Ancient Pikilassos

At the exit of the wild canyon Trypiti at the White Mountains was built the small ancient town of Poikilassos or Poikilassion , which was one of the ports of Elyros . Among the few findings of the archaeological excavation are some inscriptions referring to a local sanctuary dedicated to the Graeco Egyptian god Serapis .

Also, some carved rocks have been identified. Today you will barely see some scattered traces of the city, as almost everything has been completely destroyed or covered by vegetation.

In the area today there is the temple of Prophet Elijah and the fort of Voukelassi , which belongs to the network of towers built by the Ottomans to control the coasts of Sfakia. Poikilassos , after the 3rd century BC participated in the Federation of the Mountains together with the towns Elyros , Lissos , Yrtakina and Tarra .

This federation was a small monetary union of the era, as the cities had a common currency and followed a common foreign policy.