Agioi Deka: Churches and Ancient Gortyna

Agioi Deka brings together cultural references on two levels: sacred architecture in the town and archaeological remains in the nearby area of Gortyna. In the town, there is a large basilica in the center and a church on its southwestern edge. Near Gortyna, ancient buildings, finds, and the extent of the ruins provide another focus for planning your trip.

Churches in the townscape

In the center of Agioi Deka stands a large three-aisled basilica with a narthex and two domed annexes to the east. It is dedicated to the saints of the same name. The architecture can be understood through several building elements: the three-aisled nave, the narthex as an entrance hall, and the eastern annexes together form the described complex.

On the southwestern edge of the town, the church at Agia Limni stands on this site. It was built between 1915 and 1917. According to tradition, it was built over the tombs of the saints; the tombs are visible in a catacomb beneath the narthex. The two sites in the town therefore differ in location and tradition: the large basilica stands in the center, while the church at Agia Limni is associated with the tradition of the tombs.

Gortyna: an archaeological landscape nearby

Architectural remains of a significant ancient city have been preserved at the archaeological site of Gortyna. The site covers approximately 27 stremma. A description from December 2024 dates the start of operations to the 1970s. This is distinct from the greater extent of the ruins: the remains of the ancient city, including its acropolis and necropolises, cover approximately 4,000 stremma and extend east as far as the village of Agioi Deka. The two area figures therefore refer to different scales—the archaeological site and the more extensive landscape of ruins.

Odeon, inscription, and theater

The Roman Odeon of Gortyna was built at the highest point of the Greek agora, probably on the site of the Hellenistic bouleuterion dating from the 4th to 2nd centuries BC. This possible sequence links two periods of construction at the site without presenting the earlier structure as certain. The inscription of the Laws of Gortyna was found on the outer wall of the Odeon’s circular corridor—a precisely identified findspot within the building.

The Great Theater is a short distance from the archaeological site. A notice from 2024 described its excavation as ongoing. This time reference relates to the description at that time; it makes no claim about the current status.

Finds and historical connections

The Basilica of the Ten Saints is also connected with ancient Gortyna: it was built within the Roman amphitheater. The saints were martyred there in 250 AD under Emperor Decius. This historical connection adds another reference to the area’s religious history alongside the churches in the town.

In the southwest of Agioi Deka, the small Fylakeio Museum houses statues, inscriptions, and marble finds from ancient Gortyna. The collection thus brings together different types of evidence from the same ancient city. Taken together, the objects in the town’s collection and the extensive ruins nearby represent two distinct spatial connections to the history of Gortyna.

If you are looking for a hotel in Agioi Deka, this distinction can help structure your trip planning: sacred buildings and traditions concerning the saints are in the town, while Gortyna’s archaeological remains are the focus in the nearby area. This allows you to consider whether you are primarily interested in churches, ancient urban history, or the connection between the two.

Discover more destinations: Dafnes, Timbakion, Agios Myron, Lendas, Avdou, Limenes, Kastamonitsa, Voros.

For the main travel overview: Heraklion.