Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur

Once upon a time on the island of Minotaur

Crete’s strategic location exposed the island to siege and piracy continuously during the centuries: this fact pushed local people to the mountainous interior of the island to protect themselves from the pirates’ assaults across the seaside. More or less until the 70’s that tourism appeared here, the Cretans’ character, life and customs were much more related to the mountains rather than the sea. These photos are a kind of observation at the dyadic nature of Minotaur’s island , the key-shaped mountain that was planted in the Mediterranean sea.

After the 70’s , in the name of quick profit, the mainstream “glamour” propaganda and the brutal touristic development are echoing everywhere across the land here … Crete, despite its long history, is represented almost solely as a place of beach , blue sea and sunsets behind Mediterranean cuisine plates. My view wouldn’t possibly be an appealing reason for someone to visit Crete , i guess it couldn't ever be parallel to the “glamour” that a place’s economy needs to advertise as a “prestigious” touristic product. My island is the only place I will never have the chance to see how it looks like in the eyes of a stranger. And yet , i often feel like a stranger here , surrounded by this “tourismus über alles” mentality ...