Panagia
Holy Monastery of Toplou
The monastery of Toplou or the Akrotiriani [All-Holy Virgin of the Cape], as it is called due to its position in the eastern corner of Crete, is one of the most renowned and important monasteries of the island. Its establishment probably dates to the late 14th century, a period during which the original catholicon was […]
Anastassi (Resurrection) and Axion Esti (It Is Truly Meet) Convent
The Axion Esti Convent, founded in 1984 by the Metropolitan Philotheos II, is located near the city of Ierapetra. The catholicon is a three-aisled church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Annunciation and the Resurrection of the Lord. It is replete with murals, featuring work that is characteristic of the Cretan School, and its altar […]
Panagias (Mother Mary) Monastery at Gourni
The ruins of Panagia Monastery are located in the hard-to-reach area of Gourni. The catholicon, the only part of the monastery that has survived, is an arch-covered church dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary. Initially single-aisled, it was converted to two-aisled in the 16th century, with the new addition dedicated to the Ascension of […]
Chrysoskalitissa (of the Golden step) Monastery
The Monastery of Chrysoskalitissa is built on a rock at the south-west end of Crete. The church of the monastery is dedicated to Mother Mary and the Holy Trinity and its feast is held on August 15 (Dekapendavgoustos). The Monastery was built during Venetian rule on the site of St. Nicholas monastery and, according to […]
Gonia Monastery
It is situated near the village of Kolymbari and it is one of the best preserved monasteries on Crete; it looks like a fort and has a three apse Catholicon church and two chapels. The initial donor (ktetor) was Brother Vlassios, a monk from Cyprus, who, according to tradition, started building the Monastery on a […]
