Tracing Crete through the Ages
TRACING CRETE THROUGH THE AGES
Natural beauty, earnest faith, human ingenuity – Crete has it all!
Explore its history and immerse yourself in its endless beauty!
Explore its history and immerse yourself in its endless beauty!
1,100€
Includes accommodation (3-star), full board, all domestic transfers, entrance fees, taxes and tuition
10 days / 9 nights
Departing:
Contact us for details
Squeezed between two great ancient civilizations, the Greek and the Egyptian, and strategically located in the South East Mediterranean basin, Crete has always been the emblematic theatre of world history defining events.
Home to Europe’s first advanced civilization - the Minoans - occupied by Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Ottomans for almost two millennia, and a major battlefield of the worst war the world has ever seen – WWII, no other place in Europe offers such a long and diverse history.
Join us to explore the diverse civilizations that gave the world such magnificent landmarks as Chania’s Byzantine Monasteries and Venetian port, and prodigies such as El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) and Nikos Kazantzakis (author of Zorba the Greek).
DAY 1 / ARRIVE IN CRETE
Whether you have travelled across continents or from a neighboring country, you will be welcomed by our expert staff to an exclusive three course dinner in the old city of Chania, perhaps the most beloved and photographed spot in whole of Crete.
Your accompanying EKPA professors shall introduce you to your upcoming and truly amazing Cretan adventure over local delicacies and the island’s favorite drink, the raki.
Dinner
DAY 2 / INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY I
Tutor: Karagiannis (Dr)
We start our day with a short drive to Kissamos Archaeological Museum whose exhibits in this imposing Venetian-Turkish building shall introduce you to the region’s prehistoric to late-antiquity history. Next stop will take you to the ancient Minoan settlement of Kydonia, founded by King Minos himself. Last visit before lunch will be at the ancient site of Aptera (‘no feathers’ in Greek), the scene of the mythological battle between the Sirens and the Muses after which the Sirens lost their feathered wings.
You shall have your chance to choose your side between Muses and Sirens over a traditional Cretan lunch al the while your accompanying professor brings Greek mythology to life before your eyes!
Later in the afternoon you will be driven back to Chania where you will visit Chania’s Archaeological Museum. Housed in the Catholic church of the Monastery of St. Francis, it is a treat for the eyes and the heart. This is where unique architecture meets human ingenuity in the form of Linear A and B scripts, two of the first known forms of writing to man!
Dinner will be served by the town’s venetian port where you shall have the chance to take a romantic stroll along the promenade.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 3 / INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY II
Tutor: Karagiannis (Dr)
First visit of the day will be at the venetian neoria, the 16th century arsenali built by the Venetians to repair their ships and sustain their occupying fleet. During your walk in the neighboring area you will be introduced to the life of the Sea People of Crete and the feel of the town under venetian occupation. Most certainly, your visit to the Maritime Museum of Chania shall provide the visual stimuli to picture Chania’s naval and civic life through the ages.
Lunch will be taken in a small taverna known only to locals, while the rest of your afternoon will be spent learning about the history of Chania and the Cretan Sea People.
Your dinner tonight shall be enjoyed with the accompanying sound of traditional Cretan lyre and imposing Cretan dances.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 4 / BYZANTINE CHANIA
Tutor: Stoufi (Dr)
We start our day with a tour of the Venetian port of Chania before proceeding on foot to explore the exceptional byzantine churches in the old town of Chania for the rest of the morning. Your accompanying EKPA professor will illuminate throughout the day the secrets of their architecture and crucially their iconography. Overall, eight churches and Chryssopigi Monasteri will be visited to help you better understand byzantine architecture and the Cretan School of iconography.
Your lunchbreak will be taken in a different cosseted restaurant in the old town of Chania, while dinner will be offered in a small village on the slope of Lefka Ori.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 5 / ASCETIC TRADITION I
Tutor: Stoufi (Dr)
Your day will take you to four byzantine monasteries (St. John the Baptist, Trazagola Holy Trinity, Guverneto, St. John the Merciful), where you shall have the opportunity not only to be introduced to the island’s ascetic tradition by your accompanying professor, but also to experience it firsthand by conversing with the monasteries’ abbots and monks. You will also learn how the monks of Trazagola make their exquisite organic olive oil, honey, wine and soap from the Monastery’s virgin olive grove and vineyard, and even bring some back home with you to treat your loved ones if you want.
It goes without saying that you shall be treated to a proper monastic lunch prepared by the monks.
Dinner will be enjoyed in the old town of Chania upon your return.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 6 / ASCETIC TRADITION II
Tutor: Pagratis (Dr)
Four more Byzantine churches and three more Byzantine monasteries are waiting to sweep you off your feet today. The first stop of your day-long road-trip to the city of Rethymnon shall be at the early Christian basilica at Eleftherna. We will then set off to visit Arcadi Monastery and let you immerse yourself in its heartbreaking yet inspiring history.
