Lassithi Toplou Monastery

Location: Palekastro

Located in northeastern Crete, around 9 kilometers from Palekastro, the Toplou Monastery is one of the most important and historic monuments in Crete. It was founded in the 14th century and is dedicated to Panagia Akrotiriani, which can be translated as “Virgin Mary of the Cape.”

Though it was destroyed twice, during a severe earthquake in 1612 and after the Ottoman conquest of Crete later in the 17th century, the monastery has been restored several times. In its present form, it looks like a square fort, surrounded by a formidable 10-meter-high defensive wall. The main building is three-storey and develops around a central courtyard, while its facade is adorned with pediments and other Renaissance elements. Over the main gate, it is still possible to see the hole through which the monks poured rocks and boiling oil or lead to anyone who tried to storm the monastery.

The complex consists of the monks’ cells, guesthouses, storerooms and other ancillary areas, while the Renaissance-style belfry is one of its most imposing features. The church is two-aisled and is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Theologian. Inside it, visitors will find magnificent portable icons that date from the 18th century, which archaeological research has also revealed 14th-century frescoes.

Currently, the monastery owns a huge stretch of land and boasts an olive mill, that produces high-quality virgin olive oil, as well as a distillery that produces excellent wines and tsikoudia. It also houses an ecclesiastical museum with Byzantine icons and etchings crafted by the monks between the 18th and the 19th centuries. Besides church items, the collection comprises Turkish firmans, seals and banners from the various Cretan revolts. Near the monastery, there is a small cave which functioned as a shelter in World War II.