Aegean Sea stands at the crossroad of three continents. It has been, through the centuries, a melting pot of cultures from Europe, Africa and Asia. It was traditionally known as the Archipelago (in Ancient Greek, Aρχιπέλαγος, meaning “chief sea”).
In ancient times, the sea was the birthplace of the Minoan civilisation (2400-1700 BC), which is regarded as the earliest recorded civilisation in Europe.