The rest of our day will be spent exploring Arsaniou Monastery – where you shall be treated to a proper monastic lunch prepared by the monks – Kyriana and Roussospiti villages, and the Monastery of St. Irene.
Dinner will be served upon your return to Chania at a restaurant favored by locals.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 7 / WESTERN CRETE
Tutor: Pagratis (Dr)
Ballos is perhaps the island’s most photographed beach and one of the most famous in all of Greece. Today, we will take a half-day cruise to the small island of Gramvousa, where you will visit the venetian fortress and be introduced to its history by your accompanying professor, before having the privilege to dive in the turquoise waters of Ballos.
Upon our return ashore and a fulfilling traditional Mediterranean lunch, we will visit the picturesque village of Kolymbari, surrounded by thick olive groves and the Aegean Sea.
Our dinner tonight will take you through a culinary journey of Greece!
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 8 / SAMARIA GORGE
Tutor: Skamnakis (Dr)
One of the island’s natural landmarks, Samaria Gorge, is home to the rich indigenous flora and the wild Cretan goats, the kri-kris. It normally takes hikers 5-7 hours to cross it, however we shan’t test your limits! We will spend the day touring around the gorge, appreciating its beautiful views from its entrance and exit from the safety and comfort of our bus and small boat. All along, our expert professor shall introduce you to its landscape and history, and crucially the intricacies of Sfakia, a beautiful village on the southern Cretan shore, home to Greece’s proudest people, the Sfakians! This is where you will have lunch and be treated to possibly the strongest raki of the entire trip.
Dinner shall be enjoyed at Chania upon our return to the hotel.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 9 / INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY III
Tutor: Skamnakis (Dr)
No visit to Chania would ever be complete without visiting the residence and grave of Eleftherios Venizelos, one of the country’s most important Prime Ministers and one of Europe’s most outstanding political figures that helped shape contemporary European history.
The rest of the day will be spent touring Chania’s market and Greece’s first Museum of Typography. Adorned with printing presses and exhibits that date from the Middle Ages and the start of European printing, you shan’t help but compare your miniscule smartphone to the size of the Museum’s true copy of Gutenberg’s printing press!
Lunch will be enjoyed in Chania’s old town before we set off on a road trip to Agia, Meskla and Therisso - three beautiful villages with abundant ancient and byzantine heritage for you to explore under the guidance of our expert professor.
Dinner shall be enjoyed in Therisso at a little tavern favored by locals - the best way to end a most unforgettable Greek experience!
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
DAY 10 / DEPARTURE
All good things must come to an end. After 9 days of culturally exploring Crete through the ages, it is time to part our ways until the next time we meet again!
Whether it was the ancient Minoan civilization or the byzantine monasteries that excited your imagination, your heart and mind will undoubtedly be filled with new knowledge, stories, images, thoughts, sounds and flavors, and the abundant Greek kallos!
Breakfast
Course code: | ToG - 004 |
Subject area: | Crete, Sea People, Minoan, Roman, Venetian & Christian Period, Christian Culture |
Credits: | 10 credits/5 ECTS /2 US |
Credit level: | 10 |
Contact hours: | 64 |
Academic eligibility: | 1 year of undergraduate study |
Language requirements: | IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 5.5 in each component) or equivalent |
Destinations in Greece: | Chania, Rethymno, Gramvousa, Ballos, Samaria Gorge |
Tuition fee: | POA |
Course length: | Ten (10) days |
Course dates: | Flexible |
Application deadline: | 12 weeks before the course starts |
Description
Tracing Crete Through The Ages explores the Minoan, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history and culture of Western Crete, and offers aspiring educators the relevant tools to incorporate outdoor learning into their teaching and curriculum planning.
The purpose of this course is to explore, contact and live the places that gave birth to the great Cretan civilization that dominated the South East Mediterranean basin. Several places of interest and worship will be thoroughly studied on- and off-site (including but not limited to archaeological sites, monuments, temples, monasteries, churches and burial sites), thus providing participants with invaluable knowledge and firsthand experience of how Cretan history unfolded and Cretan culture was shaped.
A great number of archaeological sites and byzantine and venetian monuments will be visited and studied, all offering a unique stage to experientially explore how Crete evolved through the ages.
The Course takes a multi-disciplinary approach in exploring Minoan, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history and culture of Western Crete, and aims to provide participants with the relevant tools to educate and be educated on the origins classical culture and education across the curriculum. Designed to offer both indoor and outdoor learning experiences, the Course aims to provide participants with some understanding of the benefits, processes, and skills related to learning in the outdoors, without, though, training them as outdoor specialists.
Carefully designed experiential learning, teaching in context, and on- and off-site exercises will bring all visited sites and destinations in life before the participants and thus help them better understand, and crucially teach, Cretan history and culture, and Greek mythology.
Aspects of the course content are driven by the participants’ unfolding curiosity about the history, geography, culture, and religion of the visited and thoroughly studied destinations and sites.
Teaching
- A variety of teaching and learning approaches will be used, including but not limited to lectures, discussion seminars, workshop tasks, and outdoor activities, designed and delivered by the world acclaimed and highly specialized academic faculty of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
- The course will conclude with student-led outdoor teaching sessions.
