Crete traits (such as its own poetry and music). It was once the centre of the Minoan civilisation (), which is the earliest known civilisation in Europe. The palace of Knossos lies in Crete. The island is first referred to as "Kaptara" in texts from the Syrian city of Mari dating from the 18th century BC, repeated later in Neo-Assyrian records and the Bible ("Caphtor"). It was also known in ancient Egyptian as "Keftiu", strongly suggesting a similar Minoan name for the island. The current name of Crete is thought to be first attested in Mycenaean Greek texts written in Linear
Minoan Flying Dolphins Minoan Flying Dolphins Minoan Flying Dolphins (MFD) was a Greek passenger and freight ferry company. MFD was established in 1998 by Pantelis Sfinias () as a subsidiary of Minoan Lines. Sfinias had convinced many prominent Greek businessmen to purchase stakes in MFD. His plan was to use the raised capital for purchasing small traditional ferry companies and eventually consolidate the Greek ferry industry. MFD's first acquisition was "Ceres Flying Dolphins" owned by the Livanos family, a hydrofoils company active in the Argo-Saronic Gulf and the Sporades islands. Within a few months, MFD grew rapidly through a barrage of buyouts that