Crete, Arkadi Monastery July 5th, 2016
In previous posts I did not write about renting a car in Crete. Here, unlike some, we made the right choice. As a result, we can draw the following conclusion: if you want to rent a car cheaper, then you need to look for a local office with good reviews. We got a Lancia Ypsilon for 7 days for 169 euros from http://www.rent-a-car-crete.ru. And lo and behold, no one demanded anything from us in excess of the 169 euros that were indicated when ordering.
Crete has these types of attractions: beaches, monasteries, caves, very ancient ruins, narrow, very narrow gorges with waterfalls and archaeological museums. And yes, there are two more freshwater lakes with turtles. I already saw the Cretan ruins in 2003, all of them except Knossos are so badly ruined that looking at them once, it is quite possible to make an impression for the rest of your life. Archaeological museums did not excite anyone but me. There were beaches, caves, monasteries and gorges. We visited all 4 types of attractions! :)
Our youngest daughter Maya doesn't like to drive. At all. At her 1 year and 3 months old, it seemed humiliating and unpleasant for her that she had to sit fastened and she could neither crawl nor move at all. Therefore, she had only two driving modes: the “I sleep” mode and the “I yell” mode. Due to this feature of a child named Maya, long trips were impossible, so we chose a monastery closer to home, a cave closer to home, and a gorge also closer to home.
As a monastery, we got one of the most famous monasteries of the island of Crete - Arkadi.
It was only 14 km away from our hotel. I even thought maybe I would run to him, and then they would take me away from him by car. But no one agreed to this.
The road from the sea to the monastery goes to the mountains. I remember how impressed I was by the mountain roads of Crete when I first got here in 2003, it was my first experience of driving in the mountains. But even now, as a lowlander, the mountains still delight me.
When we arrived at the monastery, it turned out that we were far from the first, despite the fact that it was exactly at 10 am. Numerous buses with tourists ahead of us. However, I cannot say that there were too many tourists, the monastery is large.
In the middle of the territory of the monastery stands a very strange temple. It was built in the 16th century, that is, under the Venetians. On the one hand, it looks like a baroque Italian church, on the other hand, it is a Byzantine cathedral.
The monastery of Arkadi is associated with the history of the liberation of Crete from the Ottoman yoke. In general, it must be said that references to the struggle of the Greeks for independence in Crete are everywhere. Despite the fact that more than 100 years have passed, the topic is still hot. As we have somewhere in the Pskov region in every village there is a monument to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, so the Greeks remember the heroes of their war with the Turks.
In 1866, another uprising of Orthodox Greeks broke out on the island. One of the centers of the uprising was the monastery of Arkadi. In November, Mustafa Pasha's army of 15,000 men laid siege to the monastery. It must be said that Mustafa Pasha (Albanian by origin), who was the governor of Crete at that time, tried to reconcile the Cretan Muslims and Christians (however, within the Turkish order). One of his daughters was married to a local Orthodox priest and she was allowed to convert to Christianity. But the rights of Christians were severely infringed. They did not have the right to bear arms, could not hold public office, most Orthodox churches did not have the right to ring the bells, etc. and so on.
By the middle of the 19th century, completely Christian in the Middle Ages, Crete became almost half Muslim. And it was not only about immigrants from other parts of the Ottoman Empire, a huge number of local Greeks converted to Islam. And as soon as they accepted Islam, they ceased to be Greeks - they became Turks. The division in those days was not national, but exclusively religious. The uprising of 1866 was almost completely suppressed, the monastery was one of the last centers of resistance, and during the capture of Arkadi, the Turks showed real oriental cruelty.
The walls of the monastery are very high and thick:
About 1000 people took refuge in the monastery, and only a little more than 300 of them were men of an age to fight. At the gate stood 15,000 Turks armed with cannons. After a two-day assault, the Ottomans made their way inside. Women and children hid in a powder magazine, the entrance to which was disguised. When the Turks tried to enter it, the defenders of the monastery blew up ammunition along with everyone who was there. Only 114 Greeks survived. They were captured and sent to the fortress in Rethymno. During the siege and explosion, 1,500 Turks also died.
In the photographs in the museum of the monastery, the faces of the Greeks - fighters for independence (photographs of the late 19th - early 20th centuries). It is difficult to distinguish them from the Turks outwardly. The same frozen poses of old photographs, ferocious bearded faces. The same clothes. Despite this, the war was the most cruel, for destruction.
