Eileithyia Cave, Greek sanctuary cave in Amnisos, Greece

Eileithyia Cave in Amnisos is a sacred site with a main passage extending approximately 64 meters in length and varying between 9 and 12 meters wide. The interior features multiple chambers connected by ascending pathways throughout the site.

The cave was occupied from the Neolithic period until around 400 BCE, and worship flourished in the Late Minoan period. Pausanias, writing in the 2nd century CE, records that Greeks of his day still identified the cave at Amnisos as the dwelling place of Eileithyia. It was discovered by Christoforos Anerrapsis of Candia.

The cave's central stalagmite is said to resemble a standing woman, and other rock formations were read as female figures. Four anthropomorphic vases of the Orientalizing period, similar to Egyptian vessels showing Isis nursing Horus, were found in the sanctuary, which holds the largest collection of Egyptian and Egyptianizing artifacts on Crete.

The cave entrance is marked by an old fig tree near the site. Visitors need special permission from local archaeological authorities before entering and exploring the interior.

Archaeological digs uncovered artifacts from Syria, Palestine, and Egypt at this location. These discoveries show how widely connected this site was to distant trade networks in ancient times.