Places
Holy Monastery of St Nicholas at Zaros
The monastery of St. Nicholas, once a dependency of the monastery of Valsamonero, is located a kilometre and a half north of the settlement of Zaros, at the south entrance to the ravine of St. Nicholas. It is mentioned as a dependency of the monastery of Valsamonero with the name of “St. Nicholas at Karopouliana” […]
Chrysopigi (Golden Font) Convent
The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of Chrysopigi lies a short distance from the town of Chania. It was founded in the middle of the 16th century in the last period of Venetian rule in Crete. The Monastery is dedicated to our Lady of the Life-Giving Spring, who is known popularly as ‘Chrysopigi’, the Golden […]
Holy Monastery of Kremasta
The monastery of Kremasta is located at a distance of around 2,5 kilometres from Neapolis on the slopes of Mount Kavallara on the route towards the Plateau of Lasithi. According to the dedicatory inscription on the lintel of the catholicon, it was founded in 1593 by Metrophanes Agapetos. From around the middle of the 19th […]
Holy Monastery of Koufi Petra
The female monastery of Koufi Petra (Hollow Stone) is built to the west and at a close distance from the monastery of Kremasta, also on the slopes of Mount Kavallara. The only mention of the monastery in the sources is the indirect reference in a contract of the monastery of Areti, in the year 1630, […]
Holy Monastery of Saint George the Vrachasotes
Even though the oldest reference to the monastery dates to 1549, during the abbotship of Joachim Kontoioannes, the dating of the wall-painted north aisle of the catholicon to the 14th century, places the first use of the space to an earlier period. Indeed, the heyday of the monastery, as can be determined from the surviving […]
Agia Ypakoe (Holy Obedience) Monastery (Sykologos)
During Saracen raids, the residents of the area hid in a cave beside the ruins of Agia Ypakoe Monastery. The monastery was completely destroyed and has not been active since then. According to tradition, after its destruction, one of its monks founded Panagia Keralimeniotissa Monastery in Faflagos.
Panagia Keralimeniotissa (Our Lady of the Harbours) Monastery (Faflagos)
Panagia Keralimeniotissa Monastery, dedicated to the Dormition of Mother Mary, is situated deep within Faflagos valley. According to tradition, it was built by monks from Agios Prokopios (St. Procopius) Monastery, who were forced to abandon it when it was destroyed by Saracens. When they later returned to the Monastery, they brought gifts to the Virgin […]
Agios Dimitrios (St. Demetrius) Monastery (Kastri, Chondros)
At the site of the Church of Agios Dimitrios, there was a monastery that was destroyed by the Ottomans. According to tradition, its monks found refuge at Apezanes Monastery, after hiding the valuable religious utensils and relics at remote locations throughout the region. The Byzantine mural-adorned chapel of Agios Dimitrios must have served as the […]
Agios Antonios (St. Anthony) Monastery (Arvi)
Agios Antonios Monastery was founded around 1880 by the monk Artemios. According to tradition, Artemios initially selected the exit of Arvi canyon, where the temple of Arvios Zeus was located, as the location for the Monastery, but later moved higher up, on the eastern foothills, where he built the first cells of the Monastery. The […]
