Villages & Towns

Agioi Deka

Gortyna, Heraklion · Free

Highlights & amenities

Entry: Free

About

Village of the ten martyrs next to Gortyn.

Agioi Deka is a village in the Messara plain, right next to the ruins of Gortyn. Its name means "Ten Saints", after ten Christian martyrs who were executed here in 250 AD by the Romans.

The church of the Ten Saints holds the stone where they were beheaded, and their tombs lie in a small chapel nearby. Many old houses in the village were built with stones from the ruins of Gortyn.

It's a nice place for a coffee after visiting Gortyn.

The church of the Ten Saints is an old Byzantine church with frescoes, and the stone on which the martyrs were beheaded is kept inside. A short walk leads to the chapel built over their tombs. The village is green and lively, with tavernas and cafes, and it's the seat of the municipality of Gortyna. Gortyn's main site is just a few hundred metres away.

Around Gortyna

Nearest town: Mires, about 10 km by road
Nearest airport: Heraklion airport (HER), about 48 km by road

Heraklion is the heart of Minoan Crete and the island’s busiest region. Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum are the two places almost everyone visits, and they work well together on one day. In the south, the wide Messara plain holds the palace of Phaistos, the Roman ruins of Gortyna and the famous caves above the bay of Matala. More about Heraklion