Historiske kirker og klostre i Agios Nikolaos

Historic Churches and Monasteries

This collection highlights the religious architecture of the Mirabello region, ranging from 9th-century Byzantine chapels to 16th-century fortified monasteries. Key sites include Panagia Kera, renowned for its well-preserved 13th-century frescoes, and the Monastery of St. George Selinari, situated within a dramatic gorge. These sites showcase traditional Cretan ecclesiastical styles, including triple-aisled basilicas and rock-hewn chapels, many of which served as cultural strongholds during the Venetian and Ottoman periods.

A

Panagia Kera

A 13th-century triple-aisled Byzantine church containing some of the most significant and well-preserved frescoes in Crete, depicting the Life of Christ and the Second Coming.

B

St. Nikolaos

An 8th or 9th-century Byzantine church on the Nissi peninsula. It features rare iconoclastic-era decorations and is one of the oldest surviving ecclesiastical buildings on the island.

C

Metropolitan Church of Megali Panagia

A large, neoclassical 19th-century cathedral located in the center of Neapoli. It serves as the seat of the Metropolis of Petra and Cherronisos.

D

Agios Georgios

A traditional stone-built Greek Orthodox chapel located on the coastline near Elounda.

Viktor Bergen / CC-BY-SA

E

Church of Agios Georgios

A small, historic stone chapel dedicated to Saint George, featuring traditional Cretan masonry and located in the rural outskirts of Kritsa.

F

Monastery of St. George Selinari

A 16th-century monastery located in the Selinari Gorge. It includes a small ancient chapel built into the rock and a larger modern church dedicated to Saint George.

G

Kremasta Monastery

Founded in 1593, this monastery is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. It is built on a steep slope and historically housed a 'secret school' during the Ottoman occupation.

H

Areti Monastery

A 16th-century Venetian-era monastery complex. The site includes two churches dedicated to Saint Lazarus and the Trinity, surrounded by a fortified courtyard.

I

Koufi Petra

A female monastery dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, situated on a hill near Neapoli with panoramic views of the Mirabello valley.

J

Panagia Perampeliotissa

A small Byzantine-style chapel located in the rural landscape near Vrouchas, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.