murals
Koimisi tis Theotokou (Dormition of Mother Mary) Church (Platania)
A one-aisled, arch-roofed church, with a semi-cylindrical arch with its origins in the 14th century, built on the ruins of an older church; all its walls are fully covered in murals. The murals date to the 13th and 14th centuries and the most impressive one is the enthroned Mother Mary on the west side and […]
Agios Theodorus (St. Theodore) (Nefs Amari)
This is a small, one-aisled, tile-roofed church, with murals dating to 1588 and 1731, not very well preserved. The bell tower has a representation of Mother Mary.
Agia Anna (St. Anne) (Nefs Amari)
This church has the oldest dated Byzantine murals on Crete; they were made in 1225, and the donor’s inscription of the church bears the year 1196. It is a one-aisled church with arches.
Agios Ioannis o Theologos (St. John the Divine) (Gerakari)
A little outside Gerakari, at ‘Photis’ location, there is a Church of St. John; it is one-aisled and tile-roofed and was built in the 12th or the13th century. A narthex with a cupola was added to the only aisle. The murals are well-preserved and they date back to the 13th century.
Koimisi tis Theotokou (Dormition of Mother Mary) Church (Meron)
The Dormition church is a three-aisled basilica built oveer three periods. The initial construct dates to the 14th century, judging from the decoration, and the extension dates back to the 16th century. The three aisles are dedicated to St. George, St. Paul & St.Peter and Mother Mary. Besides the beautiful murals in the central and […]
Koimisi tis Theotokou (Dormition of Mother Mary) Church (Thronos)
This is a one-aisle, tile-roofed church of the 14th century, built on the ruins of an older Metropolitan church. The coats of arms of the Kallergis’ family are also found in this church, which means that it probably belonged to them. The murals dating from the 13th and 14th centuries include an impressive enthroned Madonna […]
Theotokou (Mother Mary) Church (Patsos)
The church dedicated to the Nativity of Mother Mary is an ordinary four-pillar in the square church with a cupola. Although it is in ruins, its walls are still standing. It was built in two phases. The first one dates back to the 11th or 12th century and its extensive reconstruction to the 14th century. […]
Panagias Thymianis (Mother Mary of the thyme) Monastery (Komitades)
According to tradition the name of the monastery comes from an icon of Mother Mary found under a thyme bush and has been a sacred site for the residents of Sfakia. The catholicon (main church) of the monastery is a two-aisled church dedicated to the Nativity of Mother Mary (Gennisis tis Theotokou) and the Holy […]
Panagias (Mother Mary) Monastery (Fourfouras)
At the Leivada location, southeast of Fourfouras, there are ruins of the Monastery of Mother Mary (Moni Panagias), which is also known as Panagia sti Leivada (Mother Mary on the Meadow). The only thing preserved from the monastery is a small, arch-roofed, one-aisle church, within which some murals dating back to 1400 have been preserved. […]
Agios Georgios & Christos (St. George & Christ) (Kournas)
The Church of St. George was built at the end of the 12th century, initially as a three-aisled basilica with a wooden roof, a narthex and adobe brick arches. In 1230 Christ’s roof-covered aisle was added. In the 19th century, the interior of the main church was unified and the narthex demolished, while a bell-tower […]
