History
The island of Crete has been inhabited since prehistoric times. There is evidence of organized habitation which dates back to 8000 BCE, and the excavations of the 20th century have revealed a splendid civilization which ruled the island and much of the Aegean during the Bronze Age.
The Minoan civilization, as it was named, is credited as the first civilization of Europe, it began around 2000 BCE and it lasted for about two millennia before it was replaced on the island by Mycenaean civilization circa 1375, and then by Classical and Hellenistic Greeks, which in turn were replaced by the Romans.
The Byzantine empire and the Venetians controlled the island for a few hundred years before the Ottoman empire invaded the island.
The Ottoman empire ruled the island from 1645 until 1898 when the Greeks revolted and finally re-united the island with Greece in 1913.

Language
The long occupation of the Venetians and the Turks have left their mark on the language. While in general the population of Crete utilizes the standard modern Greek language, there are distinct differences in the way certain consonants sound in the Cretan dialect., and certain Greek words are different.
Besides the vocabulary differences, spoken Greek in Crete is also distinguished by its distinct accent.

The development of the Cretan dialect is due to the relative isolation of the island, and it shares characteristics with the Greek spoken in Cyprus and other southern Aegean islands. Sounds like the 'k', 'h' for example have a different sound in Crete than in modern Greek, as they acquire a listing softness and sound like 'ch' and 'sh' respectively.

Music
The music of Crete is as distinct as its people, and it permeates society as it is ever present in all social events. Cretan traditional music exhibits a unique sound emanating from a unique instrument, the "lyra". Lyra is held vertically, resting on the thighs of the player, and is played with a bow like a violin.
Another instrument which contributes to the unique sound is the "lute" which is played like a guitar an provides the vigorous rhythm of the songs. Mantinades are one category of songs that utilize improvisation and speak of age old concerns of love and death.

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