There is a withered tree in the monastery, in which fragments of Turkish shells are stuck:
If you don't think about it bloody history, then the monastery of Arkadi is a pleasant idyllic place. There are many colors here:
The cells and utility rooms are now museum expositions. It looks like there has been a major restoration recently. The monastery is active, but the monks are not visible during the day. Curious tourists roam everywhere - no one chases them. A few more photos from the Arkadi monastery:
Behind the monastery walls you can see the Ida mountain range, the highest mountains in Crete:
On the way from the monastery to the sea, there are beautiful Greek villages. Quiet, hot, people can not be seen.
In almost every surrounding village one can see a heavy church building:
Here they are built in the invariably old Byzantine style.
But we did not stop, we drove home, Maykino's patience was coming to an end.
Other posts about the trip to Crete in May 2016:
Greek provincial football, Chania - Lamia.
Monastery of Arkadi is one of the most famous and impressive monasteries. Initially, the defensive complex of the monastery was built in the XIV century. The monastery inherited its name from the monk Arkadi, who, according to legend, was its founder. The cathedral church of the monastery in the name of the Transfiguration of the Lord was built in 1587. It is a characteristic example of Venetian architecture, where Gothic elements are combined with renaissance motifs.
During the Turkish rule, Cretan partisans repeatedly found refuge in the monastery. The monks of the monastery often supplied them with food and weapons, which was the reason for repeated repressive measures by the Turks. The strategic location of the Arkadi Monastery made it the epicenter of the Greek Revolution of 1866. Not only the Greek revolutionaries, but also the entire civilian population of the surrounding areas was forced to hold a circular defense after the siege of the monastery by the 15,000th Turkish army of Mustafa Naili Pasha. Despite the heroic resistance, the monastery was captured by the Turks. Knowing the consequences of the capture, the besieged blew up a huge powder store, taking to the grave with their own lives and the lives of many enslavers. Outside the monastery there is a mass grave in which they are buried. Since then The monastery of Arkadi has become a symbol of the struggle of the Cretan people for their independence.
The monastery has a small museum where many icons and monastery relics, household items, weapons that were used in the battle and much more are exhibited. All this is of interest not only to tourists, but also to students from all over who come here to get acquainted with the heroic pages of their history. Also, on the territory of the monastery there is a shop with church utensils, where you can buy icons, crosses, books and much more.
Arkadi Monastery – video
Arkidi Monastery - location, how to get there
Arkadi Monastery is located on the slope of Mount Ida, 25 kilometers southeast of the city of Rethymno, 7 kilometers from the coast of the Cretan Sea.
You can get to Arkadi Monastery from the city of Rethymno by bus, which departs from Rethymnon three times a day on weekdays - at 6:15, 10:30 and 14:30, and on weekends - at 10:30.
Arcadia Monastery (Greek: Moní Arkadhíou) is located 26 km southeast of Rethymnon. It is located at an altitude of more than 500 meters on the northwestern slope of Mount Ida. This is one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in Crete. Like many Christian shrines, the monastery was built on the site of one of ancient temples. The exact date of its foundation is unknown. Some sources claim that the monastery was founded at the beginning of the 5th century by the holy emperor Arcadius, according to another version, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius I (575-641 AD) is considered its founder. The monastery church with a baroque façade dates from 1587. During the reign of the Catholic Venetians, the monastery was a stronghold of Orthodoxy and gave its students a very diverse knowledge. Here, in addition to theological sciences, they studied languages, music and literature, mathematics and astronomy, rhetoric and versification. Saint Athanasius of Tsaregradsky, the miracle worker of all Rus', received his education in the Arcadia Monastery.
During the period of Ottoman rule, the Cretans did not escape the fate of all the Greeks - in 1645 the island was captured by the Turks, and in 1648, after the capture of the city of Rethymnon, the Turks plundered the rich Arcadian monastery. Majority Christian churches was turned into mosques, the Greek religion is persecuted, but about 100 monks remain in the Arcadian monastery, who have an unheard-of privilege at that time - the opportunity to ring the monastery bells. In 1822, the year of the independence of Greece, the monastery was again plundered by the Turks.
Crete remains under the Ottomans, but the ongoing struggle against the conquerors flares up with renewed vigor. Moni Arcadi becomes one of the strongholds of the liberation movement. On November 7, 1866, 15,000 Turkish soldiers besieged the monastery, where several hundred Cretan rebels with their wives and children found refuge. When the Turks broke into the courtyard of the monastery, the abbot Gabriel ordered to retreat to the powder warehouse. The defenders fought to the last, and when the abbot had already been killed, and an avalanche of Turks poured in, the partisan Kostis Yambudakis blew up the powder kegs. The explosion killed 300 rebels, more than 600 women and children, and 1,500 Turks. Several dozen surviving Greeks were caught by the Ottomans and after cruel torture killed.
