Monasteries and churches

Almost every monastery in Crete has its own thrilling story to tell, adding a special chapter to the island’s own thrilling history and offering special reasons to get to know the place. Most of the monasteries were founded after 961 AD, when the Byzantine general and later emperor Nikiforos Fokas liberated Crete from the Arabs.

The liberation was followed by a period of particular cultural renaissance, which is reflected, among other things, in the religious monuments of the time, and continued at a more intense pace during the Venetian domination period. Important monuments from the Venetian period are still preserved today, such as the Venetian Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Tzagarola in Akrotiri of Chania, the Monastery of Arkadi in Rethymno, the Monastery of Agarathos in Heraklion and the Monastery of Toplou in Lassithi. The Venetian occupation also saw the establishment of the Catholic Archbishopric of Crete, based in Chandaka, now Heraklion, which was abolished in 1669. Today, under the Catholic Diocese of Crete, established in 1874 and with St Francis of Assisi as its patron, there are places of worship for Catholic Christians in almost all the major towns of Crete. Among the most famous churches are the Catholic Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in the old town of Chania, the Holy Catholic Church of St John the Baptist in Heraklion and the Parish Church of St Anthony of Padua in Rethymnon.

In addition to the worship needs of the faithful, the monasteries functioned in the long term as shelters for the organisation of military operations and as revolutionary centres. The Ottomans, aware of the monks’ support for the Christian warriors, razed, burned and looted many of them. In order to leave their mark, they also built their own places of worship, which today complete the cultural mosaic of Crete. In the port of Chania still stands imposing and unique of its kind, the oldest Ottoman monument of the island, the mosque of Kioutsuk Hasan, or Gyali Tzamisi, while in Rethymnon, the Neratze Mosque, which today serves as a conservatory, dominates the city centre. The large dome of the mosque of Ibrahim Khan is preserved in the Fortezza of Rethymnon, while minarets and mosques are also preserved in many other places in the cities of Chania, Rethymnon and Ierapetra.

Finally, in Chania there is the 16th century synagogue of Etz Hayim, a unique witness to the long presence of Jewish Populations on the island.​

Don’t miss

  • The Arkadi Monastery, 23 km southeast of Rethymnon. At the most critical turning point of the Cretan Revolution, in November 1866, almost 1,000 people took refuge here and were closely besieged by the powerful troops of Mustafa Pasha. To avoid falling into the hands of the Ottomans, they made the heroic decision to blow up the monastery’s powder magazine in one of the most heroic acts of the revolutionary struggle.
  • In eastern Crete, Toplou Monastery, next to the Vai palm forest, is one of the most impressive fortress-type monasteries in Crete.
  • On the southern coast of the prefecture of Rethymnon, the Preveli Monastery, which includes two separate building complexes, is located in a beautiful location on the western slopes of the Great River (Megalos Potamos) and the palm forest of the lake.
  • The Varsamonero Monastery, 50 km southwest of Heraklion, of which only the church full of hagiographies with its peculiar architecture and excellent frescoes (late 14th-early 15th century) survives today, is one of the most remarkable religious monuments in Crete.
  • The Monastery of Agia Marina, south of the settlement of Voni in Heraklion, was built in 1901 by Ioannis Kaparounakis, on the ruins of an older one-room church of the 14th-15th century. The nunnery is popular for the large number of worshippers who flock (mostly pedestrians) every year on 17 July to honour its memory.
Agia Irini Monastery
Agia Irini Monastery
Agios Antonios Monastery in Arvi
Agios Antonios Monastery in Arvi
Agios Georgios Epanosifis Monastery
Agios Georgios Epanosifis Monastery
Agios Nikolaos Monastery in Zaros
Agios Nikolaos Monastery in Zaros
Apezanes Monastery
Apezanes Monastery
Arkadi Monastery
Arkadi Monastery