- Even though the Course is designed to be taught primarily by the Course Organizer, other experts may occasionally contribute to onsite teaching.
- Teaching contact time is scheduled at 64 hours over 10 days comprising but not restricted to practical sessions, lectures, and workshops.
- Participants are expected to complete relevant readings and assignments in their own free study time.
- Participants will spend a considerable amount of time learning, exploring, and teaching indoors and outdoors in both enclosed areas and green-space. Appropriate clothing and footwear is crucial.
- The ways in which theory and policy inform practice is a dominant theme of the course. This is reflected in the teaching and, in particular, the three forms of assessment – all of which are inter-linked.
- The closing teaching session and essay at the end of the Course require participants to refer to available literature on indoor and outdoor learning, as well as national/state education policy documents.
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their teaching assignment, pamphlet and written assignment with their course instructor and peers during formative feedforward tutorials.
Assessment
- Educational pamphlet (30%): Participants shall design and produce a 2-page educational pamphlet on an educational aspect of the Course (1000 words equivalent)
- Outdoor teaching session (30%): In pairs, Participants shall plan, facilitate and evaluate a short outdoor lesson (accompanied by a lesson plan and risk management plan; 1000 words equivalent)
- Essay (40%): Participants will deliver an academic paper outlining the theoretical underpinning of the lesson and a critical reflection on the teaching performance (1500 words).
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their teaching assignment, pamphlet and written assignment with their course instructor and peers during formative feedforward tutorials.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Course, Participants will have acquired:
- An understanding of the broad concepts that underpin curricular outdoor learning,
- Detailed knowledge on multi-era Cretan monuments and a good understanding of their architecture,
- A deep understanding of Cretan religious tradition and Orthodox Christianity,
- Detailed knowledge and deep understanding of the different architectural styles of the Christian Orthodox churches,
- An appreciation for the liturgical life of Christian Orthodox Church,
- The ability to search for, evaluate and use information to develop their knowledge and understanding,
- An appreciation for new ideas, methods and ways of thinking,
- The ability to take responsibility for their own learning, and a commitment to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement,
- The ability to sustain intellectual interest and be academically curious,
- The ability to effectively use oral, written, and visual means to critique, negotiate, create, and communicate their understanding, and
- The flexibility to transfer their knowledge, learning, skills, and abilities from one context to another.
Fees
The Course Fee is all inclusive and covers tuition costs, entrance fees to all venues, accommodation, full board and all transfers for the entire duration of the Course.
Full information on the Course itinerary, destinations and accommodation options can be found here.
A 20% deposit per Participant is required upon registration and no latter than 12 weeks before the Course starts. The deposit will be reclaimed towards the total Course Fee.
Please note that study in Greece may incur additional costs e.g. visa application fees.
Early bird rates, as well as special rates for academics of valued partner institutions apply (faculty members, researchers, students).
DAY 1 WELCOME
- Chania Old Town
- Chania
DAY 2 INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY I
- Kissamos Archaeological Museum
- Kydonia Minoan Settlement
- Aptera Archaeological Site
- Chania Archaeological Museum
- Chania
DAY 3 INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY II
- Venetia Neoria of Chania
- Maritime Museum of Chania
- Chania Old Town
- Chania
DAY 4 BYZANTINE CHANIA
- Chania
- Venetian Port
- Church of St. Salvatore
- Cathedral of Mother Mary’s Presentation
- Catholic Church of the Dormition
- Church of St. Francis
- Church of St. Nichola
- Old Cathedral of St. Anargyri
- Church of St. Magdalene
- Church of the Annanciation
- Chryssopigi Monastery
DAY 5 ASCETIC TRADITION I
- Chania
- St. John the Baptist Monastery
- Trazagola Holy Trinity Monastery
- Guverneto Monastery
- St. John the Merciful Monastery\
DAY 6 ASCETIC TRADITION II
- Chania
- Eleftherna
- Kyriana
- Pangalochori Village
- Chromonastiri Village
- Roussospiti Village
- Arkadi Monastery
- Church of the Savior
- Church of the Dormition of Mother Mary
- Church of St. Eftychios
- Church of Panagia Kera
- Church of Virgin Mary
- Arsaniou Monastery
- City of Rethymnon
DAY 7 WESTERN CRETE
- Chania
- Gramvousa Island
- Venetian Fortress of Gramvousa
- Balos Lagoon
- Kolymbari Vilage
DAY 8 SAMARIA GORGE
- Chania
- Samaria Gorge
- Sfakia
DAY 9 INTRODUCTION TO CRETAN HISTORY III
- Chania
- Chania Market
- Chalepa Museum
- Akrotiri - Venizelos’ Family Graves
- Museum of Typography
- Agia
- Meskla
Therissos
DAY 10 DEPARTURE
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All Short Courses are taught by our expert NKUA professors in English, however they may be also offered in Greek, German, French, Italian, Russian and Romanian upon request.
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