The Arcadia Monastery became a symbol of the heroism of the Cretans in the struggle for independence and is now considered a "European monument of freedom". The events of November 1866 forced the European community to act. But before that, the leading European countries calmly looked at the atrocities of the Turks on the island.
Today the monastery has been restored, and a museum operates under it. In the far left corner of the monastery courtyard, you can see a building without a roof - a former powder warehouse, where the slogan of the Cretan rebels "freedom or death" found its tragic embodiment. The relics of the defenders of the monastery are stored in the altar, and in the museum you can see unique relics - weapons, portraits of dead partisans, a banner riddled with bullets. Every year on November 8, on the anniversary of the tragic events, many people come to Moni Arcadia to honor the memory of the heroes.
Monastery for men, active. There is a hotel for pilgrims.
Good morning friends! Thank you so much for the amount of congratulations on obtaining a license and valuable tips about autotravel that you left me! I'm slowly systematizing the tips and will soon present a post-instruction on how to organize a trip by car. And today I want to talk about the monastery of Arkadi, located in Crete and which played a big role in the history of the island.
1. The monastery is located at a distance of 25 km from Rethymnon, but we were driving from Plakias, the path was long, but I really wanted to show my dad, with whom we rested in Crete, an example of the wonderful baroque architecture that is main temple monastery. Agree that this patterned facade against the blue sky looks amazing!
2. The church dates from the 16th century and is a fine example of the Venetian Baroque. Do you remember that there are many Venetian artifacts in Crete?
5. Shall we go inside?
7. The monastery is located on a hill and is surrounded on all sides by a wall, thanks to which it also served as a fortress several centuries ago. In 1866-1869, the so-called Cretan uprising was going on on the island, the struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. During the uprising, residents of neighboring villages took refuge in the monastery. 15 thousand Turkish soldiers stormed Arkadi and when they broke into the monastery, the rebels and refugees who were inside blew up the arsenal with weapons. Of all the participants in the siege, only one woman survived. After that, Arkadi became a symbol of the struggle for the independence of Greece.
8. And this is what the temple looks like from the back. Behind it there is a beautiful rose garden, pergolas twined with grapes, cats sleeping in the sun.
11. You can climb one of the upper galleries, where the doors of the monastic cells open.
12. Top view.
13. Monks feed local cats.
14. Curious Barbara got her ear ripped off at the market! The inquisitive cat turned out to be, immediately stuck his nose into the lens. Probably, he got an abrasion on his ear, he got into other things.
15. Cretan cats have an eternal siesta.
18. Interestingly shaped tree. It looks like he was struck by lightning.
19. I love this combination of textures and lines in different directions.
Our second sightseeing trip in Crete was a trip on a yellow train (Yellow train) to the monastery of Arkadi.
The yellow train goes on this trip every day except Thursday at 9-10 am (depending on the location of the hotel), the tour lasts until 2 pm and costs 15 / 7.5 euros (adult / child). The entrance to the monastery costs 2.5 euros. In addition, the monastery can be reached by regular bus, taxi or car, as part of an excursion from travel agencies.
Rethymnon yellow train
Arkadi Monastery is built on a small picturesque valley at an altitude of 500 m above sea level, 22 km from Rethymno. The road there takes quite a long time, as the train moves slowly (so that you can fully enjoy the surrounding landscape). But the ride is not boring, as the audio guide works in several languages (including Russian). They talk about the surrounding landscape, about olive trees and olives, carob tree (carob) and, of course, about the monastery. On the way, the train makes a stop so that tourists can enjoy the view.
view on the way to the monastery
According to legend, at the beginning of the 13th century, a monk named Arkadios founded the monastery. Since that time and over the past eight centuries, the monastery has been the cradle of faith and at the same time the source of the development of monastic virtue.
Monastery of Arkadi
In the 16th century, the monastery was luxuriously rebuilt with the money of the educated and wealthy Hortadzis family from Rethymno, who played a large role in the Cretan Renaissance. The katholikon, the main temple of the monastery, dates back to this time. The central church (1587) replaced a smaller church from the 13th century.
Catholicon of Arkadi Monastery
The heyday of the monastery fell on the XVII century. At this time, Arcudio had a large library and an important center for transcribing manuscripts. Most of the library perished during the events of 1866, but European travelers saw the manuscripts of Pindar, Virgil, Homer, as well as books of Petrarch and Dante in the monastery.
