Places
Asomaton (Gathering of the Angels) Monastery
The Monastery of Asomatoi is dedicated to the Gathering of the Angels. It was built in the 2nd Byzantine period in the style of a fortress. At the end of the 18th century it was the seat of the Bishop of Lambi. Initially the catholicon (main church) was a one-aisled, arch-roofed church; however, in the […]
Preveli Monastery
The famous monastery of Prevelis, overlooking the Libyan Sea, is composed off two building complexes, the ‘Back’ (Piso) and the ‘Low’ (Kato) Monastery, with a distance of 2 kilometres between them. There are numerous legends associated with the establishment of the monastery, dating back to the Venetian rule period, like most Cretan monasteries. At that […]
Agiou Georgiou (St. George) Monastery
A short while before arriving at Vryses, within a lush landscape of olive groves, there is the Monastery of St. George of Karydi; According to documents of 1600, it was named after a small hamlet called Karydi which used to stand here (walnut). During the Ottoman occupation it was conceded as a dependency to the […]
Agiou Ioanni (St. John) Monastery (Aptera)
At a central spot in the ancient city of Aptera, which was erected and flourished in the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C., there is the Monastery of St. John the Divine (Theologos), a dependency of the Monastery of St. John on the island of Patmos. There is a reference to dependence as early as 1181 […]
Prodromou (St. John the Baptist) Monastery at Korakies
The Monastery of St. John the Baptist at Korakies has existed since the period of Venetian and used to be a convent. The Catholicon, which is being restored, has two aisles and stands in the centre of the long monastery cloisters. The Church has been extended many times with changes that adulterated its original style. […]
Agiou Ioanni tou Erimiti (St. John the Hermit) Monastery (Catholicon)
The visit to Guverneto offers travellers the opportunity to view two interesting Christian monuments in the area. North of the monastery a stony downhill path leads to the Cave of Arkoudiotissa (Bear Lady). The name comes from a stalagmite in the form of a bear and within the cave traces of Goddess Artemis [Diana] worship […]
Guverneto Monastery
The Guverneto Monastery is situated at the northeast end of Akrotiri, on a location full of lentisks, thyme, wild olive trees and carob trees. It is one of the oldest monasteries of Akrotiri. Guverneto was founded after the 11th century and destroyed by fire before 1765. The bloodiest pages of its history were written during […]
Agia Triada (Holy Trinity) Monastery
This is situated at Akrotiri, a location planted with olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees. Architecturally it is one of the most important examples of the Cretan Renaissance. According to tradition it was funded by brothers Jeremiah and Lorenzo of the old Venetian family of the Zagaroloi, who were monks in the nearby monastery of […]
Holy Monastery of Exakousti
The Monastery of Exakousti [‘the Renowned’] is located in the northwest part of the province of Ierapetra between the settlements of Anatoli and Malles. Compared with other monasteries in the vicinity, such as the All-Holy Virgin of Armos at Malles and the All-Holy Virgin the Karydiani [‘of the Walnuts’] at Mythoi, it is a relatively […]
Holy Monastery of Faneromeni at Ierapetra
The monastery, which celebrates on the Dormition of the Theotokos, is located on the north side of Mount Stavros, a steep elevation west of the archaeological area of Gournies. Its foundation date is unknown even though non-extant sources mention it already at the end of the 13th century, connecting it with the revolution of the […]
