Omalos ( el, Ομαλός) is a small village in western
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cypru ...
, in the
Mousouroi unit of the
Chania region. The Greek word Ομαλός means even, plain, regular, or smooth, referring to the plateau.
Description
Omalos is situated at the northeastern corner of the Omalos Plateau (''οροπέδιο του Ομαλού''), 38 km south of
Chania
Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion.
The mun ...
in the White Mountains (
Lefka Ori
Lefka Ori ( el, Λευκά Όρη, meaning 'White Mountains') or Madares ( from the Cretan Greek meaning 'without coverage, bald, bare of any vegetation for high mountain areas') is a mountain range located in Western Crete, in the Chania prefec ...
). The plateau has an area of 15 km
2, and lies on the intersection of three districts, namely the Mousouroi unit of Platanias (previously
Kydonia
Kydonia or Cydonia (; grc, Κυδωνία; lat, Cydonia) was an ancient city-state on the northwest coast of the island of Crete. It is at the site of the modern-day Greek city of Chania. In legend Cydonia was founded by King Cydon (), a son ...
),
Sfakia and
East Selino. Although the settlement is in Mousouroi, most of the plateau lies in East Selino.
The plateau has three approaches, from the west, from the Chania-Sougia road, from the north at Omalos and from the south where one descends through the
Samariá Gorge to the coast at Agia Roumeli on the
Libyan Sea
The Libyan Sea (Greek , Latin ''Libycum Mare'', Arabic البحر الليبي) is the portion of the Mediterranean Sea north of the African coast of ancient ''Libya'', i.e. Cyrenaica, and Marmarica
(the coast of what is now eastern Libya ...
. Omalos itself is about 5 km from the entrance to the gorge at
Xyloskalo, and derives most of its importance from its association with trekking. An old stone mule track connects Omalos with
Agia Eirini to the west, from whence access to the next gorge to the west, the
Agia Eirini Gorge is made.
The cooler climate and fertile soil lends itself to growing vegetables and fruit such as potatoes and apples, together with cereals. Small round stone houses (''
mitata'') are used for making local cheese (
graviera).
[ In the warmer seasons shepherds bring their flocks onto pastures (''madares'', μαδάρες) on the slopes of the Lefka Ori.][Loraine Wilson. The High Mountains of Crete: A walking and trekking guide. 2nd ed. Cicerone Press Limited, 2010]
Geography
Originally a lake, it is thought to have lost its waters through the Tzani Cave. The cave is found to the right of the winding road from Omalos, descending towards Chania, about 1.6 km from Omalos.
At Xyloskalo (1250m), two peaks rise - Gingilos (2080m) and Volakias (2116m), which legend associates with the throne of Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...
, who was born in Crete. Further west are Agathopi (1768m) and Psilafi (1984m), supposedly Zeus' racing grounds, but now slalom ski racing.
History
During the uprisings against the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. the Turks rarely managed to penetrate the plateau. The name Omalos is said to have derived from a revolutionary song "''Πότε θα κάνει ξαστεριά πότε θα Φλεβαρίσει να πάρω το τουφέκι μου...να κατεβώ στον Ομαλό''"
The Tzani cave is named after Tzanis Markos a revolutionary chieftain in the early years of the Turkish invasion who made it his lair. He was nicknamed "Fobos" (fear). The cave is about 2.5 km long, and descends 241 metres. It is actually a covered gorge.
The Cretan revolutionary Hatzimichalis Giannaris (1833-1916) was born in nearby Lakkoi, and was prominent in the 1855-1869 conflicts, captured but escaped from prison in Chania and then exiled to Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrati ...
. In 1912 he was elected to the Greek parliament. Although he died in Chania his wish was to be buried in Omalos, where by the Tzani cave stands a church dedicated to him.Institute for Neohellenic Research
/ref>
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the plateau was used as an airfield.
References
{{Reflist, 3
External links
Wikimapia
Mapcarta
Greek Travel Pages
EALO (ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗΣ ΛΑΚΚΩΝ ΟΜΑΛΟΥ)
Populated places in Chania (regional unit)
Plateaus of Crete