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Moni Toplou Monastery in Crete |
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Moni Toplou is located a few kilometres east of Dionysos Village outside Sitia in eastern Crete. It is one of the most important monasteries in Crete, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and John the Apostle. Try to get here in the morning before the tourist buses arrive. They pass here on the way to the Vai palm beach.
Moni Toplou monastery in eastern Crete.
The entrance to Moni Toplou.
The monastery was founded in the middle of the 16th century, probably on the ruins of an earlier monastery. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1642, but was rebuilt by the Venetians who fortified the monastery so that it is more like a fort than a monastery. The monastery flourished until the year 1646 when eastern Crete was occupied by the Turks. In the following years, the monastery was sometimes uninhabited, and sometimes inhabited, depending entirely on who ruled the region.
Moni Toplou. |
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An old olive oil press in Moni Toplou Monastery.
During the German occupation, Cretan resistance fighters hid in the monastery. They had a hidden wireless radio in the monastery. When the Germans discovered the radio, an abbot and two monks were punished, tortured and executed.
Moni Toplou is a peaceful oasis. Check out the sculpture in the middle.
Artwork by Greek artist Manolis Tzombanakis.
The monastery is open every day 09.00-13.00, and 14.00-18.00, from April to October. A little funny thing is that we have a geranium at home in Sweden that was picked outside Moni Toplou in 1993. We got a shot from a neighbour almost 15 years ago, and it still blooms just as beautifully every year, with white flowers. |
WHAT YOU MUST NOT MISS WHEN YOU VISIT MONI TOPLOU |