The Turks plundered the monastery immediately after the capture of Rethymnon in 1648, but later they treated the monastery quite loyally. In the XVIII century, the monastery repeatedly gave shelter to the rebels, served as an ammunition depot - and in connection with this, it was constantly subjected to punitive actions.
In November 1866, during a major Cretan uprising, 964 people took refuge within the walls of the monastery: 365 rebels and 599 women and children. The Turkish general Mustafa Pasha, at the head of a 15,000-strong detachment, surrounded the monastery and demanded to surrender immediately, but received a categorical refusal. After several days of siege, Arcadiu was taken by storm. The surviving defenders locked themselves in a powder warehouse and, with the blessing of Abbot Gabriel Marinakis, exploded, taking with them many Turks. This battle was called "Arkadi's Holocaust". The memory of this is magnificently celebrated on November 7-9.
Kostas Giampudakis was the one who set fire to the gunpowder in the warehouse. After the end of the revolution, he was recognized as a national hero. In Rethymno, there is a monument to the hero in the town square.
In Crete, they are sure that it was the sacrificial flame of Arkadiu that turned Western public opinion in favor of the rebels and drew the attention of the leaders of the great powers to the fate of the island.
From an architectural point of view, Arcadiou is a typical Cretan monastery of Venetian times, only very rich and luxurious. The fraternal building, built in the form of a square, also serves as a fortress wall.
monks' cells
Two gates lead to the monastery: Chaniotiki (or Rethymniotic) in the west and Kastrini in the east. The western gate (claustra) was built in 1870 to replace the old gate of 1693, destroyed during the Turkish attack in 1866.
East Gate (Castrin Gate). This gate overlooks Heraklion (formerly called Kastro) to the east. People and animals used them as direct access to the lands of the monastery.
east gate
The katholikon (the main temple of the island) of the monastery was built in 1587 from sunny yellow sandstone. The facade of the church is made in the spirit of the Renaissance, it was inspired by the work of architects Sebastiano Serlio and Andrea Palladio. The facade is richly decorated with arches, Corinthian columns, garlands and round dormer windows. The pediments and the bell tower have an almost baroque decoration in terms of splendor.
Catholicon of Arkadi Monastery
However, despite the Western forms, the temple has always remained Orthodox. The northern aisle of the catholicon is dedicated to the Transfiguration, the southern aisle is consecrated in the name of Saints Constantine and Helena.
catholicon, rear view
Of the existing buildings, the oldest date back to the end of the 18th century; their ruins have been preserved in the northwestern part of the courtyard. On the south and east side there are cells with a portico facing the courtyard. In the cells on the south side, during a two-week siege in 1866, this place was used as an infirmary for the wounded.
Here was the same powder warehouse. In the wine cellar - a room with a vaulted ceiling and powerful walls in the north-eastern part of the monastery courtyard - in 1866 ammunition was stored.
gunpowder store
On the north side of the monastery, next to the wine warehouse, there were cellars where food and accommodation were offered to numerous workers, settlers, as well as ordinary visitors and the poor. Now there is an old piece of art on display.
Here, on the north side, there is a museum, a souvenir shop and the chapel of St. Arcadius. The museum is located in the former refectory, where the monks used to dine, and the souvenir shop is located in an old olive oil warehouse. In the monastery museum you can see a collection of late Byzantine icons, church utensils, ancient weapons and other valuables. The mourning urn with the ashes of the heroes of 1866 is carefully preserved.
entrance to the souvenir shop and museum
In the courtyard of the monastery there is a withered trunk of a cruciform cypress, which is a participant in one of the legends of the emergence of the monastery (the monk found an icon in its branches), as well as a witness to the Holocaust. A fragment from the explosion has settled in its barrel (the arrow is now pointing at it).
olive tree with shard
Immediately outside the territory of the monastery, in a former windmill, there is a crypt in which the remains of those who fought in the battle of 1866 are kept.
To the right, under the arcades, there are busts of leaders.
busts of the leaders of the uprising
After visiting the monastery, the yellow train goes to the village of Amnatos. The medieval and renaissance architecture of the buildings and the layout of the streets illustrate the historical roots of this beautiful village.
streets of Amnatos
There are three churches in this small village.
churches of Amnatos
During the tour, for an additional fee of 1 euro, you can visit a small folklore museum, as well as go to a souvenir shop.
folklore museum in Amnatos
We leave the village of Amnatos and set off on the way back. We pass a few more villages and return to the starting point of our trip.
We liked this tour. Very informative from a historical point of view and from the point of view of information about the surrounding world, a very beautiful way to the monastery and back, it was also interesting to ride a train, especially for children.
