kilometres north-east of Sitia and has been dated to the 15th century.
The monastery is famous for housing a superb 18th century icon painted by Ioannis Kornaros, depicting 61 scenes from the Orthodox liturgy.
Toplou is also famous for its historic past. Due to its strategic position, this monastery has experienced various attacks by invading forces, therefore its history explains its unusual architecture.
The walls enclosing it are solid and thick and a massive, heavy door has been placed at the entry.
High above this door is a hole that was used by the monks to throw boiling water or oil on the heads of the attackers.
The monastery also has a cannon from where it took its name (Toplou means “with a cannon” in Turkish).
Toplou used to be a meeting place for revolutionaries and freedom fighters during the Greek Revolution (1821) and, because of that, the Turks hung 14 monks at the main gate. |
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| The Church
of Panagia Kera |
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The Church of Panagia Kera (Our Lady Kera) is situated 9 kilometres south-west of Agios Nikolaos, nearby the village of Kritsa.
It is a three aisled church with a cupola, full of 14th and 15th century frescoes and icons considered to be some of the finest in Greece. They are now being restored.
• More information about the church: culture.gr
This monastery is situated on the southern coast of Crete, 41 kilometres south of Sitia, |
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Two small hollows are visible in this cave and believed to have been made by the monk’s knees as he prayed through the years.
| The
Monastery of Panagia Faneromeni |
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This monastery is lying a few kilometres west of Sitia, on the edge of a canyon. The monastery owns its name (Revealed Virgin) from an icon of the Virgin Mary found in a small cave nearby the church.
The main church of this small monastery has frescoes from the 15th century which have unfortunately being blackened by the smoke when the Turks set the church on fire.
The monastery offers its visitors a breathtaking view.
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