to the Titaness Rhea in Greek mythology . On its slopes lies one of the caves, Idaion Antron , the Idaean Cave, in which, according to legend, the god Zeus was born. Other legends, however, place his birthplace in Psychro Cave on the Lasithi Plateau . An archaeobotanical study was conducted that looked at the different plant bases in Minoan villas during

18-674: The Neo-palatial time period in Crete. There was a rich range of food plants that were found to contain essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and sources of vitamins. The study took place on Mount Ida, at the Minoan villa of Zominthos. The Psiloritis is located on the water divide between the southern part of Crete, which drains to the Libyan Sea , and the northern basin facing the Aegean Sea . A saddle at 2,321 m East of

27-447: The frequent depiction of a tripod on coins of nearby Axos , which presumably controlled the territory around the cave. In Inferno XIV, Dante visualizes an old man within Mt. Ida. His head was of gold, his arms and breast of silver, his lower abdomen brass, and below that he was of iron except that his right foot was of clay, upon which all his weight bore. This symbolized the decay of

36-457: The map in the infobox): The Rethymno prefecture ( Greek : Νομός Ρεθύμνου or Ρεθύμνης ) was created while Crete was still an autonomous state , and was preserved after the island joined Greece in 1913. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the Rethymno regional unit was created out of the former prefecture. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At

45-411: The northeast of the mountain, beneath Skinakas Peak, the site of the observatory, is Vromonero Plateau, the site of a holly and maple grove, with many endemic and endangered species. It, along with the access road through Halasia Gorge, and the starting point at Krousonas , has been defined as a Natura 2000 protected area Zominthos is a plateau that is located in the northern foothills of Mount Ida. On

54-579: The plateau is the highest altitude Minoan villa ever found, the Minoan villa of Zominthos. Kamares cave was used as a cave sanctuary in ancient times. The Minoan pottery known as Kamares ware was named after the cave, where some of the first examples were found. Ida is the locus for a race of legendary ancient metal workers, the Dactyls. In ancient times the Idaean cave, "cave of the Goddess" ( Dea )

63-565: The summit connects it with Mount Agathias , while westwards the ridge continues with Mount Stolistra (2,336 m) The Skinakas Observatory of the University of Crete is located on the secondary peak of Skinakas at 1750 m. It has two telescopes including a 1.3 m Modified Ritchey-Chrétien instrument. The Nida plateau is found to the east of the mountain. On the plateau are some shepherd's huts ( mitata ) built only of local stones, and used both for shelter and for cheesemaking. On

72-437: The world, and his tears formed the rivers of Hell. Rethymno (regional unit) Rethymno ( Greek : Περιφερειακή ενότητα Ρεθύμνου ) is one of the four regional units of Crete , Greece . Its capital is the city of Rethymno . Today its main income is tourism. The countryside is also based economically on agriculture and herding. The regional unit Rethymno is subdivided into five municipalities. These are (number as in

81-470: Was venerated by Minoans and Hellenes alike. By Greek times the cave was rededicated to Zeus . The cave where Zeus was nurtured is variously stated to be this cave, another of the same name, or the Dictaean cave . Votive seals and ivories have been found in the cave. Like the Dictaean cave , the Idaean cave was known as a place of initiations. It may have served as the site of an oracle , symbolized by

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