Toplou Monastery

Toplou Monastery Monastery Interior Toplou after the rain

Some say that an icon of Virgin Mary was miraculously found in a cave nearby and that this prompted the inhabitants to build it. Others say, however, that another, smaller monastery had existed there which Toplou replaced.

The history of the monastery has been lost through the centuries. Many historians have elated the founding of Akrotiriani with monastery of Agios Isidhoros, which is sited in the easternmost part of Crete, in a dry and completely barren area, on a small promontory, where in all probability an ancient sanctuary had existed.

The monastery was big, comprising about 800 m2, with cells for the monks, kitchens, dining halls, storage rooms and guest rooms. The church has two aisles; one dedicated to Virgin Mary, the other to St. John the Theologian.

In 1530 the monastery was plundered by the knights of Malta but very soon managed to find its former state. In the following century, and more precisely in 1612, it was destroyed by a strong earthquake, which struck eastern Crete.

After much exertion it was reconstructed and regained its familiar fortress-like form. The effort was assisted by the Venetian state itself, because of its position on a promontory of Eastern Crete, considering it a Christian outpost against the Turks, granted 200 ducats for the restoration of the fortified establishment.

Venice, which felt the great Turkish danger approaching its possessions, made efforts to support any activity, which had a military and defensive character. A fortress, with scores of monks living inside, was evidently very useful on this remote site.

Despite successive destructions, it was regularly rebuilt. It seems that it was flourishing, because it had lands as far away as modern Iraklion and Agia Triada.

When the Turks conquered Crete, they destroyed Toplou, which was then abandoned for a long time.

During the Turkish rule the monastery of Akrotiriani was named Toplou because it had a cannon (top). In the early years of the subjugation (after 1646 and till the beginning of the 18th century) it faced serious economic problems. In 1704 it acquired special protection privileges from the Patriarch and was re inhabited.

Another disaster befell the monastery in 1821 when a local Turkish governor ordered Christian males to be slaughtered, presumably because he was afraid of insurrection. During this massacre, 13 monks were killed and the rest fled for their lives.

After the Greek War of Independence, the monastery was inhabited again on and off, and it even included a school for Greek children.

In recent years an effort is being made to bring the building complex into its original form. The monastery is one of the most important monuments of the province of Sitia, although it hasn't got an exclusively monumental character. It has always been a religious center attracting many worshippers.

Today it is resided by two monks.