Mount Ida (Crete)


Mount Ida, known variously as Idha, Ídhi, Idi, Ita. The massif including the mountain is called Psiloritis.
At 2,456 m, Ida is the highest mountain on Crete. It has the highest topographic prominence in Greece. A natural park which includes Mt. Ida is a member of UNESCO's Global Geoparks Network.
Located in the Rethymno regional unit, Ida was sacred to the Greek Titaness Rhea. On its slopes lies one of the caves, Idaion Antron, the Idaean Cave, in which, according to legend, Zeus was born. Other legends, however, place his birthplace in Psychro Cave on the Lasithi Plateau.

Features

The Psiloritis is located on the water divide between the southern part of Crete, tributary of the Libyan Sea, and the northern one, facing the Aegean sea. A saddle at 2,321 m East of the summit connects it with Mount Agathias, while westwards the ridge contiunes with Mount Stolistra
The Skinakas observatory of the University of Crete is located on the secondary peak 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 built only of local stones, and used both for shelter and for cheesemaking.

Mythology

Mount Ida is the locus for a race of legendary ancient metal workers Dactyls.

Idaean Cave

In ancient times the Idaean cave, "cave of the Goddess" 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, or 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 the frequent depiction of a tripod on coins of nearby Axos, which presumably controlled the territory around the cave.

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