In the 1980s, Professor Yiannis Sakellarakis and Emerita Director of Antiquities Dr Efi Sapοuna-Sakellaraki discovered at the foot of Psiloritis, at an altitude of 1200m, a unique minoan palatial center in the mountainous area. Zominthos is where most roads / trails to the mountain intersect and they form the network of connections to the mountain and the plain. The use of the palace of Zominthos is inextricably linked with the Sacred Cave, Idaean Cave, which is only 10 km away from it. Beyond the religious relevance to the Idaean Cave, the site of Zominthos had political and economic characteristics. Around it there are water sources and the environment was rich in timber. The rich flora of the area favored animal husbandry and beekeeping. Even today in the archaeological site there is a strong presence of vegetation and trees, the most important of which is the century-old hawthorn, (Crataegus Monogyna), which has been declared Preserved Natural Monument by the Forest Service of Rethymno.



The project «Promotion of the Archaeological Site of Zominthos, Municipality of Anogeia, Regional Unit of Rethymno» has been implemented since 2021. The project entails the construction of a ticket house, paved entrance - waiting area, sanitary facilities, parking area, fencing, visitor routes, the design and installation of informational and traffic signage, the conservation of the archaeological architectural remains and conducting fire safety and conservation assessments for the preservation of the architectural remains. The project was originally funded under EΣΠΑ 2014-2020 and was subsequently transferred to ΕΣΠΑ 2021-2027 with a total allocated budget of €420,120.00€.